Texas has reclaimed the top position in the women’s basketball AP Top 25 poll for the first time in 21 years, marking a significant achievement for the team. This thrilling development comes as the Longhorns ascend to No. 1 after Notre Dame, previously at the top, suffered a double-overtime defeat against North Carolina State. Prior to this, UCLA held the number one spot for 12 consecutive weeks.
Coach Vic Schaefer expressed immense pride in his team during an interview just hours before their game against Georgia, highlighting how hard they worked to attain this ranking. It’s noteworthy that this change signifies only the fifth time since 2001 that three different schools have occupied the No. 1 position within a span of three weeks. Following South Carolina’s initial reign at the start of the season, there have now been four teams to lead the rankings this year—a rare occurrence since the poll’s inception in 1976, which has never seen five schools at the top.
Schaefer commented on the current competitive environment, stating, “There’s so much parity in the game right now.” Texas last held the poll’s top place on February 16, 2004, and has now spent a total of 48 weeks ranked first since their first appearance in 1980. The Longhorns secured 19 first-place votes from a panel of 31 national media members, underscoring their strong position within the sport.
Following the disruption of Notre Dame’s 19-game winning streak, the Fighting Irish dropped to third place while UCLA moved up to second after a narrow victory over Iowa, which was achieved with two late free throws. USC maintained its place in fourth with one first-place vote, followed by UConn in fifth position. South Carolina, LSU, and North Carolina followed in the rankings, while North Carolina State surged four spots to ninth due to their impressive win over Notre Dame. The top ten was rounded out by North Carolina and TCU.
In terms of the updated rankings, Florida State and Louisville re-emerged this week at 24th and 25th, respectively. The Seminoles triumphed over Pittsburgh and defeated the then 20th-ranked Georgia Tech, while the Cardinals had an impressive win against the 11th-ranked Duke before falling to North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets and Illinois have now dropped out of the Top 25.
Examining the conference standings, the Southeastern Conference leads with seven ranked teams, followed by the ACC with six, and both the Big Ten and Big 12 with five each. The Big East boasts two teams in the rankings.
Looking ahead to anticipated matchups this week, No. 22 Creighton is scheduled to face off against No. 5 UConn on Thursday, where first place in the Big East will be contested. Additionally, No. 8 North Carolina will battle No. 16 Duke, offering a chance for a double-bye into the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. On Sunday, No. 10 TCU will challenge No. 17 Baylor, with significant implications for the Big 12 standings.
