Gamecocks Claim Top Spot In Final USA Today Coaches Poll

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball continued to make history this week after earning the No. 1 ranking in the final USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll of the 2016-17 season. The top spot marks the highest finish ever for the Gamecocks, who downed Mississippi State 67-55 Sunday night to capture their first NCAA Championship.

Carolina, which ended the season at 33-4, received all 32 first-place votes in the poll. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 2, while UConn, Stanford and Notre Dame rounded out the top five. The Gamecocks defeated the Stanford Cardinal 62-53 last Friday in the national semifinal round.

South Carolina totaled 12 victories over ranked opponents on the season, including seven against teams listed in the top-10 at the time of the game.

Sunday’s victory gave the Gamecocks a three-game sweep of Mississippi State. Each contest between the two was a top-10-battle, and both of Carolina’s last two wins over the Bulldogs came by double-digits. Gamecock junior forward A’ja Wilson was tabbed the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player following her 23-point, 10-rebound performance in Sunday night’s all-SEC national title game.

Carolina’s 33 wins this season fell one shy of the program single-season record that was set during the team’s 2014-15 campaign. The Gamecocks have totaled at least 30 victories in each of the last three seasons under coach Dawn Staley.

Final USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll

1. South Carolina (33-4)
2. Mississippi State (34-5)
3. UConn (36-1)
4. Stanford (32-6)
5. Notre Dame (33-4)
6. Baylor (33-4)
7. Florida State (28-7)
8. Maryland (32-3)
9. Oregon State (31-5)
10. Ohio State (28-7)
11. Washington (29-6)
12. Louisville (29-8)
13. UCLA (25-9)
14. Texas (25-9)
15. Duke (28-6)
16. Oregon (23-14)
17. NC State (23-9)
18. DePaul (27-8)
19. Miami (24-9)
20. West Virginia (24-11)
21. Oklahoma (23-10)
22. Syracuse (22-11)
23. Quinnipiac (29-7)
24. Drake (28-5)
25. Kentucky (22-11)