COLUMBIA, S.C. – A panel of both SEC and national media members picked South Carolina to win the 2018 SEC women’s basketball championship, the league office announced today. It is the fourth-straight season the Gamecocks have topped the preseason media voting, and, if the prediction holds, would give South Carolina five consecutive conference championships. The media also selected senior forward A’ja Wilson as its SEC Preseason Player of the Year, an award she has won at the end of the last two seasons.

The reigning national champion, South Carolina has won the last four SEC regular-season titles, most recently with a 14-2 league record last season, a mark that also delivered the Gamecocks’ first SEC crown in 2013-14. This season, head coach Dawn Staley returns two starters in Wilson and sophomore guard Tyasha Harris among its six letterwinners, including senior guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore. A pair of transfers will bolster the young Gamecock lineup as junior forward Alexis Jennings returns to the court after sitting out last season and graduate transfer guard Lindsey Spann adds outside scoring punch to the roster. Junior guard Doniyah Cliney will expand her role this season as she continues to steadily elevate her game to what the team needs each season, and sophomore forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan aims to build on her postseason success from last season’s SEC and NCAA Tournament runs. Staley also added a trio of freshmen who will look to shape the Gamecocks’ season success.

Wilson was a consensus first-team All-American, finalist for all three national player of the year awards and SEC Player of the Year by both the league coaches and media each of the last two seasons. She enters her senior season closing in on scoring and rebounding milestones with 1,642 career points and 804 career rebounds. Her 19.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the 2017 postseason were keys to the Gamecocks’ SEC and NCAA Tournament titles, earning her NCAA Final Four and SEC Tournament MVP honors as well.

Fans interested in buying season tickets for the Gamecocks’ 2017-18 season can order either online at GamecocksOnline.com or by calling the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-4SC-FANS (472-3267). Prices start as low as $35 for general admission season tickets.

SEC Preseason Media Poll

South Carolina Mississippi State Missouri Tennessee Texas A&M Kentucky LSU Georgia Alabama Auburn Vanderbilt Florida Ole Miss Arkansas

Preseason Player of the Year

A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

Preseason All-SEC First Team

Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State

Moran William, Mississippi Sate

Sophie Cunningham, Missouri

A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

Mercedes Russell, Tennessee

Gamecock Athletics contributed to the writing of this article.