It's never too early to start looking ahead to the 2026-27 women's basketball season. With the season set to tip off a little less than six months from now, ESPN has released its initial bracketology projections for next season.
On Tuesday, the outlet released its full predictions for all four regions, including full seedings, first-round matchups and more.
Also included are predictions for the No. 1 seeds in the tournament. ESPN's Charlie Creme likes the Gamecocks to nab the No. 1 overall seed:
"South Carolina began the offseason as a strong candidate to reach the Final Four for a seventh consecutive year," Creme writes. "After two big additions in the past month, the Gamecocks are a significant favorite to win it all. When Jordan Lee transferred from Texas to South Carolina, she not only made the Gamecocks stronger, but her departure also weakened one of their chief rivals. Then 6-foot-4 Oliviyah Edwards, the No. 3 recruit in the country who originally signed with Tennessee, committed to the Gamecocks, adding depth and size to an already formidable roster."
Creme also adds that UConn and USC are also favorites to make it to the Final Four. In his bracket, he has the Huskies and Trojans as No. 1 seeds, in addition to Michigan and Duke.
In the first round, he has the Gamecocks taking on either No. 16 Southern, who South Carolina played last year in the first round, or No. 16 Radford.
Elsewhere in the bracket, ESPN has big-name teams like Iowa and USC getting a No. 2 seed in Region 2 in Philadelphia, LSU getting a No. 3 seed, Kentucky with a No. 5 seed and Texas getting a No. 2 seed.
South Carolina's 2026 roster is expected to be one of Dawn Staley's most loaded, featuring Texas transfer guard Jordan Lee, Edwards, and returning stars in Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards.
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