Another SEC women's basketball season is coming to a close, and South Carolina is again a champion.
The Gamecocks have clinched only a share of the regular-season title, but it's hard to imagine that this season ends any other way than them winning it outright. Regardless of the roster turnover and injuries, South Carolina keeps winning, and a fifth straight regular-season championship is within reach.
Rankings based on games as of Feb. 24.
1. South Carolina (27-2, 13-1)
Last week: 1
What to know: This might be Dawn Staley's best coaching job yet — which is something I feel like we say every season. But it gets even more impressive, and the results are the same: A whole lot of wins.
2. Vanderbilt (25-3, 11-3)
Last week: 2
What to know: Aubrey Galvan hit the game-winning bucket and finished with 20 points in Vanderbilt's win over Kentucky. I don't know about you, but she's making a very convincing case for SEC Freshman of the Year.
3. Texas (26-3, 11-3)
Last week: 3
What to know: The Longhorns hit 21 3-pointers in their past two wins, which is more than they made in their previous eight games. If they can keep that up, another Final Four run is on the horizon.
4. LSU (24-4, 10-4)
Last week: 4
What to know: LSU is solidly in position to secure a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, thanks to a MiLaysia Fulwiley master class to lead the Tigers to a comeback win on the road at Ole Miss.
5. Oklahoma (21-6, 9-5)
Last week: 9
What to know: With a four-game winning streak and no more ranked matchups left on the schedule, the Sooners are rolling into March with some wind in their sails.
6. Ole Miss (21-8, 8-6)
Last week: 5
What to know: Ole Miss was oh-so-close to upsetting LSU, but then we may not have gotten a front-row seat to some legendary beef between Coach Yo and Lane Kiffin go down. So, all's well that ends well.
7. Kentucky (20-8, 7-7)
Last week: 6
What to know: Kentucky had a top-5 win within its grasp, but it folded in crunch time against Vanderbilt, turning the ball over on its final possession and left Nashville with an L.
8. Georgia (21-7, 7-7)
Last week: 8
What to know: The Bulldogs have a chance to finish .500 in SEC play, which is a step forward for the program, considering the strength of the league and the fact that it'll double its SEC wins from last season.
9. Tennessee (16-10, 8-6)
Last week: 7
What to know: February has been a month of looking in the mirror for the Lady Vols — only time will tell if they'll find enough for a postseason run.
10. Alabama (21-7, 7-7)
Last week: 10
What to know: The Tide proved me wrong and got their win over Florida, but it's tough sledding this week with Vanderbilt and Texas to end the regular season.
11. Texas A&M (12-11, 5-9)
Last week: 14
What to know: Three straight wins, including a road win over Tennessee, and the Aggies have me believing they have a real run in them at the SEC Tournament.
12. Florida (16-13, 4-10)
Last week: 13
What to know: If the Gators can get one more win, they'll finish 5-11 — just like the past three seasons. Kelly Rae Finley's seat seems like it's warming up. At least it should be.
13. Mississippi State (18-10, 5-9)
Last week: 11
What to know: A bad week for the Bulldogs got even worse when Madison Francis got injured at Texas. If Mississippi State doesn't get her back soon, it'll be a short postseason, if it has one at all.
14. Auburn (14-14, 3-11)
Last week: 15
What to know: In the battle of the Tigers, Auburn forced a whopping 30 turnovers for the win. Better luck next time, Missouri.
15. Missouri (16-13, 4-10)
Last week: 12
What to know: Missouri wasn't letting Tennessee have all the fun — the Tigers also set a record for the worst margin of defeat in program history when they lost by 53 points to LSU.
16. Arkansas (11-18, 0-14)
Last week: 16
What to know: Arkansas is on track to become the first SEC team to go winless since the 2020-21 season. It may take a modern-day miracle for the Razorbacks to avoid it.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: SEC Women's Basketball Power Rankings, Gamecocks win share of 5th straight title