UCLA, South Carolina, USC, Texas NCAA tournament No. 1 seeds - ESPN

UCLA is the top overall seed in the women's NCAA Tournament. The Bruins were joined by South Carolina, USC and Texas as the No. 1 seeds that the NCAA revealed Sunday night.

It's the first time in school history that the Bruins are the top team in the tournament. They had two losses on the season, both of which came to the Trojans.

Dawn Staley felt her team should get the No. 1 overall seed, but unlike last year when the Gamecocks finished off an undefeated season with a national title, this team has three losses heading into March Madness, including one to the Bruins.

«Two key factors between UCLA and South Carolina. One was the head-to-head matchup,» NCAA selection committee chair Derita Dawkins told Holly Rowe during ESPN's selection show Sunday night. «The other was one of our criteria is competitive in losses and South Carolina suffered a 29-point loss to UConn. Those were the two key differences in those resumes.»

Staley's team is looking to be the first team to repeat as champion since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. They are fresh off a season in which they posted a 30-3 record that culminated with a win over the Longhorns in the SEC tournament title game last week. Headed into that tournament, South Carolina was ranked fifth in the country and projected to be a No. 2 seed.

«I'm a little bit surprised because we manufactured our schedule to be the No. 1 overall seed,» Staley told Rowe. «It's hard enough to win a national championship, we don't need a chip on our shoulder.»

The Huskies, who are a two-seed, are looking to end that drought with star Paige Bueckers. They'll have to go out west if they reach the Sweet 16 and a potential rematch with JuJu Watkins and the Trojans could be waiting in the Elite