The SEC is stepping into the spotlight, as the NCAA's deepest women's basketball conference tips off Champ Week with ranked teams featuring in every round of their 2026 tournament.
No. 17 Kentucky enters as the No. 9 seed, while No. 11 seed Alabama fell off the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since Week 9 on Monday.
"Kentucky has done a great job," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said following the top-seeded Gamecocks' narrow 60-56 win over the Wildcats on Sunday. "Take some of what has happened in this league, and what this league is doing, it is hard to measure."
The AP Poll currently features eight SEC teams, as No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 22 Georgia, and No. 24 Ole Miss gear up to enter the SEC tournament in Thursday's second-round action.
As for the Top 4 seeds, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Vanderbilt, and No. 6 LSU will enter the competition in Friday's quarterfinals, as teams battle for a shot at Sunday's SEC championship trophy.
"Thank God we're a tournament team," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin prior to the high-stakes conference competition. "Go ahead, put us where you want. Because were going to be ready to compete when we're full go. This is our storm."
How to watch the 2026 SEC women's basketball tournament
The 2026 SEC tournament will tip off with No. 17 Kentucky battling unranked Arkansas at 11 AM ET on Wednesday.
All first and second round games will air live on the SEC Network.
