South Carolina coach Dawn Staley: We deserve to be...

South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley mentioned her staff deserves to be the No. 1 general seed within the upcoming NCAA Event following a dominant run by the Southeastern Convention Event, culminating in a formidable 64-45 rout of No. 1 Texas in Sunday’s championship sport.

The Gamecocks (30-3), who received the nationwide championship final season, entered the SEC Event ranked fifth within the nation and projected to be a No. 2 seed.

However after throttling three league foes by 18, 21 and 19 factors, a No. 1 seed now appears to be a lock.

Nevertheless, Staley thinks her staff has earned extra.

“Once you win this match and play the schedule that we play, I do suppose we’re the No. 1 general seed,” Staley mentioned. “We manufactured our schedule to place ourselves on this state of affairs. So I hope the committee doesn’t low cost our total resume. There isn’t anyone within the nation that has performed the schedule that we’ve performed, that had share of the common season title, received this match and beat the No. 1 staff within the nation. … there is no such thing as a one.”

She argued that the Gamecocks’ 2024-25 resume — which incorporates 12 wins in opposition to Prime 25 groups, together with two in opposition to Texas — ought to rely for one thing. South Carolina boasts a 7-3 file in opposition to Prime 10 groups, with their three losses coming in opposition to No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Connecticut and No. 4 UCLA.

The Gamecocks’ 30-game regular-season schedule included 13 video games in opposition to groups within the AP Prime 25 on the time of the sport — two greater than another ranked staff.

Staley mentioned was “shocked” to study her staff was the No. 2 seed coming into the match.

“For those who get a lot credit score for beating us, and but when we’ve had a few of the hardest stretches within the nation and got here out of it unscathed, you may’t low cost that,” Staley mentioned. “You may’t discredit that. I’ll communicate up about it as a result of you must hear the voice of the opposite facet. As a result of should you do not suppose our physique of works deserves it, then it’s worthwhile to communicate out on it.”

She added: “I’ll go down preventing for what our staff earned.”

Reporting by The Related Press.

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