There’s nothing like some new blood to shake things up. Two new teams, two coaching changes, and a wave of impact transfers and freshmen have challenged the recent order of things in SEC women’s basketball. This week’s conference tournament returns to Greenville bigger and less predictable than it has been in years. With conference expansion, we’re no longer destined to watch another inevitable South Carolina–LSU championship game. Of course that result remains possible, but Texas made an immediate impact by sharing the regular season title in its first year of membership. Saturday’s semifinals could easily resemble a national Final Four, and the two teams reaching Sunday’s final might view the first four rounds of the NCAA tournament as a relative breather.

The league’s expansion to 16 teams means that Wednesday is no longer merely a play-in round for the bottom seeds. Instead, a full slate of games will be on display involving half the league, and teams seeded ninth or lower will have to win five games to capture the title. With as many as 10 of the 16 teams having a realistic shot at the NCAA tournament, several bubble squads will face immense pressure in Wednesday’s opening round. A single bye into Thursday’s second round is no longer a given, and the coveted double-bye for the top four teams is even harder to secure.

By now the transfer portal and NIL are old hat, yet their effects remain as significant as ever. Entire rosters have been remade over the offseason—a team like Kentucky can leap from a 12th-place finish last year to the top four while posting their widest-ever margins of victory over Tennessee and Georgia. LSU has managed to mitigate the loss of Hailey Van Lith with the addition of Kailyn Gilbert, while other programs, notably Arkansas and Texas A&M, have seen net talent outflows that have cost them in the unforgiving SEC. Despite increased player mobility, some familiar programs have been tough to shake from the league’s very top tier.

Before the weekend’s marquee matchups, the bracket also sets up the possibility for several intra-state rivalries on Thursday—Tennessee versus Vanderbilt, Ole Miss versus Mississippi State, and Alabama versus Auburn. It wouldn’t be surprising to see at least two of those contests materialize, adding intrigue to the second round even before the top four seeds take the floor.

Georgia’s Path Through the Tournament:
Wednesday: vs. Arkansas ~1:30 pm ET SEC Network
Thursday / Second Round: vs. Oklahoma ~1:30 pm ET SEC Network
Friday / Quarterfinals: vs. Kentucky ~2:30 pm ET ESPN
Saturday / Semifinals: 4:30 pm ET ESPN2
Sunday / Finals: 3:00 pm ET ESPN
Complete Bracket Here

The Field
(LY: last year’s finish, PS: coaches preseason projection)

1. South Carolina (15-1, 27-3) (LY-1, PS-1): Two seasons ago the Gamecocks’ slight weakness from the perimeter cost them dearly in the Final Four. This year, their post play could prove to be a vulnerability. South Carolina boasts gifted forwards like Chloe Kitts, Sania Feagin, and freshman sensation Joyce Edwards—players who are long, quick, and versatile. However, in a program known for its sustained interior excellence (from Wilson to Boston to Cardoso), the absence of a dominant post presence—compounded by Ashlyn Watkins’ ACL injury in January—could be problematic.

Most teams can’t hang with South Carolina’s athleticism. Their transition game is showtime with Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley featuring on the highlight reel. The athleticism extends to both ends of the court: they can get into transition off a defensive rebound or turnover, and they can drive to the basket at most every position. The perimeter game is still strong, but shots are more contested without the interior presence that drew so much attention and opened things up. Sharpshooter Te-Hina Paopao is under 40% from outside for the first time in three seasons, and the team overall is down from 39.7% a year ago to a less-superhuman 33% this season.

The formula for the right opponent is there: control the boards on both ends to limit South Carolina to single shots and avoid fueling their transition, don’t turn the ball over, and force things into more of a compact halfcourt game. Easier said than done, and it helps if you have Azzi Fudd. Teams like Texas and Tennessee that can match the speed of the Gamecocks have kept things close, and LSU did what it needed to do on the glass but couldn’t shoot well enough to win. It’s hard to consider anyone else the favorite in this tournament, but it’s not as clear-cut as it’s been in recent years.

2. Texas (15-1, 29-2) (LY-NA, PS-2): Vic Schaefer is no stranger to the competitiveness of the SEC. Schaefer took Mississippi State to consecutive national title games last decade. Now in his fifth season at Texas, Schaefer has built another program into a national contender. The Longhorns earned a national #1 seed in their final year in the Big 12, and they’ve wasted no time challenging the established order of the SEC.

Any Schaefer team will be a defensive menace, and the Longhorns are right there with Ole Miss leading the SEC in scoring defense. They challenge offenses for the full length of the court, defend the perimeter well, and have the interior size to make scoring and rebounding difficult. Texas leads the SEC in turnover margin. Between turnovers and rebounding, Texas can overcome a relative lack of offensive firepower with sheer volume of possession.

The Longhorn attack starts with senior point guard Rori Harmon. Harmon can score, averaging nearly 10 PPG, but she is a skilled distributor with around six assists and under two turnovers per game. After Harmon gets things going the offense often finds wing Madison Booker. Booker leads the team in scoring and three-point percentage and is among the team’s better rebounders. Shay Holle is a streaky shooting guard who has come up big in key moments. On the interior Taylor Jones is a capable rim protector, shotblocker, and rebounder who can also score down low. Miami transfer Kyla Oldacre is an imposing forward off the bench capable of bullying an opposing frontcourt.

The Texas offense sticks to its strengths: they need to score around the basket and get to the line. Texas isn’t a great team from the perimeter. They barely shoot over 30% from outside, and that’s only because Booker is over 40% herself. Their strategy centers on efficiency around the basket rather than forcing long-range attempts—a plan that allowed them to beat South Carolina without relying on the three-point shot. It’s more important for them to earn free throws and be efficient around the basket. The Longhorns were just 5-10 from the stripe in a loss at South Carolina but got to the line 21 times in the rematch.

3. LSU (12-4, 27-4) (LY-2, PS-3): Kim Mulkey isn’t about to take a backseat to anyone, and LSU would like nothing more than a rematch of last year’s heated championship game. The Tigers have sustained a high level of play after the departures of Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith, and it’s hard to call an overtime loss at Alabama a slip-up. They play the same frenzied, fearless, and physical style Mulkey demands of every team. This year’s Tigers though are a little more diverse on offense than they were when Reese was often the first option. The Tigers have already attempted – and made – more three-pointers than they did all of last season. They also get to the foul line less. Make no mistake – they’re still right up there with Texas in terms of free throw attempts, but it’s nothing like last year when they attempted almost 1,000 free throws and over 250 more than any other SEC school.

Flau’jae Johnson is the leading scorer and flashy superstar, but the heart and soul of the team is Aneesah Morrow. Morrow went from a complementary piece alongside Angel Reese to taking up the mantle as the SEC’s leading rebounder. It’s not that Morrow is new to dominating the paint; she averaged a double-double last season too. But it’s just her now shouldering the load down low, and she’s had to step up her production in a leadership role. She’s been up to the job. The Tigers get over 60% of their points from three players: Johnson, Morrow, and shooting guard Mikaylah Williams. Kailyn Gilbert, an Arizona transfer, has been an important addition and contributes nearly ten points per game.

In that light, the news that Johnson will miss the tournament resting a shin inflammation has to be a concern. LSU isn’t the deepest team in the league, but they’ve had just enough to overcome the bumps and bruises of the regular season. A pair of intra-league transfers, Jersey Wolfenbarger (Arkansas) and Mjracle Sheppard (Miss. St.) have provided valuable minutes. Returning reserves Last-Tear Poa and Aalyah Del Rosario have the experience, but their production has dropped this year as Mulkey has settled on a tighter rotation. Mulkey will stress the “next player up” mentality, but their first tournament game will likely be against an Alabama team that just beat them.

4. Kentucky (11-5, 22-6) (LY-12, PS-8): The Wildcats went from last place in 2023 and 12th place in 2024 to claim the final double-bye as Kenny Brooks brought his winning ways – and four important transfers – from his successful Virginia Tech program. This is a roster completely remade using transfers: you have to go seven players down the stat sheet to find a returning Wildcat (Saniah Taylor.)

It all starts with All-American Georgia Amoore. The senior guard darts around the court and doesn’t need much space to get off a shot or find an open teammate. Amoore is among the league leaders in scoring and leads the SEC in assists by a large margin. Charlotte transfer Dazia Lawrence is a capable backcourt complement hitting over 42% from outside. Clara Strack is a versatile stretch forward who can step out for a perimeter shot, drive to the basket, or post up. Strack is also an aggressive defender who leads the SEC in blocks. Frontcount mate Teonni Key has improved throughout the season and is also among the SEC’s leading shotblockers. Wing Amelia Hassett is a difficult matchup and – surprise – can also block shots. That size and speed across the frontcourt makes Kentucky one of the best interior defensive teams in the nation.

When the pieces are clicking, the Wildcats can put up a ton of points and beat good teams like Oklahoma and Tennessee. But while Brooks has maximized his transfers, it’s going to take a little longer to fill out the bench. Only five players see more than 13 minutes per game. With so much going through Amoore, it can be rough going when she has an inefficient game. Strack’s aggressiveness can also get her into foul trouble. The Wildcats can turn to 6’7″ freshman Clara Silva off the bench, but they’re a far better team when the starting five are available and contributing.

5. Oklahoma (11-5, 23-6) (LY-NA, PS-4): The Sooners got a rough welcome to the SEC. They were given a frontloaded SEC schedule and began league play with a 4-5 record. Oklahoma has found their stride and won seven straight games to close the regular season, and it largely has to do with the return to form of dominant center Raegan Beers. Beers, a transfer from Oregon State, leads the team in scoring and rebounding and seems to be playing some of her best ball since nursing an injury for a couple of weeks in early February. With Beers anchoring the middle and Sahara Williams and Skylan Vann rounding out a strong frontcourt, the Sooners are the SEC team leaders in field goal percentage and rebounding. Guard Payton Verhulst runs the offense, and, like Kentucky’s Amoore, is an adept scorer as well as a distributor. Oklahoma as a team shares the ball well: their 21.9 assists per game leads the SEC by a wide margin. That ball movement makes their offense productive (86.7 points per game) and efficient (47% shooting.) Despite their productivity, high turnover numbers have at times marred their rhythm. The Sooners average a league-worst 19.2 turnovers per game and had a -10 turnover margin in a loss at Mississippi State, their only loss to a team below the top four.

6. Alabama (10-6, 23-7) (LY-4, PS-6): There’s no substitute for experience, and the Crimson Tide are taking full advantage of having one of their veteran players. Their top three scorers, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Aaliyah Nye, and Zaay Green, have stretched college eligibility enough to pass the windowpane test. Barker and Nye are in their fifth seasons, and Green is in her seventh(!) year of college basketball. Yes, Green was a member of the 2018-2019 Tennessee team coached by Holly Warlick. Kristy Curry wisely hasn’t changed her system with that much returning production. The Tide still largely run a four-guard system with sophomore Essence Cody holding down the interior. That system comfortably leads the SEC in three-point percentage, and it’s propelled them to wins over Ole Miss and LSU. Those guards must also be active on defense and on the glass, and Barker is among the top 20 in rebounds, blocks and steals. Alabama got off to a slow 4-4 start in the league but won 6 of 7 games in February to climb the standings and put themselves in a position for a top 16 national seed if they can advance to the SEC semifinals.

7. Ole Miss (10-6, 19-9) (LY-3, PS-5): Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s streak of three straight top-four finishes might be over, but that speaks more to the strength of the league than to a real downturn. This is still very much the same style of scrappy, aggressive, and relentless basketball that quickly elevated the Rebels from the SEC cellar. Their defensive pressure has them right up there with Texas and South Carolina in scoring defense and turnover margin. They favor a slower pace of play and can bog down in the halfcourt if their defense isn’t creating transition chances. Ole Miss does not shoot exceptionally well from outside and are better at midrange jumpers and drives to the basket. Senior Madison Scott is the team’s leader, but Scott and three other players – Starr Jacobs, Kennedy Todd-Williams, and Sira Thienou – all average between 11 and 12 points per game. Ole Miss dropped early games to Texas A&M and Alabama but finished strong with wins over Kentucky and LSU. Ole Miss could also turn success in Greenville into a top 16 national seed, and they won’t fear a rematch with Texas: the Rebels led the Longhorns deep into the fourth quarter in Oxford.

8. Vanderbilt (8-8, 21-9) (LY-6, PS-10): Last season Shea Ralph’s program broke through with a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade. The Commodores have not only sustained tournament-quality basketball; they’ve added legitimate star power that makes any Vanderbilt game a compelling watch. Freshman Mikayla Blakes has quickly become one of the SEC’s most feared offensive weapons. She broke the SEC record for points in a game at Florida and then broke her own record a few weeks later with 55 in an overtime win at Auburn, scoring over 20 points in the 4th quarter alone to bring the Commodores back from a double-digit deficit. It’s not just Blakes: forward Khamil Pierre built on a strong freshman season and is herself among the top five scorers and rebounders in the league. The trick has been finding complementary pieces and help for Pierre on the interior. If someone like Iyana Moore or Madison Greene gets going, the Commodores can put up some big totals. Narrow wins over Tennessee and Alabama are the team highlights of their season. Tennessee could be standing between them and their first quarterfinals appearance since 2016.

9. Tennessee (8-8, 21-8) (LY-5, PS-7): The Lady Vols took a risk. They came within a Kamilla Cardoso buzzer-beater from the upset of the 2024 season, but that wasn’t enough to avoid a coaching change. Tennessee has been desperate for a return to its elite status in the post-Summitt era, and peaking at third place in the SEC wasn’t good enough. The program didn’t break the bank for an established coaching star or remain “inside the family” for another coach with Tennessee connections. They introduced Kim Caldwell, a relative newcomer with a single season’s experience coaching at the Division 1 level. Her relatively brief coaching career is packed with success. She led her alma mater, Glenville State, to the Division 2 national title. In her lone season at Marshall, Caldwell led the Thundering Herd back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997 and earned the Maggie Dixon Award as the top first-year head coach.

The Lady Vols turned heads early in the season as the first team to make 30 three-pointers in a single game. Caldwell’s offense runs and guns: Tennessee leads the SEC in three-pointers attempted and made, and seven players have attempted at least 65 shots behind the arc. Their defense is equally frenetic, forcing over 22 turnovers per game. That exciting style has made for some high-scoring and competitive games, and Caldwell notched a signature win with an upset of UConn. They’ve found it tough to break through against the top teams in the SEC, and a pair of bad losses in the final week to Kentucky and Georgia means that a team ranked #11 nationally last week finished in the bottom half of the league and will play on Wednesday.

Tennessee women’s basketball could never be called low-profile, but relatively speaking this is a team that’s succeeded somewhat under the radar. It starts of course with the head coach who was an unfamiliar name to all but the most obsessed fans. There’s no superstar like Rickea Jackson who stands out. What Tennessee has is a well-rounded and athletic roster that’s incredibly deep. There are 10 players averaging over 13 minutes per game, and it’s not uncommon to see wholesale line changes of four or five players at a time. Leading scorer Talaysia Cooper went down with an ankle injury against Georgia, and her status is questionable for the tournament. Four other players – Jewel Spear, Ruby Whitehorn, Zee Spearman, and Samara Spencer – average double-figures.

10. Mississippi State (7-9, 20-10) (LY-8, PS-11): Sam Purcell is trying to get his program unstuck. The Bulldogs finished fifth in Purcell’s first season, but they’ve been the definition of a bubble team in the two seasons since. That’s the case again this year. Mississippi State had a solid 12-1 nonconference mark, and they have quality SEC wins against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt to their credit. Road losses at Missouri and Florida have the Bulldogs headed to Greenville at 7-9 in conference and needing to advance to Friday to feel somewhat confident about their postseason. Guards JerKaila Jordan and Debresha Powe have been multi-year standouts, and they’re joined by Kentucky transfer Eniya Russell. 6’6″ center Madina Okot has been significant addition inside. Okot is not quite the all-around dominant post that Teaira McCowan was, but she’s still second in the SEC in rebounding, a capable scorer cleaning up around the basket, and a decent rim protector. This is a good team without many glaring weaknesses other than a slight propensity for turnovers, but they’re also not excellent in any one area.

11. Florida (5-11, 14-16) (LY-11, PS-9): By handling the bottom of the league and pulling out a close home win over Mississippi State, the Gators were able to avoid the mess in the standings below them. Otherwise, though, it’s been a tough season for a rebuilt roster. Center Ra Shaya Kyle returns from an injury that sidelined her last year, and she’s been a solid scorer and rebounder. Freshman guard Liv McGill was a top 10 prospect and the highest-rated signee in program history. She’s lived up to her billing as the team’s leader in scoring, assists, and steals. Jeriah Warren has doubled her production as a senior, and Laila Reynolds has also improved to average in double figures. Florida can score, but they’re near the bottom of the league in scoring defense and can find themselves on the wrong side of a shootout. Turnovers can also be an issue on both ends of the court – they are second only to Texas A&M in lowest turnover margin. They turned it over 24 times in a bad loss to first round opponent Auburn, and ball security will be key again in the rematch.

12. Georgia (4-12, 12-18) (LY-13, PS-14): For much of the season, it seemed as if last year’s low-water mark for wins might be in jeopardy. But the Lady Dogs arrive in Greenville with momentum, coming off their best week of the year. They closed out their home schedule with a comeback win over Auburn, then capped the regular season with a stunning upset at Tennessee—just the program’s sixth-ever victory in Knoxville. Those wins provided a much-needed confidence boost and, in practical terms, marked slight but tangible progress from last season. Georgia’s four conference wins kept them out of the logjam at the bottom of the standings and secured the No. 12 seed.

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s roster remains a work in progress, as recruiting traction has taken time. The result is an unusual gap between a handful of veteran guards and a large group of underclassmen. The seniors have been critical. Asia Avinger is the team’s emotional leader and paces Georgia in both assists and steals. De’Mauri Flournoy is the most consistent outside threat, shooting over 41% from three. Roxane Makolo, often tasked with the toughest defensive assignments, has stepped up in recent weeks with two of her best performances of the season. Strong showings from this trio are essential—Georgia’s frontcourt lacks the depth and scoring to compensate when the guards struggle.

The freshmen, however, have been just as pivotal. Fans see this group as the foundation of the program’s rebuild. Dynamic guard Trinity Turner leads the team in scoring. Forward Mia Woolfolk has the ability to dominate inside, particularly against weaker frontcourts. Summer Davis is a dangerous perimeter shooter, while Miyah Verse provides energy on the glass, leading the team with six rebounds per game. Like most young teams, though, they have endured growing pains. Turnovers and foul trouble have been persistent issues, and it has taken time for the defense to gel within Coach Abe’s complex system. Perimeter defense has been inconsistent, and Georgia’s turnover margin has gone from +3.4 in 2023 to -1.4 in 2024, with only slight improvement (-1.23) this year. However, over the past two weeks, the team has shown meaningful defensive progress.

Georgia edged Arkansas 62-61 in their lone regular-season meeting, a game that came down to the wire. The Lady Dogs built a halftime lead, but the Razorbacks chipped away and eventually tied it, only for Avinger to win it at the free-throw line with one second remaining. Makolo did well in limiting Arkansas star Izzy Higginbottom, particularly in the first half, but Higginbottom still managed to finish with 24 points. She will again be the focal point of Georgia’s defensive game plan, but she isn’t the only concern—forward Vera Ojenuwa had 13 points and seven rebounds in the first meeting and could present problems inside. Woolfolk, who posted 16 points in the first matchup and looked unstoppable at times, will need to play a key role. Just as importantly, Georgia must stay out of foul trouble. Makolo, Avinger, and Woolfolk all finished the first game with four fouls, forcing Georgia to adjust its defensive approach late as Arkansas mounted its comeback. Higginbottom, in particular, excels at drawing contact and converting at the line, where she is one of the league’s most reliable free-throw shooters.

13. Arkansas (3-13, 10-21) (LY-10, PS-16): Live by the transfer, die by the transfer. Mike Neighbors’ run of success earlier this decade took off with the transfer of Chelsea Dungee from Oklahoma. Amber Ramirez and Destiny Slocum also joined the inflow of talent to Fayetteville complementing homegrown stars like Makayla Daniels. The portal has been less kind recently with more key pieces leaving than arriving. In just the past couple of seasons the Razorbacks have lost Taliah Scott (Auburn), Jersey Wolfenbarger (LSU), Erynn Barnum (Miss. St.), Maryam Dauda (South Carolina), and Saylor Poffenbarger (Maryland). The Razorbacks have slid from 8th place in 2022 and 2023 to 10th in 2024 and now 13th as the reloading hasn’t been able to keep up with the outbound traffic. Neighbors did stave off complete disaster with another success in the portal: senior guard Izzy Higginbottom runs the show and is the SEC’s leading scorer. Overall though the Razorbacks are just too thin in the frontcourt and shoot only about 30% from outside. Higginbottom is good enough to carry the team to a win if she gets a little bit of help, but that help has been tough to come by on most nights. A win at Texas A&M to end the regular season snapped a seven-game skid, and Higginbottom’s 27 points paired nicely with 23 points from Pheonix Stotijn and 14 from Kiki Smith.

14. Auburn (3-13, 12-17) (LY-7, PS-12): Auburn might point to some late collapses against Vanderbilt and Georgia for a lower-than-expected finish after last season’s seventh place, but the Tigers have struggled to gain traction all season. They opened SEC play with five straight losses, failed to win consecutive games, and enter the postseason with six straight losses. The record comes despite the Tigers having one of the SEC’s hottest scorers. Texas transfer DeYona Gaston has scored at least 24 points in five of Auburn’s last six games. The offense took a hit when Arkansas transfer Taliah Scott was injured just three games into the season. Johnnie Harris bolstered the roster with the midseason addition of guard Yuting Deng, and Deng quickly became Auburn’s second-leading scorer. The Tigers lack a strong inside presence, and their trapping defense hasn’t been as effective this year. They were able to handle opening round opponent Florida in January, so it’s possible for them to salvage a win in Greenville and set up an Iron Bowl in the second round.

15. Missouri (3-13, 14-17) (LY-14, PS-15): The Tigers went over a year between SEC wins, and a heartbreaking loss at Georgia made an 0-16 season a possibility. Missouri came to life with an upset home win over Mississippi State and emerged as a dangerous opponent thanks largely to the development of sophomore Grace Slaughter. Slaughter had a respectable freshman campaign averaging 11.5 points per game in 2024 but has really shouldered the load for her team through a competitive stretch of the season. Forward Laniah Randle has had her moments and led the team to a close win over Arkansas in the final week of the season. The Tigers play a difficult motion offense that’s kept them in several games, but they lack the team firepower and depth to sustain for four quarters against most teams. Missouri has already announced that coach Robin Pington won’t return.

16. Texas A&M (3-13, 10-18) (LY-9, PS-13): Things looked shaky for the Aggies after some offseason attrition cost the program much of their young talent. But they started conference play with some noteworthy wins: the Aggies upset Ole Miss and Kentucky and had a 3-3 SEC record. Joni Taylor’s teams have usually relied on defense and tempo to keep games low-scoring and within reach. That was the profile of their three conference wins: defensive struggles in the 50s or 60s which went their way as they turned it on in the fourth quarter. Those wins featured furious second half comebacks, and a team that believes it’s never out of a game can be dangerous. The loss of leading scorer and rebounder Aicha Coulibaly to a midseason injury changed the math. The tight margin that kept A&M competitive enough to pull out a handful of close games was gone, and the Aggies haven’t won a game without Coulibaly.