The AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll is officially out, with South Carolina leading the way at the No. 1 spot with 705 total points and 14 first-place votes.
And so it begins, we’ve got our first look at how the best in the nation rank according to @AP_Top25 Women’s College Basketball Poll.1️⃣ @GamecockWBB2️⃣ @UConnWBB3️⃣ @StanfordWBB4️⃣ @TerpsWBB5️⃣ @PackWomensBball6️⃣-2️⃣5️⃣ https://t.co/2fb0Ddv0nm#ncaaW pic.twitter.com/BA72YmVHrQ— NCAA Women’s Basketball (@NCAAWBB) October 19, 2021
And so it begins, we’ve got our first look at how the best in the nation rank according to @AP_Top25 Women’s College Basketball Poll.1️⃣ @GamecockWBB2️⃣ @UConnWBB3️⃣ @StanfordWBB4️⃣ @TerpsWBB5️⃣ @PackWomensBball6️⃣-2️⃣5️⃣ https://t.co/2fb0Ddv0nm#ncaaW pic.twitter.com/BA72YmVHrQ
The Gamecocks were picked narrowly ahead of UConn (696 pts, 10 first-place votes) who sit at No. 2. Defending national champion Stanford sit at No. 3.
Many stars will return for the season when it begins on Nov. 9. Forward Aliyah Boston will lead the way for the Gamecocks while UConn will look to Paige Bueckers as she begins her sophomore year.
Another sophomore to look for will be Caitlin Clark, who leads No. 9 Iowa. No. 4 Maryland will return all of their contributors from last season, including point guard Ashley Owusu.
Alongside Iowa and Maryland, No. 8 Indiana helps the Big Ten lead the way with three teams ranked inside the top 10. No. 11 Michigan and No. 17 Ohio State round out the Big Ten teams in the poll.