Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women’s basketball team have learned their opponent for their first SEC Tournament game.
The top-seeded Gamecocks will play No. 9 seed Kentucky on Friday in the quarterfinals at noon.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
How to watch South Carolina vs Kentucky
- Who: No. 1 seed South Carolina vs No. 9 seed Kentucky (23-9)
- When: Friday, March 6 at noon
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC
- TV: ESPN (Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe)
- Stream: ESPN.com or the ESPN app
- Radio: 107.5 FM, SiriusXM Channel 106 or 190 (Brad Muller)
How they got here
Kentucky finished the regular season with a 21-9 record. The Wildcats ended up with the No. 9 seed in the SEC Tournament after posting an 8-8 mark in conference play.
Kentucky beat No. 16 seed Arkansas 94-64 in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. Then the Wildcats beat No. 9 Georgia 76-61 in the second round Thursday to advance to a quarterfinals matchup with South Carolina.
South Carolina won its fifth-straight SEC regular season title this season. As a result, the Gamecocks got a double bye and the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament.
Quick opponent scout
Here’s a glance at some key players at stats for Kentucky:
- Scoring leaders: Clara Strack (16.7 ppg), Tonie Morgan (13.9 ppg), Teonni Key (11 ppg)
- Rebounding leaders: Strack (10.3 rpg), Key (7.0 rpg), Jordan Obi (6.3 rpg)
- Assist leaders: Morgan (8.2 apg), Asia Boone (2.2 apg), Strack (1.9 apg)
Kentucky had two players earn All-SEC awards this season. Strack — who was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last year — was named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive team. Morgan earned All-SEC Second Team honors.
The last time these two teams played
South Carolina and Kentucky ought to be familiar with one another after squaring off in Lexington less than a week ago. A late surge in momentum from Kentucky, combined with an ice-cold shooting period from South Carolina made the fourth quarter of the game interesting.
South Carolina ultimately won the game 60-56. The 60 points was the lowest total points the Gamecocks have scored all year.
Madina Okot led South Carolina with 21 points and 13 rebounds in the win. She battled in the post with Kentucky star Clara Strack throughout the game. Strack led the Wildcats with 24 points and nine rebounds.
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 12:57 PM.
Michael Sauls is The State’s South Carolina women’s basketball reporter. He previously worked at The Virginian-Pilot covering Norfolk State and Hampton University sports. A Columbia native, he is an alum of the University of South Carolina.