Women’s March Madness 2025: South Carolina’s Dawn Stanley, USC’s Lindsay Gottlieb Criticize Selection Committee. Dawn Staley, who has led South Carolina to multiple national titles and remains one of the top figures in women’s basketball, expressed her frustration with the committee’s decisions, highlighting what she believes are flaws in how teams are ranked and selected. Read more
As the 2025 Women’s March Madness tournament approaches, tensions are rising within the basketball community, with prominent coaches voicing their concerns over the selection process. South Carolina’s head coach, Dawn Staley, and USC’s Lindsay Gottlieb are both speaking out against what they view as an unfair and inconsistent selection process by the NCAA selection committee.
Dawn Staley, who has led South Carolina to multiple national titles and remains one of the top figures in women’s basketball, expressed her frustration with the committee’s decisions, highlighting what she believes are flaws in how teams are ranked and selected. Staley’s comments come after her team’s seeding was deemed controversial by many, given their strong regular season performance. The coach made it clear that she feels the selection committee’s decisions are not always reflective of a team’s true capabilities or achievements over the course of the season.
Lindsay Gottlieb, head coach of USC, echoed similar sentiments, criticizing the committee’s approach to certain rankings and seedings. She pointed out what she believes is a lack of transparency and accountability in the selection process, questioning how some teams are overlooked despite impressive records or standout performances. Gottlieb’s remarks have sparked a broader discussion among fans, analysts, and other coaches about how the selection committee can improve its processes to ensure a more fair and equitable tournament for all teams.
As March Madness draws near, these strong statements from two of the game’s most respected coaches underscore the increasing scrutiny on the selection committee. The controversy highlights the need for a deeper examination of how teams are evaluated, seeded, and ultimately selected to participate in the tournament, setting the stage for a highly anticipated and potentially heated Women’s March Madness in 2025.
