SEC women’s basketball tournament coming back to South Carolina for multi-year run
The Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament coming back to South Carolina and staying for awhile.
The league announced Thursday afternoon that the annual event will be played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville in 2023, 2024 and 2025 as part of a three-year contract agreement.
The tournament was previously played there in 2005, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
“The past success of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena has provided the motivation for our return to Greenville,” Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a news release. “The three-year commitment for Greenville to serve as the home for our tournament is due in great part to the city’s hospitality, organization and passion for the event, as well as the quality of the arena and lodging for our teams.”
Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women’s basketball team have had ample success when the tournament has been held locally.
The Gamecocks won the SEC tournament in three of the previous four years it was hosted in Greenville. USC has also won six tournament crowns since 2015.
The 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament is slated to be held in Nashville beginning next week. The schedule for those games will be finalized Sunday.
“Our new, multi-year agreement to host the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament reconfirms the Arena’s commitment to support women’s sports, and it is a privilege to host such a prestigious event,” Bon Secours Wellness Arena General Manager Beth Paul said in the release. “The level of Tournament play is unparalleled, and we strive to deliver an unforgettable experience for student-athletes and their families, as well as thousands of fans who travel to Greenville to be a part of this esteemed and celebrated event”
South Carolina is currently ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 with a 25-1 record and a 13-1 mark in SEC play. The Gamecocks have already claimed at least a share of the regular-season conference title.
USC was set to play Texas A&M in College Station on Thursday night before closing the regular season on Sunday at Ole Miss.
South Carolina women’s basketball in SEC tournament
2021 — Beat Georgia 67-62 in Finals (Greenville, S.C.)
2020 — Beat Mississippi State 76-62 in Finals (Greenville, S.C.)
2019 — Lost to Arkansas 95-89 in Quarterfinals (Greenville, S.C.)
2018 — Beat Mississippi State 62-51 in Finals (Nashville, Tenn.)
2017 — Beat Mississippi State 59-49 in Finals (Greenville, S.C.)
2016 — Beat Mississippi State 66-52 in Finals (Jacksonville, Fla.)
2015 — Beat Tennessee 62-46 in Finals (North Little Rock, Ark.)
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 2:27 PM with the headline "SEC women’s basketball tournament coming back to South Carolina for multi-year run."
