Surprise, surprise. Guess who the media picked to win the SEC WBB championship? Yep, it’s the Gamecocks, again.

When you’ve won five straight regular-season conference championships and you return six letterwinners from a national runners-up squad, it makes preseason voting pretty much a no-brainer.

On Monday, a select panel of both SEC and national media members tabbed the Gamecocks as the favorites to hoist the SEC trophy.

Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes received 13 points to take the SEC Preseason Player of the Year honor. Also receiving votes were Madison Booker, Texas; Joyce Edwards, South Carolina; and Clara Strack, Kentucky.

USC fifth-year forward Chloe Kitts and senior guard Tessa Johnson picked up spots on the second team.

According to USC, Edwards enters her junior year as just the third player in program history to earn All-America honors in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. The two-time First-Team All-SEC selection is South Carolina’s top returning scorer (19.2 ppg) and rebounder (6.8 rpg). A complete player, Edwards ranked among the SEC’s top 15 in rebounding, offensive rebounding (2.9 per game), steals (1.8 spg), and blocks (1.1 bpg).

The Gamecocks open the regular season on Monday, November 2nd, in Paris against Maryland. Carolina will then play North Carolina, Clemson, and Southern California before their home opener on November 17th against Florida Gulf Coast.