The South Carolina Gamecocks are looking to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 1 seed in the Regional 4 in Sacramento.
Although the Gamecocks failed to win both the SEC Regular and Tournament titles for the first time in three seasons, South Carolina is poised for a deep run in March. Led by Joyce Edwards, Ta'Niya Johnson and Madina Okot, the Gamecocks can use their last loss to Texas in the SEC Tournament final as motivation to go far.
2026's No. 1 seed marks the 10th time the Gamecocks have been given a top seed in a regional. Let's take a trip down memory lane to see how previous No. 1 seeded Gamecock teams have done.
2014: No. 1 seed, Stanford Regional
The 2013-14 South Carolina team was led by Tiffany Mitchell, Alighsa Welch and Alaina Coates. The Gamecocks earned the No. 1 overall seed in the Stanford Regional. But South Carolina made it only as far as the Sweet Sixteen round, losing 65-58 to No. 4 seeded North Carolina.
2015: No. 1 seed, Greensboro
South Carolina's 2014-15 season was better known as A'ja Wilson's coming out party. As a true freshman, Wilson was second on the team, averaging 13.1 points per game, adding 6.6 rebounds. Mitchell, Coates and Welch also returned to Columbia this season.
The Gamecocks won both the regular-season and SEC Tournament this season, defeating Tennessee 62-46 in the final. South Carolina advanced all the way to the Final Four this year, as the No. 1 overall seed from the Greensboro Region. But the Gamecocks fell 66-65 in the semifinal to Notre Dame.
2016: No. 1 seed, Sioux Falls
This year's squad was once again led by Wilson, Mitchell and Coates, but Dawn Staley did get help from guard Khadijah Sessions and Biana Cuevas-Moore. The Gamecocks entered the tournament 31-1, with a lone regular-season loss on its resume.
Despite getting the No. 1 seed in the Sioux Falls regional, South Carolina fell 80-72 to the No. 4 seeded Syracuse. The Orange advanced to the national championship that season, falling 82-51 to UConn.
2017: No. 1 seed, Stockton
During A'ja Wilson's junior season, the Gamecocks were also led by junior guards Allisha Gry and Kaela Davis. South Carolina stumbled a few times during the regular season, losing to heavyweights like Duke, Tennessee, UConn and Missouri during the regular season. But following a victorious SEC Tournament over Mississippi State, South Carolina held the No. 1 seed in the Stockton Regional.
The Gamecocks ran the table in the tournament this year, going 6-0 and giving South Carolina its first-ever national title in school history. Even sweeter, the Gamecocks beat Mississippi State again in an all-SEC national title, winning 67-55.
2021: No. 1 seed, HemisFair
As you can see, it took South Carolina four seasons to make it back to the tournament as a No. 1 seed after winning a national title. The Gamecocks were led by sophomores Zia Cooke and Aliyah Boston, and entered the tournament as SEC tournament champions, but with four regular-season losses to NC State, UConn, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
South Carolina earned the No. 1 seed in the HemisFair Region in Texas. The Gamecocks advanced all the way to the Final Four, falling to fellow No. 1 seed Stanford 66-65. The Cardinal went on to win the national title, defeating Arizona 54-53.
2022: No. 1 seed Greensboro
In 2022, South Carolina failed to win the SEC Tournament title, losing 64-62 to Kentucky in the final. The Wildcats handed South Carolina just its second loss of the season, so the Gamecocks still earned the No. 1 seed in Greensboro.
The Gamecocks went on to win the national title that season, beating all but one of its tournament opponents by double digits. South Carolina beat UConn in the national championship game 64-49.
2023: No. 1 seed, Greenville
South Carolina had a dominant offensive team this season, led by Zia Cooke, Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso. The Gamecocks entered the tournament a perfect 32-0.
The Gamecocks made it to the Final Four, but fell 77-73 to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 77-73. Iowa went on to lose to LSU in the national championship
2024: No. 1 seed, Albany
South Carolina's 2024 team had some new faces, including MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao. But anchored by the veteran leadership of Cardoso, the Gamecocks entered the tournament unbeaten, 32-0.
Getting the No. 1 seed in the Regional 1 in Albany, the Gamecocks didn't lose all season, beating NC State in the Final Four and Iowa in the national championship. The victory brought Staley her third national championship.
2025: No. 1 seed, Birmingham
South Carolina looked to be one of the favorites last season, enering the tournament 30-3 as SEC champions. The Gamecocks had the No. 1 seed in the Regional 2 in Birmingham.
It looked as if the Gamecocks had what it took to win it all again, beating Maryland, Duke and Texas to reach the national title game. But UConn and the Huskies prevailed, winning 82-59.
As you can see, the Gamecocks have a long history of No. 1 seeds in the tournament. We'll see if this year's South Carolina team can make a deep run.
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