Honestly, if you walked into the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville this past March expecting anyone other than South Carolina to hoist the trophy, you haven't been paying attention. It’s almost a routine now. Death, taxes, and Dawn Staley cutting down nets in South Carolina.
But the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament 2025 was supposed to be the year the script changed. With Texas and Oklahoma joining the party, the "new look" SEC was touted as the gauntlet that would finally trip up the Gamecocks. Instead, we got a masterclass in how a dynasty evolves.
South Carolina didn't just win; they dismantled a No. 1 ranked Texas team 64-45 in the final. It was the first time in program history they beat a top-ranked team, which feels like a typo considering how many rings they have, but it's true. They won their three games by an average of 19 points. So much for the "tougher conference" narrative.
The Coin Flip That Changed Everything
One of the weirdest parts of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament 2025 happened before a single ball was even tipped. South Carolina and Texas finished the regular season with identical 15-1 conference records. Because they split their head-to-head games and had the same record against common opponents, the SEC literally had to use a coin toss to decide the No. 1 seed.
South Carolina won the toss.
Does seeding really matter for a team that deep? Maybe not, but it gave them the "home" path in Greenville. Texas, meanwhile, had to claw through a brutal semifinal against LSU—winning 56-49 in a defensive rock fight—while the Gamecocks were busy putting up 93 on Oklahoma. By the time Sunday rolled around, the Longhorns looked gassed.
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Chloe Kitts and the Bench Mob
If you want to know why this team is terrifying, look at the box scores. It's never just one person. Chloe Kitts took home the MVP after averaging nearly 17 points and 8 rebounds over the weekend. She’s a "dog" in the paint, as her teammate Sania Feagin put it. Kitts was shooting 74% from the field. That’s not a stat; that’s a glitch in the matrix.
But the real story of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament 2025 was the bench. South Carolina’s non-starters led the nation in scoring this year, and they showed why in Greenville.
- Joyce Edwards: The freshman was a problem. She scored 14.7 points per game throughout the tournament without even starting.
- Tessa Johnson: "Tournament Tessa" showed up again, dropping 14 in the final and hitting back-to-back threes when Texas tried to make a run.
- MiLaysia Fulwiley: Last year's MVP was still electric, making the All-Tournament team and keeping defenders on skates.
LSU, on the other hand, had a rough go. They were playing without Flau’jae Johnson, who was out with shin inflammation. Aneesah Morrow tried to carry the world on her shoulders—she dropped 36 and 14 against Florida—but they just didn't have the legs to get past Texas in the semis. Kim Mulkey’s face during that Texas game basically told the whole story.
The Texas "Welcome to the SEC" Moment
Texas came into this tournament with a 15-game winning streak. They had Madison Booker, an All-American who usually does whatever she wants on the court.
Then they met Bree Hall.
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Hall is the "assignment" defender for Dawn Staley. She sat on Booker all afternoon, holding her to 0-of-4 from the floor in the first half. The Longhorns went nearly three minutes at the end of the game without scoring a single field goal. It was suffocating. Texas coach Vic Schaefer knows defense, but even he looked a bit stunned at the 17-0 run South Carolina used to blow the game open in the second quarter.
The atmosphere in Greenville was predictably loud. Total attendance for the week hit 71,910. People keep saying Greenville is the permanent home of this thing for a reason—the city just gets it. The SEC recently extended the contract through 2028, so get used to the "Well" being the center of the universe every March.
What We Learned for the NCAA Run
If you’re looking for actionable takeaways from the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament 2025, here is the reality: the gap between South Carolina and the rest of the country is still a chasm.
Texas is elite, don't get me wrong. They’ll be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the Big Dance and could easily make a Final Four. But when South Carolina’s defense is "locked in" (Staley’s favorite phrase), they are playing a different sport. They outscored their three tournament opponents 67-27 in the second quarter alone. That’s where they break you.
Vanderbilt was a sneaky surprise, too. They took down Tennessee in the second round behind 20 points from freshman Mikayla Blakes. Keep an eye on them; they aren't the "easy win" they used to be on the schedule.
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Next Steps for Fans and Bettors
The tournament might be over, but the data it produced is gold for the NCAA Tournament.
First, watch the health of LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson. If she’s back, LSU is a Final Four threat. If not, they are vulnerable to any team with a disciplined zone. Second, keep an eye on Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers. She was a beast in Greenville, and the Sooners' offense (averaging 86 points) is going to bust a lot of brackets if they get a favorable draw.
Check the final NCAA seedings that come out after this. South Carolina has basically locked up the #1 overall seed. If you're looking at futures, the odds on them aren't great because they’re such heavy favorites, but Texas at a slightly higher price might be the value play if you think they can adjust to that Gamecock pressure in a rematch.
Go back and watch the second quarter of the championship game if you can find the replay. It’s a clinic on transition defense and paint scoring. The Gamecocks outscored Texas 40-18 in the paint. That’s where games are won in March.