Following a week of upsets among the top teams, Texas climbed two spots to secure the No. 3 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll. This marks the Longhorns' highest position in over a year, last achieved on November 14, 2022. Texas is on a seven-game winning streak and is set to face off against No. 20 Oklahoma and BYU to close out the regular season, trailing the Sooners by just one game in the Big 12 standings.
Meanwhile, South Carolina maintained its stronghold as the unanimous No. 1 team after dominant victories over Alabama and Kentucky, securing their third consecutive SEC regular-season championship. Ohio State followed in second place after clinching a share of the Big Ten title with their 14th straight win.
Stanford held onto the fourth spot despite splitting games against Arizona and Arizona State, ensuring at least a share of their 27th Pac-12 regular-season championship. Virginia Tech surged to fifth place, riding a 10-game winning streak and claiming a share of their first ACC regular-season title with a 14-2 record.
Further down the rankings, Iowa, USC, and UCLA rounded out the top eight, with LSU and UConn making significant jumps to ninth and tenth, respectively. Notably, UCLA, LSU, and UConn, all preseason top-five teams, found themselves back in the top 10 after a month.
On the other hand, N.C. State tumbled six spots to 12th following losses to North Carolina and Duke, disrupting their recent winning streak. The ACC standings remain tightly contested, with just two games separating second place from seventh.
In terms of new entries, UNLV re-entered the poll at No. 24, tied with West Virginia, while Princeton dropped out after a loss to Columbia. The NCAA selection committee is set to reveal its top 16 teams for the second time this season, with significant shifts expected following the initial reveal that featured South Carolina, Ohio State, Stanford, and Colorado as potential No. 1 seeds.
Stay updated on AP Top 25 women's basketball rankings throughout the season for the latest developments and insights.
Sources: AP women’s college basketball and AP news
