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Reigning national champion South Carolina is once again looking like the team to beat ahead of the 2024-25 women's college basketball season, but the Gamecocks can't relax because the SEC has some of the strongest teams in the nation. 

Kim Mulkey already had a plan to keep the LSU toward the top of the conference even without Angel Reese, but the competition just got tougher for everyone with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Kentucky is not new to the league but brought in former Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks to help turn the program around. He was followed by his "quarterback," Georgia Amoore. 

The conference has so much talent that there was not one unanimous preseason Player of the Year. Instead, LSU's Flau'Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow shared the honor alongside Texas' Madison Booker. 

Here is a closer look at some of the biggest storylines in the SEC for the upcoming season:

South Carolina is in a great spot

South Carolina is fresh off a perfect 38-0 season that included a national championship win, and the only key player the Gamecocks lost was Kamilla Cardoso. Te-Hina Paopao represented the Gamecocks in the SEC Preseason First Team, while MiLaysia Fulwiley and Raven Johnson made the Second Team.

The Gamecocks claimed a 106-63 win over Memphis in an exhibition game on Tuesday, and freshman Joyce Edwards used that opportunity to start introducing herself to the college basketball world. The 6-foot-3 forward led her team with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.

"Joyce played extremely well," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. "She played like she's been practicing. I didn't know how she'd be just because it's her first college game. She was a little nervous at the beginning of the game, right before we started the game.

"I think sometimes with a player like that, they might need to see the game a little bit and anticipate what's going to happen out there on the floor. But the moment we inserted her into the game, she imposed her will on both sides of the basketball. Super high intelligence, high competitor, just plays the right way. Very mature for her age."

Kentucky could improve under Kenny Brooks

Kentucky went 12-20 last season, but Kenny Brooks could help turn the program around. He amassed a 180-82 record during his time with Virginia Tech and guided the Hokies to the Final Four in 2023. Georgia Amoore and was part of that run, and she decided to use her fifth year of eligibility and follow her coach to Kentucky. 

Brooks described Amoore as another member of his coaching staff and his "quarterback." She averaged 18.8 points and 6.9 assists per game last season and was recently named to the preseason SEC First Team. Clara Strack, who is entering her sophomore year, also followed Brooks from Virginia Tech. She averaged 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in her final five games with the Hokies.

Dazia Lawrence, a transfer from Charlotte, will make a very experienced backcourt alongside Amoore as they are both 23 years old. Brooks trusts their leadership, and he also likes the height on his roster along with the athleticism the Wildcats have shown so far in practice. However, he warned that success won't be immediate.

"We have a long ways to go. We're tinkering," Brooks said. "... We're not going to be anywhere as good in the beginning of the season as I think we will be in the middle or the end. We're just going to continue to work hard every day and get better in all aspects."

Rori Harmon's return a huge boost for Texas

After star guard Rori Harmon suffered a season-ending injury last December, freshman Madison Booker took over her point-guard duties despite being a wing in high school. Coach Vic Schaefer gave Booker a lot of credit for the Longhorns winning 33 games last season, the second most in program history. 

Booker embraced the point guard position, but she is happy she won't have to do it much longer. 

"You fast-forward to where we are now, there's nobody more excited on our team that Rori Harmon is back than Madison Booker," Schaefer said. "She wants to get back on the wing where she's really comfortable. I think it allows us as a team, we have a lot of flexibility there. We have a special freshman in Bryanna Preston, who is going to be an unbelievable point guard for us."

Schaefer said Harmon brings a lot of energy and confidence to the team, and he is feeling really good about the other guards on the roster as well.

"You win with guard play in basketball. You can have all the size in the world, you don't have guard play, you got no chance," Schaefer said. "We've got guard play this year, and I've got depth at guard with Bry and Jordan Lee -- two exceptional freshmen. Laila Phelia, y'all, is a monster. She's going to be so good. Shay Holle has been the glue to my program for the last few years. I just named off five, six guards that they're all going to play every night, and they're going to play a lot. 

"They're all going to impact our team. Our future is in really good shape at the guard spot. This year's team, we finally have some depth. I just haven't had it the last couple years. Give those teams credit, they've learned how to stay out of foul trouble and play through some issues. This year's team, we finally have depth."

Aneesah Morrow is chasing history at LSU

Angel Reese led LSU in scoring and rebounding last season, but the Tigers had another double-double weapon in Aneesah Morrow. Kim Mulkey is expecting her to continue being dominant on the glass and be one of the leaders of this team.

Morrow averaged 16.4 points and 10 rebounds per game last season while also leading the Tigers in steals and blocks. This season, Morrow said she wants to keep building on that and chase the program's single-season steals record. She registered 93 steals in 2023-24, just 14 shy of the record set by Raigyne Moncrief-Lewis in 2016-2017.

"I of course want to continue to get my double-doubles, defensively and offensively. I do have a goal to potentially break the record in steals," Morrow said. "I came so close to that last year. Also just being able to stay consistent. I feel like my whole career that is what I pride myself on, that consistency and being able to rebound the ball and score offensively. I also do not want to just be a shot-taker, but a shot-maker."

Schedule update

Despite the conference expanding to 16 teams, the SEC women's basketball schedule will remain at 16 games. This is not news, but Mulkey shared her thoughts during Wednesday's media day.

"At the end of the day, what I would love to have, and I don't think that you can ever have it because you have 16 teams or 15 opponents, we're playing people twice now," Mulkey said. "Some of us in the league are playing people twice. I'm not for that... But yes, we've had that discussion. I can't even tell you what everybody thought. It's a tough league. It's a tough league."

As for the conference tournament, the SEC announced it will remain in Greenville, S.C., through at least 2028. The tournament has been held there every year since 2019 -- except for 2022, when it took place in Nashville, Tenn.