The latest Associated Press women’s college basketball poll has been released, and there’s no change at the top. The South Carolina Gamecocks remain the undisputed No. 1 team in the nation after extending their winning streak to an impressive 40 games. As teams jockey for position in the rankings and look ahead to the NCAA tournament, let’s dive into the key takeaways from this week’s poll.
South Carolina Continues to Dominate
Coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are showing no signs of slowing down. After going undefeated last season en route to the national championship, South Carolina has picked up right where they left off. Led by National Player of the Year candidate Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks are outscoring opponents by an average of 30 points per game. With statement wins over ranked teams like NC State, South Carolina looks poised for another deep tournament run.
UConn, USC Round Out Top 3
The UConn Huskies and USC Trojans remained steady at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. UConn, led by the return of stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, has its sights set on dethroning South Carolina. Meanwhile, USC’s high-octane offense, featuring freshman phenom JuJu Watkins, has the Trojans dreaming of their first-ever national title.
The competition at the top is fierce this year. South Carolina, UConn, USC – they’re all capable of cutting down the nets in April.
– Anonymous NCAA coach
Notable Risers and Fallers
The biggest mover in this week’s poll was the Maryland Terrapins, who climbed seven spots to No. 11 after a convincing win over then-No. 11 Duke. The Blue Devils dropped to No. 16 following the loss. Other notable risers include:
- Oklahoma Sooners (up 1 spot to No. 9)
- Kansas State Wildcats (up 3 spots to No. 10)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (entered poll at No. 23)
On the flip side, the Baylor Bears tumbled five spots to No. 17 after an upset loss to unranked Oregon. The Ducks entered the poll at No. 25 following the victory.
Conference Breakdown
The SEC leads all conferences with six ranked teams, followed by the ACC and Big Ten with five apiece. The Pac-12 has four teams in the Top 25, while the Big 12 boasts three.
| Conference | Number of Ranked Teams |
| SEC | 6 |
| ACC | 5 |
| Big Ten | 5 |
| Pac-12 | 4 |
| Big 12 | 3 |
Looking Ahead
As the regular season enters its final stretch, the jockeying for NCAA Tournament seeding will kick into high gear. Teams will look to boost their resumes with signature wins and avoid costly upsets. With Selection Sunday just around the corner, here are a few key games to watch this week:
- No. 2 UConn vs. No. 14 North Carolina
- No. 5 UCLA vs. Pepperdine
- No. 6 Notre Dame vs. James Madison
- No. 16 Duke vs. Dayton
As the old saying goes, “Anything can happen in March.” With the parity in women’s college basketball at an all-time high, this year’s NCAA tournament promises to be one for the ages. Will South Carolina complete its quest for back-to-back titles? Or will a new contender emerge to cut down the nets? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to be a wild ride.
