Staley’s #Gamecocks unanimous no. 1 in AP poll and picked to finish atop SEC

Gamecocks guard Zia Cooke was named to the All-SEC 1st team, Tuesday. (Photo by Ben Solomon via Getty Images)

South Carolina received all 30 first-place votes in the Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll released Tuesday. It’s the third consecutive season Dawn Staley’s team has landed atop the preseason poll. The Gamecocks have been no. 1 for the last 20 polls and went wire-to-wire last season, capping off the 2021-22 season with their second national championship.

USC is also the preseason favorite in the SEC media poll. Forward Aliyah Boston, coming off a record-setting junior season, was selected as the preseason Player of the Year. Boston posted 27 consecutive double-doubles on her way to winning the NCAA Tournament’s MOP and National Player of the Year award last season. Two-time All-American guard Zia Cooke joins Boston on the All-SEC 1st team.

South Carolina will host an exhibition game against Benedict on Oct. 31st before opening the regular season on Nov. 7th at home against ETSU.

RANKTEAM2021-22 RECORDPOINTS
1South Carolina (30)29-2750
2Stanford28-3710
3Texas26-6650
4Iowa23-7643
5Tennessee23-8617
6UConn25-5596
7Louisville25-4556
8Iowa State26-6537
9Notre Dame22-8513
10NC State29-3457
11Indiana22-8414
12North Carolina23-6401
13Virginia Tech23-9365
14Ohio State23-6323
15Oklahoma24-8318
16LSU25-5317
17Maryland21-8296
18Baylor27-6273
19Arizona20-7243
20Oregon2012206
21Creighton23-10114
22Nebraska24-973
23South Dakota State29-967
24Princeton24-450
25Michigan22-647

2022-23 SEC Preseason Media Poll
1. South Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. LSU
4. Arkansas
5. Ole Miss
6. Florida
7. Kentucky
8. Mississippi State
9. Georgia
10. Alabama
11. Texas A&M
12. Missouri
13. Auburn
14. Vanderbilt

Preseason Player of the Year
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

Preseason All-SEC First Team
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Tamari Key, Tennessee

Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Brittany Davis, Alabama
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State
Alexis Morris, LSU
Angel Reese, LSU

1 thought on “Staley’s #Gamecocks unanimous no. 1 in AP poll and picked to finish atop SEC”

  1. Phil,
    Thank you for having the guts to ask Staley about BYU situation and what evidence she found the racial slur actually occurred. There is none.
    Describing her answer to your question as “inadequate” is being charitable. She should come off her own money to pay the law suit BYU files…Scar WBB has not a leg to stand on…BYU will win the legal battle.
    Still want to know what “rock” …where is this “rock” …she referred to when ask where she was while Beamer hung out to flap in the wind on social media from Saturday afternoon to Monday evening . She finally did right thing and told truth about Beamer support for women sports. Dawn Staley not above being held accountable…
    Must been a YUGE rock to not get cell ….gigantic rock.

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