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South Carolina captures 3rd straight SEC Tournament title in dominant stretch for Dawn Staley
By Paul Harvey
Published:
South Carolina might have had a rocky regular season compared to the illustrious standard established under Dawn Staley. However, the Gamecocks still rule the SEC women’s basketball world once again.
After South Carolina and Texas split the regular-season league title, the two sides met once again on Sunday to decide the SEC Women’s Tournament title. The Longhorns entered as the No. 1 team in the country, but it was the Gamecocks who came out with a dominant 64-45 win to lift the trophy.
The victory gives South Carolina a 3rd straight SEC Tournament title. It is also the 9th SEC Tournament title in the last 11 seasons for Staley’s program which continues to be the golden standard in women’s basketball.
South Carolina held a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter on Sunday, but it was the second quarter that established the Gamecocks were not messing around. The Gamecocks scored the first 15 points of the quarter and finished with a 21-6 advantage to carry a huge lead into halftime before rolling to the finish line.
The Gamecocks had 4 players in double figures, led by Chloe Kitts with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block. Tessa Johnson also had 14 points off the bench on 5-for-7 shooting. Texas was led by Taylor Jones and Rori Harmon who both scored 14 points in the defeat.
South Carolina finished with just 3 losses in the regular season which would be a banner season for many programs in the sport. However, that is the most losses for Staley’s program since 2021.
From the start of the 2021-22 season through the 2024 national title, the Gamecocks lost 3 total games and captured 2 national titles. In spite of the 3 losses, South Carolina still has a great shot to go back-to-back after a 38-0 perfect season a year ago.
UConn currently leads the odds to win the 2025 national title at bet365, but the Gamecocks are not far behind. Texas, USC and UCLA round out the top 5 as we brace for the women’s March Madness reveal.
Both Texas and South Carolina should grab No. 1 seeds when the full NCAA Tournament bracket is released. The battle for the No. 1 overall seed will be interesting with USC and UConn also in contention for the top spot.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
