South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch in the SEC Tournament

The first round of the SEC tournament tips off on Wednesday in Greenville. Here are five things to watch for this weekend.

1. First day blues
Previously, Wednesday’s games were often unofficially and derisively called “play-in games.” The implication was that the four sorry teams forced to play in an empty arena weren’t even a part of the SEC Tournament unless they made it to Thursday, when the competition began in earnest. 

It’s not entirely without merit. No team that played on Wednesday has ever won the tournament, and only three teams that played on Thursday have won.

This season is different. The addition of Oklahoma and Texas not only changed the bracket – there are four games on Wednesday instead of just two – but the quality. No. 9 Tennessee and no. 10 Mississippi State aren’t just likely NCAA Tournament teams, the Lady Vols have eyes on hosting as a top 16 seed.

These Wednesday games aren’t meaningless anymore.

2. Injuries
Injuries could have a significant impact on who advances in Greenville. Playing on consecutive days puts a lot of stress on the body, and some players who might otherwise play could be held out.

Tennessee’s Talaysia Cooper left the season finale against Georgia with an ankle injury. She was listed as questionable on the first availability report.

LSU has already announced that leading scorer Flau’jae Johnson will not play in the tournament in order to rest an inflamed shin.

The availability reports are going to be very interesting.

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3. Who wants to win?
It’s no secret that not everyone is concerned with winning the SEC Tournament. 

LSU’s Kim Mulkey makes no pretense towards caring about conference tournaments. Others give it lip service. While others, like Dawn Staley, make winning the tournament a priority.

Then there are those that care because they need to win to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Mississippi State is on the tournament bubble, while Tennessee and Ole Miss are on the hosting bubble. 

Motivation can be more important than matchups or talent.

4. Two out of three ain’t bad
Even with the expanded field, it’s going to be tough to top the drama of last season. That tournament had Kamilla Cardoso’s buzzer-beating three, the LSU-South Carolina grudge match, and the bench-clearing skirmish late in the championship game. That game was the most watched (over two million viewers) and highest-attended (13,163) SEC tournament game ever.

More buzzer-beaters would be fun (except for those of us who have to rewrite our game story as a result). We could do without another shoving match, but a rubber match between Texas and South Carolina for the title could come close to last season’s interest. 

5. Three more years
The SEC hasn’t officially named Greenville as the home of the women’s tournament the way it made Nashville the home of the men’s tournament. But Greenville has become the de facto home. 

In October, the SEC announced that the women’s tournament would remain at Bon Secours Wellness Arena for three more years, through the 2028 tournament.

It makes sense. The 2024 tournament had the highest attendance in league history, besting the record crowds set the year before. 

It’s good for South Carolina that the tournament is in Greenville. The Gamecocks always have an edge in fan support. But as the numbers show, it is more than just Gamecock fans that make the trip.

There are concerns about the aging Bon Secours Wellness Arena, which was built in 1998. A $170 million renovation plan was announced last summer before being put on hold. There is one change this year: high-priced courtside seating has been added across from the team benches.

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