Louisville climbed to No. 6 in the latest Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 poll released Monday, marking its highest ranking in four years.
UConn held onto the No. 1 spot unanimously in the 31-member National Media Committee poll. The Huskies remain the only undefeated team in women’s college basketball, extending their winning streak to 39 games with a dominant 96-66 victory over then-No. 1 Tennessee on Sunday. UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas continue to occupy spots behind UConn in the top four rankings.
In notable results, UCLA secured an impressive win against then-No. 1 Iowa, who dropped to 10th place. Texas also defeated No. 10 Oklahoma on Sunday, leading to the Sooners falling to 11th in the poll.
The rest of the top 10 saw several changes. LSU moved back up to No. 5, while Louisville’s strong performances at Stanford and UC helped them reach their highest rank since 2022. Vanderbilt fell two spots to seventh after a loss to Ole Miss, followed by Michigan State and Ohio State in the top 10—the latter marking the Buckeyes’ first return to the top 10 in a year.
Princeton, which had been enjoying its best season since going undefeated in the 2014-15 regular year, lost to rival Columbia on Friday, snapping a 15-game winning streak and dropping four places to 23rd. The Tigers rebounded with a victory over Cornell the next day.
Regarding conference representation, the SEC led with a record 10 teams receiving votes for the second week in a row. The Big Ten followed with seven teams, the Big 12 had four, the Atlantic Coast Conference had two, and both the Big East and Ivy League featured one team each.
Highlight games this week include No. 17 Duke visiting No. 6 Louisville on Thursday, with first place in the ACC on the line as both teams boast double-digit winning streaks—13 for the Blue Devils and 14 for the Cardinals. On Sunday, No. 2 UCLA will face No. 8 Michigan, featuring the top two teams in the Big Ten; UCLA remains undefeated in conference play, while Michigan has only one loss.
For the latest updates and voting alerts on the AP Top 25, fans can subscribe at the AP women’s college basketball hub.
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Fan Take: Louisville’s rise and UConn’s dominance highlight the growing competitiveness and excitement in women’s college basketball, showcasing a dynamic landscape where powerhouse teams continually push one another. This evolving rivalry and strong conference showings mean fans can look forward to thrilling games and a deeper, more engaging season ahead.
