With an upset- and overtime-filled week of basketball behind us, it’s officially time to unveil our first NCAA rankings of the 2022-23 season.

From South Carolina retaining its top spot with a comeback win over Stanford to UCLA breaking into the top 25, here’s where things stand heading into the end of November.

1. South Carolina (4-0)

2. Stanford (5-1)

The Cardinal’s 76-71 loss to South Carolina exposed a few weaknesses, but Stanford still went to overtime with the No. 1 team and nearly won. That’s enough to keep the No. 2 ranking in my book. I went into the weekend expecting the winner of the Stanford-South Carolina matchup to slide into the No. 1 spot and the loser to sit at No. 2. And despite a game that was sloppy and chaotic at times, Stanford and South Carolina remain the top two teams in the country — though the next squad on this list is breathing down their necks, somewhat surprisingly.

3. UConn (3-0)

Three games into the season, the Huskies have already faced more than their fair share of adversity. First, Paige Bueckers tore her ACL in August and was declared out for the season. Then Ice Brady went down with a season-ending injury, Aaliyah Edwards broke her nose, Caroline Ducharme was limited with neck stiffness and Dorka Juhász broke her thumb.

The latest in their string of misfortunes came on Sunday, when associate head coach Chris Dailey collapsed before tipoff of their game against NC State and was taken off the court on a stretcher. Dailey was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon, the school announced, but the incident visibly shook the team at the time. Despite the scare, the Huskies stormed past NC State 91-69. Azzi Fudd continues to emerge as a bonafide star — she had 32 points on Sunday, tying Maya Moore for the most points in back-to-back games against top-10 opponents in UConn history — and UConn has two statement wins to start the season.

Azzi Fudd

FOR THREE pic.twitter.com/ZosrC3WhK7

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) November 20, 2022

4. Iowa State (4-0)

5. Ohio State (4-0)

6. Notre Dame (4-0)

7. Indiana (5-0)

After losing Ali Patberg, Nicole Cardaño-Hillary and Aleksa Gulbe to graduation, the Hoosiers had a lot to replace going into the 2022-23 season. So far, despite the hurdles, they look like an offensive juggernaut. Between Grace Berger, Mackenzie Holmes and newcomer Yarden Garzon, the Hoosiers have started the season 5-0, topping opponents by an average of 35 points, including a 79-67 win over then-No. 11 Tennessee on Nov. 14.

8. Louisville (4-1)

9. Texas (1-3)

It’s hard to keep a 1-3 team in the top 10, but I can’t judge Texas too harshly on its losses. The Longhorns are a completely different team without Rori Harmon running the show, and so far they haven’t had their sophomore point guard due to a foot injury. The loss to unranked Marquette on Saturday is harder to justify, but falling to Louisville and UConn in close games would have been possible even with Harmon on the floor. When she’s back, I expect the Longhorns to start winning big. In the meantime, they have to beat Rutgers and Princeton this week, or they’ll get bumped further down the rankings.

10. North Carolina (4-0)

11. Virginia Tech (3-0)

12. Iowa (4-1)

Keeping Texas in the top 10 with three losses and putting Iowa at No. 12 with just one probably doesn’t make sense at first glance, but I have my reasons. Texas, as I mentioned, will be an entirely new team once Harmon returns. Iowa on the other hand, seems to be the same team as last season — the kind that gets upset early in the NCAA Tournament. Caitlin Clark is a Player of the Year frontrunner, and Monika Czinano is an elite college post player, but Iowa needs to find more offensive weapons if it wants to have more success this season.

Having a Nash Bash 😏@CaitlinClark22 sparks an 8-0 run with a 3, steal, 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 3, 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 steal, and a layup. pic.twitter.com/QuKytwKzHm

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) November 20, 2022

Drake took the Hawkeyes to the brink on Nov. 13, and Kansas State pulled off the upset days later because of Iowa’s lack of balance. I need to see something from the Hawkeyes’ supporting cast before I feel comfortable putting them in the top 10.

13. Maryland (4-1)

14. NC State (4-1)

15. Arizona (4-0)

16. Creighton (4-0)

It’s a rare feat for a tournament darling to come out the next season and prove it has staying power, but that’s exactly what Creighton is doing. The Bluejays have two convincing top-25 wins over South Dakota State and Nebraska, and they are 4-0 to start the season. December will be telling for the Bluejays, as they have matchups with Villanova, Stanford and UConn.

17. Baylor (3-1)

18. LSU (5-0)

The Tigers could very well be a top-10 team, but with the level of competition they’ve played to start the season, it’s hard to rank them among squads that have multiple top-25 games to their names. Maryland transfer Angel Reese has been a star for LSU, averaging 23.2 points and 14.8 rebounds per game, and the Tigers have a solid supporting cast around her. But here’s the hang up: LSU has played Bellarmine, Mississippi Valley State, Western Carolina, Houston Baptist and Northwestern State in the first few weeks of the season. The Tigers don’t play a top-25 team until Jan. 30, when they take on Tennessee.

LSU forward Angel Reese through four games 📈

- 23.3 PPG
- 14.8 RPG
- 61.7 FG%
- Four double-doubles

📷: @LSUwbkb pic.twitter.com/MzK2tKdzyu

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) November 17, 2022

19. Oklahoma (4-1)

20. Tennessee (2-3)

What is going on with this team? The Vols’ talent level is sky high with Tamari Key, Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson, Jasmine Powell and depth down the bench. And yet, Tennessee is 2-3. The Vols have lost to good teams — Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA — but they look completely out of sync and, at times, apathetic on the court. Talent only goes so far when the players can’t figure out how to blend their skills together. Something has to change, or this is going to be a long season for the Vols.

21. Oregon (3-0)

22. UCLA (5-0)

The Bruins had a case when they topped a solid South Dakota State team on Saturday, but with their dominant 80-63 win over Tennessee on Sunday, they officially earned a top-25 ranking. With Charisma Osborne leading the way and young stars Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez continuing to get comfortable, UCLA should get better with every game.

23. Gonzaga (4-1)

I’ve had my eye on the Bulldogs since the preseason, and with their win over No. 6 Louisville on Saturday, they deserve a spot in the rankings. In a lot of ways, Gonzaga didn’t even play that well against the Cardinals. They had 29 turnovers in the contest but pulled it together in overtime, outscoring Louisville 18-6. If the Bulldogs can solve their turnover problem, they could be a very dangerous team as the season progresses.

24. Utah (4-0)

25. Drake (2-1)

After nearly knocking off Iowa in overtime, the Bulldogs got a top-25 win, defeating No. 22 Nebraska on Saturday in impressive fashion, 80-62. Katie Dinnebier is leading the way with 16 points per game, but Drake plays great team basketball. Four of their starters average over 12 points per game, and the fifth is just behind them at 9.3. It’s hard to stop a team with that many weapons.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

The Soccer Tournament (TST) is coming back to Cary in 2026, as the North Carolina-based 7v7 competition dropped the dates for its fourth iteration earlier this week.

After its 2023 inaugural tournament, which included a mix of men's, women's, and co-ed teams, TST will re-up its 16-team women's competition — expanded in 2025 from eight teams in 2024 —alongside its men's edition this summer, running both contests from May 27th through June 1st.

Additionally, TST will again be anteing up a $1 million winners check to entice soccer's top players to take the pitch in Cary.

The seven-figure prize again has the reigning two-time champion US Women coming back, with USWNT alum and incoming National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee Heather O'Reilly announcing in November that the team will return to defend their title in 2026.

"Many of my former teammates with the USWNT will be making appearances, so we can't wait to see you in the summertime," promised O'Reilly at the TST x Cary Kickoff Party before adding a joking "we're not f—ing leaving."

As small-side events grow in popularity, North Carolina has doubled down on keeping TST at WakeMed Soccer Park, the home of the NWSL's Courage.

In October, the state awarded TST a $6.6 million grant to remain in Cary through 2029, anticipating an economic impact from the competition in the eight figures.

How to buy tickets for TST in 2026

The ticket pre-sale for TST 2026 will open at 9 AM ET on Tuesday, February 24th, with added exclusive benefits to fans who join TST's ticket waitlist.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson is gearing up again, with Sole Retriever revealing on Tuesday that the senior guard plans to drop a new Puma player exclusive sneaker next month.

The 22-year-old will take over the Puma All-Pro Nitro 2, pairing a tan and brown camouflage pattern with bright pink and green accents.

Adorned with a custom logo representing Johnson's No. 4 jersey — a four-finger hand image in green — the Tigers standout will see her exclusive logo on both the tongue and bottom sole of the All-Pro Nitro 2.

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A major player in Puma's NIL program since 2022, Johnson debuted her first player exclusive colorway in 2024, but this new design will be the NIL star's first PE available on the consumer market.

"They were very intrigued not only [about] basketball, but my music side, too," Johnson told Andscape after signing with the sportswear giant. "That was really important to me, because some people try to box you in. Puma was like, 'Ain't no box. Ain't no cage.'"

How to purchase the Puma All-Pro Nitro 2 Flau'jae Johnson PE sneaker

Retailing at $140, Johnson's Puma All-Pro Nitro 2 PE sneakers will hit both online and brick-and-mortar shelves on February 6th.

Orlando has landed a new front office leader, as the Pride announced on Tuesday that they've hired former Kansas City Current GM Caitlin Carducci as the Florida NWSL club's new VP of soccer operations and GM.

"Caitlin is a proven leader whose experience across every level of women's soccer and history of building championship-caliber rosters set her apart," said Pride owner and chairman Mark Wilf in the team's Tuesday statement. "She emerged as the clear choice in our search with her deep expertise, strong reputation, and a vision that aligns with our culture."

Carducci, whose resume also boasts roles developing the women's game at both the NWSL's headquarters and for US Soccer, stepped away from the Current after two seasons, departing after Kansas City's historic 2025 Shield-winning run.

She replaces outgoing VP of soccer operations and sporting director Haley Carter, who left the Pride in November prior to becoming the new president of soccer operations for the Washington Spirit.

Rather than instigating significant changes, Carducci plans to bolster the recent accomplishments of the 2024 Shield and championship-winning Orlando Pride with a goal of creating ongoing success for the club.

"The chance to work with the Wilf family, whose leadership and investment reflect their commitment to a world‑class organization, along with a championship‑level roster and technical staff, made this an easy decision," said Carducci. "I'm eager to begin this next chapter, strengthen the inclusive and ambitious culture that defines this club, and help push the Pride toward new heights."

Professional softball put down roots coast-to-coast on Tuesday, when the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) unveiled the home cities and stadiums for each of the expanded league's teams for the 2026 season — and beyond.

After adopting a touring model for its four-team inaugural 2025 campaign, AUSL's move into home markets coincides with the league's expansion, as the now-six-team second-year league welcomed the Cascade and Spark in November.

With Tuesday's announcement, the previously independent Spark will continue to play in Oklahoma City at Oklahoma Christian University's Tom Heath Field, with fellow expansion side Cascade making its home at Hillsboro Ballpark, in Portland, Oregon.

Meanwhile, the four original teams will re-debut as the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Texas Volts, and Utah Talons.

The Blaze will play their home games at Duke University's Smith Family Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, while the Bandits' permanent home will be at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois — a longtime hub for pro softball.

The Volts will play at Dell Diamond, the home of Minor League Baseball's Round Rock Express, the Triple-A team for MLB's Texas Rangers.

Lastly, the University of Utah will house the Talons, with the reigning AUSL champions taking over the Utes' Dumke Family Stadium in Salt Lake City beginning this year.

"This is about creating lasting connections between our athletes, our teams, and the communities they represent, and setting up the sport of softball for long-term success at the professional level," said AUSL commissioner Kim Ng in Tuesday's announcement.

All six teams will kick off their 2026 season on June 9th, when games will be played across multiple cities simultaneously for the first time in AUSL history.

How to purchase 2026 AUSL season tickets

Softball fans can now score 2026 season tickets for their AUSL home teams online.