No. 1 South Carolina, Texas, Vanderbilt Lead Loaded SEC Women’s Basketball Field

South Carolina opens No. 1, but Dawn Staley says the issue isn’t talent — it’s mental toughness after back-to-back blowout losses in the title game, so she’s drilling “better mental habits.”
The Gamecocks remain loaded — Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson back, Chloe Kitts returning from an ACL, plus impact additions like transfer Jordan Lee and 6'7" Alice Tournebize.
The SEC looks stacked too: defending champ Texas (Madison Booker), Vanderbilt’s preseason POY Mikayla Blakes, LSU’s high-upside rookie Anna Minaeva and several new conference coaches.