Women's March Madness Region 4, Sacramento Breakdown: South Carolina in familiar spot at the top

For the sixth consecutive season, the South Carolina women’s basketball team has been awarded the top seed of a region in the NCAA Tournament.

The Gamecocks (31-3) will open first-round play at home Sunday in Region 4 of the 2026 edition of March Madness.

Second-seeded Iowa (26-6) also will open with a home game, as will No. 3 TCU (29-5) and No. 4 Oklahoma (24-7).

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Breaking down Region 4:

No. 1 seed: South Carolina

The Gamecocks have been ranked in the top five of the national polls and NET rankings since the start of the season. South Carolina won its 10th SEC regular-season championship with a 15-1 record.

With seven Final Four appearances in the past 10 seasons, expect another deep run for the Gamecocks, who won national titles in 2017, ’22 and ’24.

Under head coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina is 47-10 in the tournament.

Top challenger:

The Horned Frogs got home games for the first two rounds, but they will be traveling to California if they make the regional semifnals instead of staying in Fort Worth (which hosts two regionals).

TCU is coming off a trip to the Elite Eight last season and is enjoying consecutive tournament berths for the first time in 16 years.

Region 4, Sacramento first-round matchups

Regional Breakdown – Sacramento I

At Columbia, South Carolina

1. South Carolina (31-3)
16. Southern or Samford

8. Clemson (21-11)
9. USC (17-13)

At Norman, Oklahoma

5. Michigan State (22-8)
12. Colorado State (22-7)

4. Oklahoma (24-7)
13. Idaho (29-5)

At Fort Worth, Texas

6. Washington (21-10)
11. South Dakota State (27-6)

3. TCU (29-5)
14. UC San Diego (24-8)

At Iowa City, Iowa

7. Georgia (22-9)
10. Virginia or Arizona State

2. Iowa (26-6)
15. Fairleigh Dickinson (30-4)

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