SEC Women's Basketball Tournament 2026: Texas Upsets No. 3 South Carolina 78-61 in Championship — Dawn Staley's Four-Peat Bid Falls Short
Texas just ended South Carolina's dynasty bid. The No. 4 Texas Longhorns defeated the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks 78-61 Sunday afternoon in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina — stunning the crowd and snapping Dawn Staley's bid for a fourth consecutive SEC Tournament title.
Final Score: Texas 78, South Carolina 61 — Championship Recap
South Carolina entered Sunday's title game having beaten LSU 83-77 in a hard-fought semifinal Saturday. Texas, meanwhile, rolled past Ole Miss 85-66 to set up a third meeting between these two programs this season — and the Longhorns won the rubber match decisively, claiming the SEC Tournament championship.
South Carolina and Texas had split their two regular-season meetings. Texas won the first in Austin 66-64 on Rori Harmon's last-second baseline jumper, while the Gamecocks won the rematch in Columbia 68-65. Sunday's championship swung the season series 2-1 in Texas's favor.
South Carolina Eliminated — Raven Johnson Had Been Brilliant in Semis
South Carolina's championship run stalled on the biggest stage. Before Sunday's loss, Raven Johnson had been the story of the tournament. Against LSU on Saturday, she turned in a virtuoso performance: 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-6 from three, and a jaw-dropping 8 assists against just 1 turnover — finishing with 22 points and carrying the Gamecocks to the final.
Joyce Edwards added 18 points and 11 rebounds against LSU in a double-double performance, while Ta'Niya Latson contributed 19 points in her first full SEC Tournament run as a Gamecock.
LSU vs. South Carolina Saturday: MiLaysia Fulwiley Erupts — But It Is Not Enough
Raven Johnson paced South Carolina with a career-high 22 points, lifting the top overall seed to an 83-77 win in the SEC Tournament semifinal over LSU on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Ta'Niya Latson added 19 points for the Gamecocks, who were seeking their fourth straight SEC Tournament title and tenth in the past 12 seasons under Dawn Staley.
South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley led LSU's scoring attack with 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Jada Richard added 17 and Mikaylah Williams contributed 14, but Flau'jae Johnson went 1-of-8 from the field — a cold shooting night that proved decisive in a six-point loss.
Saturday's loss extended LSU's losing streak against South Carolina to 19 consecutive games, despite the Tigers holding a halftime lead in the semifinal.
2026 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Full Results
Here is a complete rundown of all results: Kentucky 94, Arkansas 64 | Florida 86, Mississippi State 68 | Auburn 50, Texas A&M 49 | Alabama 65, Missouri 48 | Kentucky 76, Georgia 61 | Oklahoma 82, Florida 64 | Ole Miss 89, Auburn 57 | Alabama 76, Tennessee 64 | South Carolina 87, Kentucky 64 | LSU 112, Oklahoma 78 | Ole Miss 89, Vanderbilt 78 | Texas 83, Alabama 60 | South Carolina 83, LSU 77 | Texas 85, Ole Miss 66 | Texas 78, South Carolina 61.
Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey, and NCAA Tournament Picture
Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks were seeking their fourth consecutive SEC championship. Despite Sunday's loss, both South Carolina and Texas are in line for No. 1 seeds in the NCAA women's tournament.
Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers, eliminated Saturday, will await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on March 15 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. LSU was projected as a No. 2 seed entering the weekend.
Half of the AP top 10 in the final regular-season poll were SEC teams, with Vanderbilt, LSU, and Oklahoma joining South Carolina and Texas — making this the deepest SEC women's tournament field in recent memory.
