South Carolina, top-seeded and 29-2, aims for its 10th SEC title in the 2026 tournament, facing strong competition for an NCAA No. 1 seed.

South Carolina’s women’s basketball team, led by Dawn Staley, enters the 2026 SEC Tournament as the top seed with a 29-2 record, seeking its 10th title in 18 seasons. The Gamecocks, dominant in Greenville, South Carolina—where they’ve won six of seven tournaments—attribute their success to strong rosters, not venue proximity, despite criticism over the SEC’s decision to host the event in a single location. Vanderbilt, Texas, LSU, and Tennessee also enter with strong resumes, with Tennessee needing a win to boost its NCAA Tournament hopes. The tournament is expected to be highly competitive, with multiple teams vying for a No. 1 NCAA seed.