The Gamecocks (30-3), who gained the nationwide championship final season, entered the SEC Event ranked fifth within the nation and projected to be a No. 2 seed.
However after throttling three league foes by 18, 21 and 19 factors, a No. 1 seed now appears to be a lock.
Nevertheless, Staley thinks her crew has earned extra.
“Once you win this event and play the schedule that we play, I do suppose we’re the No. 1 total seed,” Staley stated. “We manufactured our schedule to place ourselves on this state of affairs. So I hope the committee doesn’t low cost our complete resume. There isn’t anyone within the nation that has performed the schedule that we now have performed, that had share of the common season title, gained this event and beat the No. 1 crew within the nation. … there isn’t any one.”
She argued that the Gamecocks’ 2024-25 resume — which incorporates 12 wins towards High 25 groups, together with two towards Texas — ought to depend for one thing. South Carolina boasts a 7-3 document towards High 10 groups, with their three losses coming towards No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Connecticut and No. 4 UCLA.
The Gamecocks’ 30-game regular-season schedule included 13 video games towards groups within the AP High 25 on the time of the sport — two greater than every other ranked crew.
Staley stated was “shocked” to study her crew was the No. 2 seed coming into the event.
“In the event you get a lot credit score for beating us, and but when we now have had among the hardest stretches within the nation and got here out of it unscathed, you possibly can’t low cost that,” Staley stated. “You’ll be able to’t discredit that. I’ll converse up about it as a result of you must hear the voice of the opposite aspect. As a result of should you do not suppose our physique of works deserves it, then you want to converse out on it.”
She added: “I’ll go down combating for what our crew earned.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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