For the first time since 2021, South Carolina is not an overall NO:1 seed

South Carolina Gamecocks earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women's tournament on Sunday.   Nevertheless, Dawn Staley's team is not the number one overall team for the first time since 2021.  There were some strong opinions on the topic from Coach Staley.

"Obviously it's disappointing. It really is," Staley said of not getting the No. 1 overall seed, per an X post from Matt Dowell. "I'd like to get some feedback on how they came to that conclusion. Because we put together, manufactured a schedule that if done right, it should produce the overall No. 1 seed.

"But I will say this. We're going to make adjustments to our schedule in the future if the standard is the standard. If that's the standard, then we can play any schedule and get a No. 1 seed," she added.

This season, the Gamecocks played 15 games against ranked opponents.   Three losses came against top 10 teams and the top overall seed UCLA Bruins as they finished 30-3 overall.

South Carolina Gamecocks will play Tennessee Tech at 4:00 PM ET on Friday.  They will play the winner of Indiana and Utah in the second round of the tournament.

Given their strong performance throughout the season, the South Carolina Gamecocks are likely to dominate their upcoming match against Tennessee Tech. With their experience playing against top-ranked opponents, they have the skills and determination needed to advance to the next round. Fans can expect a focused and determined team ready to prove their worth in the tournament.