UConn passed its first test of the season to remain No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday.
The Huskies received 30 of 32 first-place votes from the national media panel after defeating No. 6 Michigan 72-69 on Friday in the Naismith Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase.
South Carolina, UCLA and Texas followed UConn. The trio is headed to Las Vegas this week for the Players Era Championship, in which the Bruins and Longhorns will face each other. The Gamecocks will play Duke in the second game on Wednesday. Championship and consolation games will be held on Thursday.
LSU finished fifth after a close loss to the defending champions, and Michigan finished sixth.
Maryland, TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones are in the top 10 for the first time this season.
is increasing
Iowa made the biggest jump in the survey this week, climbing eight spots to No. 11. The Hawkeyes then reached no. 7 Baylor remained undefeated at the WBCA Showcase in Florida. This is the team’s best ranking since Caitlin Clark led them to the 2024 NCAA Championship Game.
fall down
NC State, Baylor, USC and Oklahoma State all fell out of the polls after the losses. The Wolfpack were stunned by Rhode Island and dropped nine spots to No. 25. The Bears dropped eight spots to 15th after the loss to Iowa. The Trojans dropped seven spots to 18th after a two-point loss to Notre Dame. The Cowgirls dropped to 24th after the loss at St. John’s.
supremacy of convention
The Southeastern Conference has eight teams in the rankings again this week, including three of the top five. The survey featured seven schools from the Big Ten, five from the Big 12 and four from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Big East has one.
game of the week
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 4 Texas (Wednesday): A top-five showdown in Las Vegas with two teams that made the Final Four last season. The Bruins have a size advantage with Lauren Bates while the Longhorns have one of the top players in the country in wing Madison Booker.
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