Texas Wins First SEC Tournament Title, Earns NCAA Bid

South Carolina's streak of SEC tournament titles ends as Longhorns claim automatic bid

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Texas Longhorns won their first-ever SEC tournament championship, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks and earning an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament. This marks the end of South Carolina's four-year run as SEC tournament champions. Despite the loss, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley remains confident in her team's chances, noting that the last time they lost in this situation, they went on to win the national championship.

Why it matters

The SEC tournament title is a significant accomplishment for Texas, as it gives them an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and a potential boost in seeding. For South Carolina, the loss ends their recent dominance in the conference tournament, but Staley believes it could provide the motivation her team needs to make another deep NCAA tournament run.

The details

In the SEC tournament championship game, Texas defeated South Carolina 68-62 to claim their first-ever SEC tournament title. The Longhorns used their length and defensive pressure to stifle the Gamecocks' star duo of Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan, who struggled to find their rhythm throughout the game. Texas head coach Vic Schaefer was pleased with his team's performance, saying they'll "go wherever they send me" for the NCAA tournament.

  • The SEC tournament championship game took place on March 5, 2026.
  • South Carolina's last SEC tournament title came in 2022.

The players

Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team, who won their first-ever SEC tournament championship.

Dawn Staley

The head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, who has led the team to four consecutive SEC tournament titles prior to this year's loss.

Mikayla Blakes

A star player for the South Carolina Gamecocks, who struggled along with her teammate Aubrey Galvan in the SEC tournament championship game.

Vic Schaefer

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns, who is pleased with his team's performance and is ready to take them to the NCAA tournament.

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What they’re saying

“[I] told them that the last time we lost in this situation, we won a national championship. So you've got to think about that. It might be the very thing this team needs.”

— Dawn Staley, Head Coach, South Carolina Gamecocks (Yahoo Sports)

“I'll go wherever they send me. I'll take this team to Timbuktu. I don't care. They'll go wherever. They don't care. They're good enough.”

— Vic Schaefer, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

The Texas Longhorns will await their seeding and opponent for the 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament, which will be announced on Selection Sunday.

The takeaway

The Texas Longhorns' SEC tournament championship victory not only earns them an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but also demonstrates their ability to compete with the top teams in the country. Meanwhile, South Carolina's loss ends their recent dominance in the conference, but coach Dawn Staley remains confident that this setback could provide the motivation her team needs to make another deep NCAA tournament run.