Despite winning the SEC Tournament for the fourth consecutive year, most people knew that the South Carolina women's basketball team would be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. The biggest question going into the selection show was where were they going to land. On Monday night, the answer was revealed as the Gamecocks landed in the Albany Regional with the UConn Huskies as the No. 1 seed.

The selection committee made a mistake by putting South Carolina in the Albany Regional, especially considering Lexington was an option. Instead, Baylor was given the No. 2 seed in Lextington.

The committee takes attendance into account when making these decisions, and the Gamecocks have led the nation in attendance the last four seasons. This was a big factor in why head coach Dawn Staley and her team are once again frustrated with their placement. After the selection show on Monday, Staley reiterated how loyal Gamecock fans are and that they deserve the chance to travel close to watch the team play.

“We just have to re-think as a committee, as what’s important. Because what they tell us is important is attendance,” Staley said. “And our fans who have been the No. 1 attending fans in the country for four years don’t get a chance to drive and support our team in the way, in the numbers that they could have."

The NCAA is considering changing the format of the tournament and where games would be played. While the idea of doing away with regionals and having the Sweet 16 in one place sounds appealing, it would not be implemented for a few years. Staley doesn't care how the NCAA formats the tournament but just wants things to work in favor for South Carolina fans.

Not only did the committee get it wrong in terms of geography but also in terms of competition. The committee forced South Carolina, the reigning national champions, to have the toughest road of any No. 2 seed to the Final Four. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Gamecocks have just a five percent chance to reach the Final Four but a 63 percent chance to reach the Elite Eight, while Baylor has a 56 percent chance to reach the Final Four.

If both South Carolina and UConn make it through the bracket to the Elite Eight, the two would face each other. Staley did recognize that UConn is not unbeatable, but it is no secret that it is a tough task. The Gamecocks suffered a 83-58 loss to the Huskies back at Colonial Life Arena in January, but even Staley knows that they did not play their best basketball in that game.

Regardless, the path to repeat as national champions should not be this tough for South Carolina (26-6, 12-4 SEC). For the third consecutive year, the selection committee has made a mistake by sending South Carolina far away and not giving fans the chance to support the team.

With Staley voicing her frustration, Gamecock fans hope there will be a year that they can support the the team in the later rounds without needing to board a plane.