South Carolina Gamecocks NCAA Tournament History: A Legacy of Excellence
The South Carolina Gamecocks boast a rich and storied history in the NCAA Tournament, marked by consistent appearances, deep runs, and multiple national championships. From their early days to their current dominance under Coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have cemented their place as a powerhouse in women's college basketball.
Early Years and Transition to the SEC
The University of South Carolina introduced women’s basketball in the 1974-75 season, with Pam Backhaus serving as the first head coach. The team played an independent schedule, typical of many fledgling programs at the time, and faced mostly regional opponents. Backhaus coached for two seasons, compiling a 26-30 record. She was succeeded by Pam Parsons (1977-1981), who led the Gamecocks to four consecutive winning seasons, including a 30-6 record in 1979-80, winning the NWIT and achieving the most prestigious season to date. Parsons’ 1981-82 squad finished 23-8 and participated in the AIAW national tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen. That tournament appearance was the first notable postseason achievement for the Gamecocks. However, Parsons’ tenure ended abruptly after allegations surfaced of an inappropriate relationship with a player. The scandal, which drew national media attention including a 1982 Sports Illustrated exposé, led to her resignation and cast a shadow over the program.
In 1984, South Carolina hired Nancy Wilson as head coach following a successful stint at the College of Charleston. Wilson brought immediate structure and long-term vision to the program. In her first season (1984-85), the team went 18-10. From the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, South Carolina emerged as one of the top programs in the Metro. Wilson’s teams were known for their disciplined, physical style and strong defensive principles. South Carolina made its NCAA Tournament debut in 1986 as a #7 seed but lost to Middle Tennessee State in the first round, 78-77. In 1988, the Gamecocks reached the second round of the tournament as a #8 seed. The 1988 team finished 23-11 and defeated Alabama before losing to eventual Elite Eight team Texas, 77-58. In the 1990 NCAA tournament, the Gamecocks earned a #5 seed and managed to defeat Bowling Green and Northwestern in the first two rounds to advance to their second ever Sweet Sixteen. However, they ultimately lost to #1 seed Washington, 73-61. Among the standout players of the Metro era was Sheila Foster, a 6’2” forward who became South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder at the time of her graduation. Foster was a three-time All-Metro selection and finished her career with over 2,000 points and 1,400 rebounds.In 1991, South Carolina left the Metro Conference and joined the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which had rapidly established itself as the most competitive women’s basketball league in the country. The transition proved difficult. In their first five years in the SEC (1991-96), the Gamecocks never finished higher than seventh in the league standings and posted a cumulative SEC record of 12-43. Despite the team’s struggles, the mid-1990s saw the emergence of one of the most talented players in program history: Shannon “Pee Wee” Johnson. A dynamic point guard from Hartsville, South Carolina, Johnson played from 1992 to 1996 and became a four-time All-SEC selection. Johnson’s individual brilliance helped the Gamecocks remain competitive in individual games but could not lift the team into national contention. Nancy Wilson finished her South Carolina tenure with a 231-149 record across 13 seasons. In 1997, South Carolina hired Susan Walvius, who had previously coached at VCU. Walvius inherited a team in transition and immediately began implementing a defense-focused system rather than a scrappy offensive based system. Among the key players recruited during this time was Jocelyn Penn, a versatile forward who would become one of the most prolific scorers in school history. The 2001-02 team remains one of the most successful in program history. South Carolina finished 25-7 overall, 10-4 in SEC play (third place), and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They fell to eventual national runner-up Duke, 77-68, but the run marked a high point for Walvius’s tenure. Jocelyn Penn averaged 24.8 points per game and was named a third-team All-American. South Carolina returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 but was eliminated in the second round by Penn State. Penn graduated as the program’s second all-time leading scorer, and the Gamecocks struggled to maintain momentum. The team made a WNIT second round appearance in 2006 but posted consecutive subpar seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Walvius resigned in April 2008 with a 165-160 record across 11 seasons.
The Dawn Staley Era: A New Dawn for Gamecock Basketball
The most transformative period in South Carolina women’s basketball history began with the hiring of Dawn Staley in May 2008. A Hall of Fame point guard and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Staley arrived in Columbia after eight successful seasons at Temple, where she had led the Owls to six NCAA Tournament appearances. Tasked with rebuilding a program that had struggled for relevance in the SEC and had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2003, Staley faced a significant challenge.
Staley’s first three seasons were characterized by limited roster depth and growing pains. The 2008-09 Gamecocks finished 10-18 overall and tied for 11th in the SEC, winning just two conference games. Modest improvement came over the next two seasons, with South Carolina finishing 14-15 in 2009-10 and reaching the WNIT quarterfinals in 2010-11. Guards La’Keisha Sutton and Leasia Walker were among the team’s few consistent offensive options during this period.
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Building a Contender: Early Tournament Appearances under Staley
South Carolina returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2011-12 for the first time since 2003, finishing 25-10 and reaching the Sweet Sixteen before losing to #1 seed Stanford 76-60. The team was led by a young core including Tiffany Mitchell, Aleighsa Welch, and Khadijah Sessions. By the 2013-14 season, South Carolina had emerged as a legitimate SEC title contender. The Gamecocks won their first SEC regular season championship with a 14-2 league record and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed for the first time. Mitchell was named SEC Player of the Year, averaging 15.5 points per game, and freshman center Alaina Coates earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
Final Four and National Championships
The 2014-15 season marked a significant breakthrough. South Carolina finished 34-3, won both the SEC regular season and tournament championships, and advanced to the program’s first Final Four. Much of the team’s success was attributed to the maturation of Mitchell, Welch, and Coates, as well as the arrival of 6’5” freshman forward A’ja Wilson, the top-ranked recruit in the nation and a Columbia native. Wilson averaged 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and was named the National Freshman of the Year. In 2015-16, South Carolina went 33-2 and posted its first undefeated SEC season (16-0), winning both the regular season and tournament championships. Wilson, now a sophomore, averaged 16.1 points and 8.7 rebounds and earned SEC Player of the Year honors. Despite high expectations and a No.
The 2016-17 campaign was the most successful in program history to that point. With Wilson now a junior, and, joined by high-impact transfers Allisha Gray (North Carolina) and Kaela Davis (Georgia Tech), South Carolina again swept the SEC titles and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. The Gamecocks advanced past Quinnipiac in the Sweet Sixteen and Florida State in the Elite Eight to reach their second Final Four. They then defeated Stanford 62-53 in the National Semifinals and Mississippi State in the national championship game, 67-55, to capture the programs first ever national title. Wilson was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, and Staley became the second Black woman to coach a national championship team in Division I women’s basketball history.
Wilson returned for her senior season in 2017-18 and delivered the best individual campaign in program history to that point, averaging 22.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. She won every major national player of the year award, including the Naismith, Wooden, and AP honors.
Sustained Success and Recent Dominance
Following Wilson’s graduation and the departure of multiple veterans, the Gamecocks experienced a brief regression in 2018-19. They finished 23-10, placed second in the SEC, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen as a #4 seed in the NCAA tournament before a lopsided loss to eventual champion Baylor, 93-68.
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The program’s next major leap came with the arrival of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class in 2019. That class included freshman center Aliyah Boston, guards Zia Cooke and Brea Beal, forward Laeticia Amihere, and walk-on Olivia Thompson. Boston made an immediate impact, averaging 12.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game as a freshman. The 2019-20 Gamecocks finished 32-1 and went undefeated in SEC play (16-0), winning both the conference and regular season titles. South Carolina entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and riding a 26-game winning streak. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the tournament, denying the team a chance at a second national title. However, they were the consensus No.
South Carolina remained one of the top teams in the country in 2020-21, finishing 26-5 and advancing to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks were eliminated in the National Semifinals by eventual champion Stanford, 66-65, after missing two potential game-winning shots in the final seconds.
The Gamecocks' 2021-22 season was one of the most dominant in modern women’s college basketball. South Carolina went 35-2, held the No. 1 ranking wire-to-wire all season, and defeated UConn 64-49 in the national championship game to capture their second national title. Boston averaged 16.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, recording 30 double-doubles and winning every major national player of the year award. Zia Cooke (10.7 PPG) and Destanni Henderson (11.5 PPG) provided perimeter scoring, while Brea Beal anchored the wing defensively.
South Carolina returned most of its championship roster in 2022-23 and entered the NCAA Tournament undefeated. The Gamecocks extended their win streak to 42 games before falling to Iowa in the Final Four, 77-73. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark scored 41 points, and South Carolina’s drop coverage defensive scheme was heavily scrutinized postgame.
Despite losing all five starters in the 2023-24 season, South Carolina retooled quickly behind the emergence of junior point guard Raven Johnson, 6’7” center Kamilla Cardoso, and freshmen MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson. Transfers Te-Hina Paopao (Oregon) and Sakima Walker (Northwest Florida State) also joined the rotation. The Gamecocks went 16-0 in SEC play, won both their conference regular season and tournament titles, and entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. They defeated Presbyterian, North Carolina, Indiana, and Oregon State to reach their 6th Final Four. In the National Semifinals, the Gamecocks handily defeated #3 seeded NC State, 78-59. In the national championship game, they defeated Iowa 87-75 in a rematch of the previous year’s Final Four. Staley became the first coach to win three national championships in five years.
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In the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game at Amalie Arena, No. 2/2 South Carolina dropped an 82-59 decision to No. 3/3 UConn.
For the fifth straight season, South Carolina women’s basketball has earned an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed. Making their 13th straight appearance at the event, the Gamecocks are the No. In the First Round, the reigning National Champion Gamecocks (30-3) will play No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech (26-5) on Friday, Mar. 21. No. 8 seed Utah (22-8) and No. 9 seed Indiana (19-12) will also square off at Colonial Life Arena on Friday. The winner of those two games will meet on Sun., Mar. The Gamecocks were awarded the second No. 1 seed in the tournament after entering the week ranked No. 2 in both national polls. South Carolina claimed both the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament titles, sweeping the two for the third-straight season and the seventh time in the last 11 seasons. After putting together the toughest schedule in the nation, according to the NET rankings, she led South Carolina to its fourth-straight 30-win season and the eighth 30-win campaign in her 17 seasons in Columbia. The Gamecocks’ 19 Quad 1 games are the most in the country and include six non-conference regular-season outings. This is the 21st all-time NCAA Tournament bid for the Gamecocks, who have won three National Championships (2017, 2022, 2024) and played in three other Final Fours in the last nine tournaments. South Carolina has played in a total of 14 Sweet 16s and advanced to the Elite Eight eight times. This marks the Gamecocks’ ninth regional No. 1 seed all-time after earning the position in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. South Carolina advanced to the Final Four as a No.
Key Players and Moments in the 2024 Tournament Run
Freshman Joyce Edwards scored 22 points in her first women’s NCAA Tournament game as No. The Gamecocks (31-3) improved to 17-1 in the past four women’s tournaments, winning in 2022 and 2024. Kitts added 11 rebounds for the Gamecocks (32-3), who will take on either fourth-seeded Maryland or fifth-seeded Alabama in the Birmingham 2 Regional next week. MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 23 points, including a go-ahead layup with 2:22 left, and Chloe Kitts added 15 points and 11 rebounds to help No. Coach Dawn Staley’s top-seeded Gamecocks are two wins away from becoming the first team to repeat as champions since UConn won four straight from 2013-16.
South Carolina trailed by four points heading into the fourth quarter against Duke in the Elite Eight. The Gamecocks had 10 minutes left to keep their season alive.Te-Hina Paopao told her teammates to start off fast in the first five minutes so they could reclaim the lead. MiLaysia Fulwiley urged the upperclassmen not to get baited into taking bad shots, to remember they are the reigning national champions, the team that knows how to win when it matters most.Bree Hall thought back to a text message she received earlier in the day from former teammate Aliyah Boston, telling her to remain calm in the big moments, to let the plays come to her.The huddle broke, and the Gamecocks starters took the floor. Sania Feagin started the scoring on a turnaround jumper. Raven Johnson hit two free throws. By the time Paopao made a driving layup and Chloe Kitts followed with a layup in the paint, the pro-South Carolina crowd was in a frenzy.South Carolina had its first lead since the start of the third quarter. Duke pushed the Gamecocks to the finish before Hall's defensive stop sealed a 54-50 win and a spot in the Final Four.
But for the third consecutive game, the Gamecocks needed a comeback to win. For the second game in a row, they needed a fourth-quarter rally.South Carolina coach Dawn Staley admitted afterward it was not always going to look pretty, and the nerve-wracking four-point victories in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight left some questioning whether South Carolina can run it back. The Gamecocks have looked disjointed at times, taken poor shots and made uncharacteristic mistakes. And their bench, which leads the nation in scoring, has not been nearly as consistent as it was in the regular season as freshman Joyce Edwards has been neutralized and Fulwiley has been up and down.
The Gamecocks don't think what happened in Birmingham indicates they are vulnerable in Tampa."These teams are really good," Hall said in the locker room after the win over Duke. "I don't know why everybody expects us to just blow everybody out. These teams are coming to play. It's not going to be easy.
One of the biggest strengths for South Carolina this season is that its reserves have not just been good, but dynamic. Edwards -- who had 22 points in the first round but a combined 15 in the three games since -- was a first-team All-SEC pick. Fulwiley was the league's sixth woman of the year, but after scoring 23 points against Maryland she had just five against Duke. Fellow sophomore Tessa Johnson is another player who would start for most programs but comes off the bench for South Carolina.Depth has made the Gamecocks a nightmare to guard most of the time. However, against Duke, Staley had to rely on her experienced starters because the bench didn't contribute much.Starters Kitts, Feagin, Johnson, Paopao and Hall played virtually all of the fourth quarter vs. the Blue Devils and scored all but nine points.
Edwards is the Gamecocks' leading scorer this season, and Staley said they will need her in Tampa."It's a gift and a curse that you are our leading scorer, so people are going to zero in on that and scheme to cut her production in half," Staley said of Edwards. "And because of that, there is a short gap between us winning and losing basketball games."[We've] just got to talk her through things. We're just really simplifying things for her. Things are coming fast at her, so it's hard. I know she wants to play well. Hopefully we can show her some film where she can be effective. But we need her. [If we're] going to win a national championship, we need better production from Joyce."
Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead
The Gamecocks and Longhorns are strong defensive teams. Watching how well Texas shut down TCU in its 58-47 Elite Eight win over the Horned Frogs has to raise some concerns for South Carolina."I just hope that we can get our offense going a little bit," Staley said after the Duke victory. "We can't seem to just play a little more fluidly. But I thought that we played with a lot better pace than we did [in the Sweet 16]."
The Gamecocks are 2-1 against the Longhorns this year. South Carolina won 67-50 at home on Jan. 12. On Feb. 9, the Longhorns won 66-62 at home. In the SEC tournament final in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 9, the Gamecocks won 64-45.Texas forward Taylor Jones said the teams know each other so well, there won't be any surprises."It's going to come down to toughness and grit," Jones said. "The other times we've played them, it was decided by who was the toughest team that night. And unfortunately, we weren't in two of them."
It's important to maintain patience and not get rattled. The pressure was on the Gamecocks the past two games, but they didn't panic. That's an important part of trying to win two more games for another title.South Carolina has been through this before. Even last season, when the Gamecocks finished undefeated, they were pushed in both regional games. They beat Indiana 79-75 in a nail-biter and then Oregon State 70-58 in a game that was close until South Carolina took over in the final three minutes.Then they went to the Final Four and defeated NC State by 19 and Iowa by 12 for the program's third NCAA title.Staley said this year's team addresses issues right away."We've handled things in real-time," she said. "I really don't think I've had a team that has been able to communicate as early -- when we see something, we act. They don't wait until a week later."They really want to be the best that they can be and they're unafraid to be vulnerable and discuss shortcomings.
Men's Basketball NCAA Tournament History
South Carolina’s men’s basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history.The Gamecocks (26-7) are a No. Thursday (TNT) in a Midwest Region game in Pittsburgh.USC is 8-10 all time in NCAA Tournament games with four Sweet 16 appearances (1971, 1972, 1973 and 2017).
The Gamecocks were the seventh SEC program to make a Final Four when they went in 2017 under coach Frank Martin. Auburn joined them two years later. Tennessee and Alabama are third and fourth in all-time winning percentage in the SEC, but neither has been to the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina pulled off the unusual distinction in 2004 finishing as a top-25 team in the regular season (No. 23), but only were a 10 seed for March Madness. Led by Mike Boynton, Carlos Powell and Josh Gonner, they started the year 18-2 on the way to the only tournament trip under Dave Odom’s coaching tenure. South Carolina lost to a talented Memphis team, coached by John Calipari, in the first round.
Under Frank McGuire, South Carolina made the Sweet 16 in the early 1970s, but they only had to two non-consolation games in those runs in an era when the tournament format looked quite different. They topped Temple and Texas Tech in regular play. The Gamecocks also went 3-0 in regional consolation games. Forward Tom Riker was a big scorer in the first two runs run, averaging 23.6 points.
Twenty-eight years apart, the father-son duo of Perry and P.J. Dozier scored more than 20 points in NCAA Tournament games. The elder Dozier led South Carolina with 21 points in a 81-66 loss to N.C. State in 1989. In 2017, P.J. Dozier put up 21 in a 93-73 blowout of Marquette in the opening round.
South Carolina made a less-than-enjoyable bit of history in 1997 and 1998. The Gamecocks became only the third No. 2 seed to lose in the opening round, taking a 78-65 loss to Coppin State after an SEC title season in 1997. The next year, Eddie Fogler’s team became the 12th No. 3 seed to lose in the opening round.
Men's Basketball Tournament Results
- 1971Lost 79-64 to Penn, Lost regional 3rd place game 100-90 to Fordham
- 1972Won 53-51 vs. Temple, Lost 92-62 to North Carolina, Won regional 3rd place game 90-78 vs. Villanova
- 1973Won 78-70 vs. Texas Tech, Lost 90-76 to Memphis State, Won regional 3rd place game 90-85 vs. Southwest Louisiana
- 1974Lost 75-67 to Furman
- 1989Lost 81-66 to N.C. State
- 1997Lost 78-65 to Coppin State
- 1998Lost 62-61 to Richmond
- 2004Lost 59-43 to Memphis
- 2017Won 93-73 vs. Marquette, Won 88-81 vs. Duke, Won 70-50 vs. Baylor, Won 77-70 vs.
A Program on the Rise: The Legacy Continues
Under current head coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have been one of the most dominant programs in the country, winning NCAA Championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024 in addition claiming the SEC regular season championship and SEC tournament championship each 9 times between the 2013-14 season to the 2024-25 season. The future looks bright for South Carolina women's basketball. With a strong foundation, talented players, and exceptional coaching, the Gamecocks are poised to continue their reign as one of the nation's elite programs for years to come.
Other Postseason Appearances (Men's team)
The Gamecocks have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 12 times. Their combined record is 22-10.
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