Last week, South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley predicted her team to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, on Selection Sunday the committee gave the overall spot to UCLA, making the Gamecocks the No. 2 overall seed. This is the first ever No. 1 overall seed of the Bruins in the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks did receive the respect they deserve, securing a No. 1 seed for the fifth straight year. They will compete in the Birmingham 2 Region as they go for their third straight national title in four seasons.
Even though South Carolina still earned a No. 1 seed, Staley voiced her disappointment about the decision.
“My reaction? I mean, I’m not in the room,” Staley said after learning the seeding. “But obviously, I think we did much more than probably any other overall No. 1 seed. We outdid ourselves, even compared to last year, with the number of quality wins we had. But I guess the committee was looking at something else.”
More from Dawn Staley on their bracket and being the No. 2 overall seed:
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) March 17, 2025
"I will say this. We're gonna make adjustments to our schedule in the future if the standard is the standard. If that's the standard then we can play any schedule and get a No. 1 seed." @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/xl0kKq60oh
Obviously, it’s disappointing. It really is. I’d like to get some feedback on how they came to that conclusion,” she said. “Because we put together, we manufactured, a schedule that, if done right, should produce the overall No. 1 seed. But I will say this—we’re going to make adjustments to our schedule in the future if the standard is the standard. If that’s the standard, then we can play any schedule and still get a No. 1 seed.”
“My gut was the No. 1 overall seed because we put the work in,” she said. “That’s what my gut tells me. But man says otherwise, and I don’t really put my faith in man. So we’ll play with it. We’ll play the cards we’ve been dealt.”
South Carolina will host the first round of March Madness in Columbia, opening on Friday against the No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech (26-5). Game time will be announced later.
Competing in the Birmingham 2 Region, South Carolina will be joined by No. 8 seed Utah and No. 9 seed Indiana, who will also play in Columbia. If the Gamecocks beat Tennessee Tech, they will play the winner of the Utah vs. Indiana game.