Notre Dame ascended to No. 2 in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 on Monday, marking the Irish’s highest ranking since 2019.
The Fighting Irish moved into second place behind UCLA after South Carolina fell 66-62 to Texas over the weekend. This is Notre Dame’s highest ranking since the team held the No. 1 spot on January 21, 2019. The Bruins continued to be the unanimous top selection of the 31-member media panel.
The Longhorns moved up to third place with their win. South Carolina fell to fourth place after its 57-game conference winning streak in the regular season was broken.
No. 5 LSU and No. 6 USC trailed the Gamecocks, both ascending one position after UConn was defeated at then-No. Last week, Tennessee was ranked 19. The Huskies dropped two spots to seventh. Tennessee, after its defeat to LSU on Sunday, climbed four positions to 15th place.
Kentucky climbed to eighth place, marking the Wildcats’ highest ranking since December 8, 2015, when they were ranked seventh. Ohio State remained in ninth, while North Carolina State rose four spots to secure 10th place. The Wolfpack achieved victories against then-No. Duke ranked 10th faced off against 22nd-ranked Florida State last week.
Ins and outs
Creighton and Baylor entered the rankings at No. 24 and 25, whereas Vanderbilt and California fell out. The Bluejays were positioned in the preseason Top 25 before dropping out. Baylor has fluctuated in and out of the rankings several times this season.
Ranking of milestones
This week marked UConn’s 600th consecutive appearance in the poll. It’s the longest streak in history, originating from the preseason poll in 1993. South Carolina holds the next longest ongoing streak, with 242 weeks in a row in the Top 25.
Gaining acknowledgment
The Grand Canyon earned its initial vote in the poll with the Antelopes being placed 25th on a ballot. The program made the leap to Division I starting in 2013, becoming a member of the Western Athletic Conference that year. They hold a record of 22-2 for this season and have achieved 20 straight victories following defeats to Middle Tennessee and Oregon.
Conference overview
The Southeastern Conference continues to dominate with seven teams in the rankings. The ACC boasts six, while both the Big Ten and Big 12 have five, and the Big East contains two.
Game of the week
No. 1 UCLA faces No. 6 USC on Thursday. The Bruins will compete for first place against the Trojans in their first of two encounters in the coming weeks.
UConn ranked No. 7 will face No. 4 South Carolina this Sunday. The Huskies will face their final opportunity to secure a win against a strong rival before the NCAA Tournament.
No. 5 LSU visits No. 3 Texas on Sunday. Two out of the three teams leading the SEC go head-to-head in an important conference clash.
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