The Georgia women’s basketball team is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2018 season, as the Lady Bulldogs earned a No. 3 seed and will open against Drexel.

Georgia is in the midst of its best season since Joni Taylor arrived for the 2015-16 season. The Bulldogs went 20-6, with a 10-5 record in SEC play. The Bulldogs made it to the final of SEC tournament and swept Tennessee for the first time since the 1984-85 season.

The Bulldogs are led by a strong group of seniors. Jenna Staiti and Maya Caldwell were both named First Team All-SEC Tournament, while Que Morrison was the conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Staiti earned Second Team All-SEC honors while Taylor was named the conference’s Coach of the Year. This is the third time in six seasons Georgia has made the tournament under Taylor, as the Bulldogs were a No. 8 seed in 2016 and a No. 4 seed in 2018.

Georgia finished fourth in the SEC after the preseason polls had them picked to finish in ninth place. The No. 3 seed is the highest Georgia has gotten since the 2007 NCAA Tournament when Georgia was also a three seed.

“The biggest thing is that these players play for each other and they play with their hearts, they’re tough and we have a lot of depth,” Taylor said of her team. “If we can stay healthy, we will be able to make a really big run as long as we play together, and people step up and make big plays.”

The Lady Bulldogs were drawn to the same region as No. 1 seed Stanford and No. 2 seed Louisville. Should the Lady Bulldogs win, they will play the winner of Oregon-South Dakota in the second round.

This year’s NCAA tournament will all be played in the state of Texas, with the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and championship game all taking place in San Antonio, Texas. A first-round Georgia and Drexel tip at Noon ET on Monday, March 22.

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