Basketball season is just around the corner, and media members have cast their votes for the South Carolina women to repeat as SEC champions. Star forward A’ja Wilson, now in her senior season, was named a preseason All-SEC selection and also the overwhelming choice for SEC Player of the Year.
The Gamecocks enter the season as defending national champions but with a somewhat new look, as the WNBA claimed a few key contributors from that squad. Alaina Coates, Allisha Gray, and Kaela Davis are gone, but Wilson, Ty Harris, and Bianca Cuevas-Moore return. The Gamecocks will also get a boost from Kentucky transfer Alexis Jennings, who is finally eligible to play this season, and a top-10 recruiting class that features three five-star prospects.
Unsurprisingly, national runner-up Mississippi State is projected to finish second in the conference behind South Carolina. The Bulldogs placed two on the All-SEC team with Victoria Vivians and Morgan William, the hero of their titanic tournament upset over Connecticut last season. The Gamecocks and Bulldogs could have a brewing rivalry if both programs continue to trend in this direction.