South Carolina falls short of 4th straight SEC Tournament championship

Gamecocks unable to capture fourth consecutive conference tournament title under coach Dawn Staley

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The South Carolina women's basketball team was unable to capture their fourth straight SEC Tournament championship, falling short in the 2026 tournament. The Gamecocks, led by head coach Dawn Staley, had won the previous three SEC Tournament titles but were unable to make it four in a row this year.

Why it matters

South Carolina women's basketball has been a dominant force in the SEC in recent years, winning three straight conference tournament championships. The inability to capture a fourth straight title is a setback for the program, which had established itself as one of the top women's basketball teams in the country under Staley's leadership.

The details

The Gamecocks were unable to overcome their opponents in the 2026 SEC Tournament, falling short of the championship that would have been their fourth straight. South Carolina had won the previous three SEC Tournament titles under coach Dawn Staley, cementing their status as one of the premier women's basketball programs in the nation.

  • The 2026 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament took place in March 2026.

The players

Dawn Staley

The head coach of the South Carolina women's basketball team, who had led the Gamecocks to three straight SEC Tournament championships prior to this year.

South Carolina Gamecocks

The women's basketball team from the University of South Carolina, which had won the previous three SEC Tournament titles but was unable to capture a fourth straight championship in 2026.

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The takeaway

While the Gamecocks were unable to extend their SEC Tournament championship streak to four years, the program remains one of the top women's basketball teams in the country under the leadership of coach Dawn Staley. The team will look to bounce back and regain their conference tournament dominance in the coming seasons.