Dawn Staley of South Carolina: We’ve Earned Our Spot as the No. 1 Seed

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley made it clear that her team has more than earned its place as the top overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Following a dominant performance in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament, capped off by a convincing 64-45 win over No. 1 Texas in Sunday’s championship, Staley expressed her belief that the Gamecocks deserve the No. 1 spot.

The Gamecocks, now 30-3, entered the SEC Tournament ranked fifth nationally, with many predicting they would secure a No. 2 seed. However, after thrashing three SEC opponents by margins of 18, 21, and 19 points, it seems a No. 1 seed is now firmly within reach.

But for Staley, this isn’t just about a No. 1 seed—it’s about what her team has truly earned. “When you win this tournament and play the schedule that we play, I do think we’re the No. 1 overall seed,” Staley remarked. “We manufactured our schedule to put ourselves in this situation. So I hope the committee doesn’t discount our entire resume. There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we have played, that had a share of the regular-season title, won this tournament, and beat the No. 1 team in the country… there is no one.”

She emphasized that South Carolina’s 2024-25 resume, which includes 12 victories over Top 25 teams (two of which came against Texas), should carry significant weight. The Gamecocks’ 7-3 record against Top 10 teams is also noteworthy, with their only losses coming against Texas, No. 3 Connecticut, and No. 4 UCLA.

South Carolina’s challenging 30-game regular season also featured 13 matchups against teams in the AP Top 25—two more than any other ranked team faced.

Staley shared her surprise upon hearing that the Gamecocks were initially slated as a No. 2 seed heading into the tournament. “If you get so much credit for beating us, and yet when we have had some of the toughest stretches in the country and came out of it unscathed, you can’t discount that,” Staley remarked. “You can’t discredit that. I’m going to speak up about it because you have to hear the voice of the other side. Because if you don’t think our body of work deserves it, then you need to speak out on it.”

She further expressed her resolve, stating, “I’m going to go down fighting for what our team earned.”

As the NCAA Tournament approaches, Staley and the Gamecocks will be watching closely, hoping the committee recognizes the true value of their season..