South Carolina Claims Top Spot in Women’s Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
South Carolina lands at No. 1 in the women's preseason AP Top 25 poll, with UConn and USC following closely behind in the national rankings.
POLICY WIRE — New York, United States — Dawn Staley has guided South Carolina back to a familiar position, capturing the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press preseason women’s basketball poll.
The Gamecocks secured 23 first-place votes from a 31-member national media panel on Tuesday. UConn, USC, Duke, and Michigan completed the top five positions in the national rankings.
This marks the fifth time over the past seven seasons that Staley’s squad has opened the year at the top of the preseason list. Acknowledging the status, Staley noted that while players appreciate the respect of being ranked first, the ranking also brings considerable pressure given their demanding non-conference schedule.
South Carolina will confront five ranked opponents during the opening month of the season, a gauntlet that includes matchups against UConn, USC, and Duke. Staley explained that the demanding slate is necessary to maintain their roster caliber and test the team against elite competition.
UConn, which fell to South Carolina in the Final Four last season, earned six first-place votes and has maintained a top-10 position in every preseason poll dating back to 1994. This represents the third consecutive year that South Carolina and UConn occupy the top two spots in the preseason rankings, preceding their scheduled meeting on November 24 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Southern California claimed the remaining two first-place ballots, buoyed by high expectations and the return of a healthy JuJu Watkins. Watkins missed the previous campaign while recovering from a torn ACL sustained during the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and the Trojans’ No. 3 ranking mirrors their position from two years ago.
Duke achieved its highest preseason ranking since 2013, when the Blue Devils were slotted second, while Michigan secured its highest preseason position ever. Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico praised her standout junior class, anchored by Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, for elevating the program.
The inaugural regular-season poll is scheduled for release on November 9. Texas, Louisville, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Iowa rounded out the top 10, with defending national champion UCLA leading the next tier.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
