South Carolina is kicking off its season just as it concluded the last one, holding the top spot in the preseason AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll.
The Gamecocks garnered 27 out of 30 first-place votes in the rankings released by a national media panel on Tuesday. This year, South Carolina is returning four starters from last year’s undefeated national championship team, which triumphed over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the title match to complete a historic season.
Following South Carolina, UConn claims the No. 2 position, with USC coming in at No. 3. Texas and UCLA fill out the top five slots, respectively.
For the past five years, South Carolina has made a strong showing in the preseason polls, having secured the No. 1 spot four times. Last year, the team began at sixth in the preseason rankings but swiftly rose to the top, where they remained for the entire season.
“We were aware that being the reigning champions meant we’d have a target on our backs this season, and this ranking reinforces that,” stated South Carolina’s coach, Dawn Staley. “While we appreciate the acknowledgment, our focus remains on daily practices and improving ourselves both individually and as a cohesive unit.”
UConn, which has been a consistent force with 30 consecutive years in the top 10 of the preseason poll, received two first-place votes despite facing significant injury challenges last season. Coach Geno Auriemma’s squad is looking forward to starting this season with most of its players healthy.
USC, now ranked third, is spearheaded by exceptional sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, alongside two new talented transfers: Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen. This marks the Trojans’ highest preseason ranking since they were No. 1 in the opening polls during the 1982 and 1983 seasons.
The Texas Longhorns are also optimistic as they welcome back Rori Harmon, who missed a significant portion of the previous season due to an ACL injury. Along with Madison Booker, they create a formidable offensive duo. Meanwhile, UCLA has bolstered its robust lineup with the addition of promising transfers like Charlisse Leger-Walker and Timea Gardiner to join Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice.
Completing the top 10 are Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa State, North Carolina State, and Oklahoma. It’s noteworthy that this is the second time in three years that the Cyclones have commenced the season ranked this high. Additionally, this is the first time since 2010 that Oklahoma has featured so prominently in the preseason poll.
Significantly, No. 24 Alabama has made its first appearance in the rankings since the final list of 1999, marking its return to the preseason poll for the first time since 1998 when they were ranked No. 9. The Crimson Tide has achieved consecutive NCAA tournament appearances thanks to contributions from stars Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye.
“We are grateful for the recognition, but our focus is on our day-to-day progress,” expressed Alabama coach Kristy Curry. “We are looking forward to the group’s potential this season based on how we concluded last year.”
In a notable change, Stanford finds itself unranked in the preseason for the first time since 1999. Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer retired in April, with longtime assistant Kate Paye stepping into the role. This development ends the second-longest active preseason ranking streak, with only UConn having a longer tenure.
In terms of conference representation, the SEC now boasts seven teams in the Top 25 thanks to the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. Besides these two, South Carolina, LSU, No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 22 Kentucky, and Alabama complete the SEC lineup. The ACC and Big Ten each have six ranked teams, while the Big 12 includes four. UConn and Creighton represent the Big East with two teams in the poll.