Once again, the top two teams in the JWS college basketball Top 25 remain intact. South Carolina and Stanford are the teams to beat, but the rest of the rankings got a shake-up this week.

Kansas and Virginia make their first appearances, while Notre Dame jumps two undefeated teams for the No. 3 spot. Let’s evaluate where the top teams stand before the holiday break. You can find our last top-25 rankings here.

1. South Carolina (11-0)

2. Stanford (11-1)

Cameron Brink, Hannah Jump and Haley Jones are one heck of a trio, and they make this Stanford team hard to top. They have three completely different but effective games, all of which were clicking in a 77-70 win over Tennessee on Sunday. Brink had 21 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks to lead the way, while Jones and Jump recorded 19 points each. The Cardinal were down 58-53 heading into the fourth quarter, but the No. 2 squad didn’t panic. Instead, they chipped away at the deficit and closed out the game on a 24-12 run to seal the victory. Maturity will help this team down the stretch, and the win was indicative of their ranking.

3. Notre Dame (9-1)

The AP poll still has Notre Dame at No. 5, but a 63-52 win over Virginia Tech on Sunday cemented my belief that Notre Dame deserves the No. 3 spot. I’d previously considered moving the Fighting Irish over Ohio State and Indiana, and this week’s win convinced me — strangely enough because Notre Dame looked flat-out bad for most of the contest. Even at its worst, Notre Dame showed it is still good enough to beat another top-10 opponent. In crunch time, the Irish didn’t let their previous mistakes define the game. Olivia Miles had a near triple-double (16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists), and Notre Dame ended the game on a 23-9 run to secure the win.

4. Ohio State (11-0)

5. Indiana (11-0)

6. UConn (8-2)

7. North Carolina (9-1)

8. NC State (11-1)

9. Virginia Tech (10-1)

10. Utah (10-0)

The Utes have won in a lot of different ways this season, from blowouts to two-point victories. In their one win over a ranked opponent on Nov. 16, they scored a whopping 124 points against Oklahoma and showed how dangerous this team can be. Offensively, they average 93 points per game with a roster full of scorers. Alissa Pili leads the team with 20.7 points per game, followed by Gianna Knnepkens and Jenna Johnson with 14.4 and 12.6, respectively. Then, Kennedy McQueen and Issy Palmer each average 10 points per game, while Teya Sidberry and Dasia Young come in at just under seven. That all adds up to a balanced squad that’s hard to beat — and fun to watch.

Feed from @alissa_pili to @jenna_johnson22 who has a game-high 16 points!

The assist from Pili is her 5th of the game, a career high!#GoUteshttps://t.co/RKk0fDtz77 pic.twitter.com/rCBmY4aJM4

— Utah Women’s Basketball (@UTAHWBB) December 17, 2022

11. UCLA (11-1)

12. Iowa (9-3)

13. Iowa State (8-2)

14. Arkansas (13-0)

The Razorbacks haven’t played the toughest schedule, but an undefeated record and wins over Kansas State and Creighton are enough to draw attention. The bottom half of these rankings are a mess, with a lot of solid teams in consideration. Arkansas (No. 17 in the AP Poll) slides into my top 15 after going on the road Saturday and beating Creighton. The Razorbacks led for most of the contest and weathered every Creighton run. Samara Spencer led the way with 26 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line, and UConn transfer Saylor Poffenbarger recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Arkansas has two tough upcoming matchups against AP No. 16 Oregon and No. 10 LSU.

15. Maryland (9-3)

16. LSU (12-0)

17. Oregon (9-1)

18. Kansas (10-0)

A 77-50 victory over then-No. 12 Arizona on Dec. 8 thrust Kansas into the rankings, but there is a lot to like about this Kansas team aside from the upset win. The Jayhawks have one of the most cohesive offenses in the country. They run everything through center Taiyanna Jackson but don’t discriminate when it comes to making the extra pass and taking the best available shot. They understand how to use their spacing and lanes to attack the hoop, which makes for a smooth offense with a lot of contributors. And when they need a basket, the Jayhawks still have a go-to scorer in Jackson. That’s the perfect recipe for offensive success.

TOP-20 DUB FOR THE CATS! 😼

No. 20 @ArizonaWBB blows out No. 18 Baylor in Dallas 75-54!#Pac12WBB pic.twitter.com/E1UbnegKVk

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) December 19, 2022

19. Gonzaga (11-2)

20. Michigan (10-1)

21. Creighton (8-2)

The Bluejays have wins over South Dakota State, Nebraska and Villanova — all of whom were ranked when they played — and another over a solid Drake team. But with losses to AP No. 25 St. John’s and No. 21 Arkansas, it’s hard to know what to make of this squad. They have all the tools for another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but right now they only seem to show up part of the time. Their next two games are against Stanford and UConn, which should provide a much clearer picture.

22. Arizona (9-1)

The Wildcats have a lot to work out. They shot well in a 75-54 win over Baylor on Saturday (47.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc), but a lot of that had to do with the Bears — who are not a top-25 team in my mind — not defending the ball well. Arizona had open shots and they knocked them down, but there wasn’t a lot of flow to the offense as players still appear to be figuring out their roles.

I was, however, more impressed with their defense. The Wildcats held Baylor to 32.8 percent shooting from the field and 25.1 percent from long range, while forcing 19 turnovers. They never allowed Baylor to get comfortable, and their defense led to 18 fast-break points. Running the floor after creating turnovers is a clear strength of this team. Now, they have to find more rhythm in the halfcourt.

TOP-20 DUB FOR THE CATS! 😼

No. 20 @ArizonaWBB blows out No. 18 Baylor in Dallas 75-54!#Pac12WBB pic.twitter.com/E1UbnegKVk

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) December 19, 2022

23. Oklahoma (9-1)

24. Marquette (9-2)

25. Virginia (12-0)

The last spot on this list is always a toss-up for me. This week, I considered St. John’s, Villanova, Tennessee, Baylor and Kansas State, but the undefeated Cavaliers have earned the spot thanks to consistent performances. Minnesota and Penn State have been their toughest opponents so far, but UVA will have the chance to prove itself in a tough ACC slate against teams like Virginia Tech, NC State, North Carolina and Notre Dame. I don’t expect UVA to stay undefeated, but they are capable of an upset or two.

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

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

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The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

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Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

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Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."