Dawn Staley and the defending national champions officially have a huge portion of their title defense laid out.

The SEC released the 2022-23 women's basketball schedule on Wednesday morning, with each school playing 16 games starting on Dec. 29 and running through the end of February.

South Carolina will host five NCAA Tournament teams from last season in conference play, including some marquee matchups against projected ranked squads.

The slate begins on Dec. 29 with a home game against the Texas A&M Aggies and new head coach Joni Taylor, followed by a road trip at Georgia to ring in the new year on Jan. 2.

Rematches of last season's SEC Championship Game against Kentucky will come first on Jan. 12 in Lexington and then back in Columbia at Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 2, just three days before the team travels to UConn for a non-conference showdown.

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers, who finished second to the Gamecocks in the regular season standings a year ago, will be making their lone visit to Columbia on Super Bowl, Sunday, Feb. 12.

South Carolina will host Georgia in the regular season finale on Feb. 26 before the SEC Tournament opens on Mar. 1 in Greenville. Here is the full conference schedule:

12/29 -- vs. Texas A&M

1/2 -- @ Georgia

1/5 -- vs. Auburn

1/8 -- @ Mississippi State

1/12 -- @ Kentucky

1/15 -- vs. Missouri

1/19 -- @ Vanderbilt

1/22 -- vs. Arkansas

1/29 -- @ Alabama

2/2 -- vs. Kentucky

2/9 -- @ Auburn

2/12 -- vs. LSU

2/16 -- vs. Florida

2/19 -- @ Ole Miss

2/23 -- @ Tennessee

2/26 -- vs. Georgia