Conference tournaments rocked Monday's AP women's basketball poll update, as underdogs making a final push for NCAA seeding sparred with Top 25 titans ahead of this weekend's Selection Sunday.
No. 2 UCLA is closing in on newly crowned Big East champion UConn's season-long grip on the top spot, with the Bruins earning three first-place votes after blanking No. 7 Iowa to win the Big Ten tournament.
Elsewhere, ACC champion Duke made the biggest gains in a five-spot rise to No. 8, while No. 4 South Carolina, No. 6 Vanderbilt, and No. 10 Oklahoma all saw slight post-SEC tournament skids.
No. 12 West Virginia shot up three spots after upsetting No. 14 TCU to steal Sunday's Big 12 crown, with the Mountaineers building a case for first-round home-court advantage as one of the NCAA tournament's Top 16 seeds.
"We knew the things that were on the line," said Big 12 tournament Most Outstanding Player Jordan Harrison. "That's something that we talked about — we wanted to try to get those two games in Morgantown."
Despite the conference tournament blowouts, Monday's reshuffling proved that March is bound to bring its madness — leaving no team a sure bet.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 18
1. UConn (33-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (31-1, Big Ten)
3. Texas (31-3, SEC)
4. South Carolina (31-3, SEC)
5. LSU (27-5, SEC)
6. Vanderbilt (27-4, SEC)
7. Iowa (26-6, Big Ten)
8. Duke (24-8, ACC)
9. Michigan (25-6, Big Ten)
10. Oklahoma (24-7, SEC)
11. Ohio State (26-7, Big Ten)
12. West Virginia (27-6, Big 12)
13. Louisville (27-7, ACC)
14. TCU (29-5, Big 12)
15. North Carolina (26-7, ACC)
16. Kentucky (23-10, SEC)
17. Maryland (23-8, Big Ten)
18. Minnesota (22-8, Big Ten)
19. Ole Miss (23-11, SEC)
20. Michigan State (22-8, Big Ten)
21. Baylor (24-8, Big 12)
22. Notre Dame (22-10, ACC)
23. Princeton (24-3, Ivy)
24. Georgia (22-9, SEC)
25. Texas Tech (25-7, Big 12)
The SEC is stepping into the spotlight, as the NCAA's deepest women's basketball conference tips off Champ Week with ranked teams featuring in every round of their 2026 tournament.
No. 17 Kentucky enters as the No. 9 seed, while No. 11 seed Alabama fell off the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since Week 9 on Monday.
"Kentucky has done a great job," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said following the top-seeded Gamecocks' narrow 60-56 win over the Wildcats on Sunday. "Take some of what has happened in this league, and what this league is doing, it is hard to measure."
The AP Poll currently features eight SEC teams, as No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 22 Georgia, and No. 24 Ole Miss gear up to enter the SEC tournament in Thursday's second-round action.
As for the Top 4 seeds, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Vanderbilt, and No. 6 LSU will enter the competition in Friday's quarterfinals, as teams battle for a shot at Sunday's SEC championship trophy.
"Thank God we're a tournament team," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin prior to the high-stakes conference competition. "Go ahead, put us where you want. Because were going to be ready to compete when we're full go. This is our storm."
How to watch the 2026 SEC women's basketball tournament
The 2026 SEC tournament will tip off with No. 17 Kentucky battling unranked Arkansas at 11 AM ET on Wednesday.
All first and second round games will air live on the SEC Network.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma officially sits above the rest, with the Huskies boss making his record 655th career appearance in the AP Top 25 women's basketball poll this week.
In Monday's update, Auriemma broke a tie for the record with legendary former Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, as UConn spends another week as the nation's unanimous No. 1 basketball team.
With only two games remaining in conference play, the Huskies are closing in on a perfect 2025/26 NCAA regular season to go with their already-wrapped 13th straight Big East regular-season title.
Joining No. 1 UConn in retaining their AP Poll positions this week were No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, and No. 5 Vanderbilt.
On the other hand, No. 8 Michigan, No. 10 Louisville, No. 12 Duke, and No. 13 Ohio State all saw dips in their rankings after suffering losses last week.
Tennessee, however, suffered the hardest fall, after a four-game losing streak saw the previously No. 21 Vols drop out of the rankings entirely for the first time this season.
At the same time, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 9 Iowa saw the biggest jumps on Monday, with both squads securing four-spot rises on the heels of ranked wins last week.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
With more marquee matchups on deck before the 2025/26 NCAA basketball regular season wraps up on Sunday, the Big Ten takes center stage on Wednesday, when archrivals No. 8 Michigan and No. 13 Ohio State face off in a battle for a bounce-back win — plus an edge in the race for second place in the conference.
The Wolverines will travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes at 8 PM ET, airing live on Peacock.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 16
1. UConn (29-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (27-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (27-2, SEC)
4. Texas (26-3, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (25-3, SEC)
6. LSU (24-4, SEC)
7. Oklahoma (21-6, SEC)
8. Michigan (22-5, Big Ten)
9. Iowa (22-5, Big Ten)
10. Louisville (24-5, ACC)
11. TCU (25-4, Big 12)
12. Duke (20-7, ACC)
13. Ohio State (23-5, Big Ten)
14. Maryland (22-6, Big Ten)
15. Michigan State (22-6, Big Ten)
16. Kentucky (20-8, SEC)
17. West Virginia (22-6, Big 12)
18. Baylor (24-6, Big 12)
19. Ole Miss (21-8, SEC)
20. Texas Tech (24-5, Big 12)
21. North Carolina (23-6, ACC)
22. Minnesota (21-7, Big Ten)
23. Georgia (21-7, SEC)
24. Alabama (21-7, SEC)
25. Princeton (21-3, Ivy)
Duke is racing up the NCAA women's basketball Top 25, rising six spots to No. 11 in Monday's AP Poll after extending their winning streak to 15 games.
Buoyed by Thursday's upset win over No. 9 Louisville, the Blue Devils also claimed the ACC's top spot last week, climbing the conference standings after flipping the script on what was a concerning 3-6 season start.
"Now we're just locked in on getting better," Duke head coach Kara Lawson said, after the Blue Devils turned their early-season struggles into one of the NCAA's hottest runs. "In my experience, when you do that consistently, you get consistent results."
Elsewhere in Monday's AP Poll, UConn remained the unanimous No. 1, tallying all 31 first-place votes after a week that saw the Huskies defeat DePaul by 46 points and Butler by 32.
UConn has now won 20 straight games by at least 25 points — the longest 25-point margin-of-victory streak by any Division I team in more than 25 years.
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, and No. 4 Texas also held steady behind the Huskies, with the Bruins remaining undefeated in Big Ten play after eking out a narrow win over No. 7 Michigan on Sunday.
On the other hand, No. 15 Iowa experienced the poll's biggest stumble, dropping five spots after suffering a three-game losing streak.
How to watch Duke basketball in action
The No. 11 Blue Devils will next face in-state rival No. 21 UNC, with the Tar Heels visiting Durham at 1 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 14
1. UConn (25-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (23-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (24-2, SEC)
4. Texas (23-2, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (23-2, SEC)
6. LSU (22-3, SEC)
7. Michigan (20-4, Big Ten)
8. Ohio State (22-3, Big Ten)
9. Louisville (22-4, ACC)
10. Oklahoma (17-6, SEC)
11. Duke (18-6, ACC)
12. Baylor (21-4, Big 12)
13. Michigan State (20-4, Big Ten)
14. Ole Miss (19-5, SEC)
15. Iowa (18-5, Big Ten)
16. Texas Tech (22-3, Big 12)
17. TCU (21-4, Big 12)
18. Kentucky (18-7, SEC)
19. West Virginia (20-5, Big 12)
20. Maryland (19-6, Big Ten)
21. North Carolina (20-5, ACC)
22. Tennessee (15-6, SEC)
23. Alabama (20-5, SEC)
24. Princeton (19-2, Ivy)
25. Washington (18-6, Big Ten)
The ACC women's basketball title race is heating up, as No. 17 Duke earned a one-game conference lead by upsetting No. 6 Louisville 59-58 on Thursday night.
The Blue Devils' defense clinched the win while Duke sophomore forward Toby Fournier led all scorers with 15 points and nine rebounds on the night — with a missed free throw from Louisville sophomore guard Imari Berry sealing the deal in the game's final seconds.
"They were physical and we shied away a little bit from it instead of just going into them and drawing fouls," Cardinal senior forward Laura Ziegler said postgame.
After a slow season start, Duke has blazed through the ACC, with the Blue Devils now riding a 14-game winning streak to an undefeated conference record.
As for the Cardinals, Thursday's loss broke Louisville's own 14-game winning streak just days after the team reached their highest AP Poll ranking in four years.
That said, Louisville has an arguably lighter slate across their final six regular-season games than the Blue Devils, with the Cards fiercest foe coming from their Sunday clash with ACC third-place team Syracuse.
Meanwhile, Duke's final docket includes intrastate foe and fourth-place ACC squad NC State, as well as a pair of games against rival No. 25 UNC — though the Blue Devils are banking on ending on an upswing.
"Our goal has always been to be the team that grows the most during the season," said Duke head coach Kara Lawson. "And if each individual buys into that and the team buys into that, we will like where we are at the end of the year."
How to watch Duke and Louisville in ACC basketball action this weekend
Both Louisville and Duke will continue their ACC schedules on Sunday, with the No. 6 Cardinals taking on Syracuse at 12 PM ET before the No. 17 Blue Devils host SMU at 2 PM ET.
Both conference clashes will air live on The CW.
While the SEC and Big Ten still run the AP Poll, Monday's update revealed one ACC team quietly shooting up the Top 25 as the 2025/26 NCAA basketball regular season nears its end.
Dominant conference play fueled No. 6 Louisville's one-spot Week 13 gain, as the Cardinals ride a 14-game winning streak to the team's highest ranking in four years.
Louisville's 11-0 ACC record matches their best conference start in program history as they close in on their first regular-season title since 2021.
Elsewhere, unbeaten UConn remains the unanimous No. 1 pick after another blowout slate, with the rest of last week's Top 4 following suit.
Benefitting from now-No. 7 Vanderbilt's two-game skid, LSU rose to No. 5 while No. 13 Ole Miss jumped four spots in the week's biggest boost.
Suffering the largest fall was No. 22 Maryland, who dropped six spots as the injury-struck Terrapins keep trying to right the ship on a four-game Big Ten losing streak.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
The ranked basketball action continues on Wednesday, when No. 22 Maryland visits East Lansing to take on a tough No. 12 Michigan State side reeling from their own injuries — with both teams hunting bounce-back wins.
The game tips off live at 6:30 PM ET on B1G+.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 13
1. UConn (23-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (21-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (22-2, SEC)
4. Texas (21-2, SEC)
5. LSU (21-2, SEC)
6. Louisville (21-3, ACC)
7. Vanderbilt (21-2, SEC)
8. Michigan (19-3, Big Ten)
9. Ohio State (20-3, Big Ten)
10. Iowa (18-4, Big Ten)
11. Oklahoma (17-5, SEC)
12. Michigan State (19-3, Big Ten)
13. Ole Miss (19-4, SEC)
14. TCU (20-3, Big 12)
15. Baylor (19-4, Big 12)
16. Kentucky (18-5, SEC)
17. Duke (16-6, ACC)
18. Texas Tech (21-3, Big 12)
19. Tennessee (14-5, SEC)
20. West Virginia (18-5, Big 12)
21. Alabama (19-4, SEC)
22. Maryland (17-6, Big Ten)
23. Princeton (18-2, Ivy)
24. Washington (17-5, Big Ten)
25. North Carolina (18-5, ACC)
The SEC lorded over Monday's AP Top 25 Poll update with a record-breaking 10 programs representing the NCAA basketball powerhouse after another intense week of conference play.
No. 10 Oklahoma made the biggest leap, jumping six spots after ending a four-game ranked losing streak by upsetting No. 3 South Carolina 94-82 in overtime on Thursday.
On the other hand, No. 18 Kentucky saw the largest drop, sliding seven places after dropping games to No. 15 Tennessee and No. 23 Georgia.
Georgia's Saturday win over the Wildcats sent them flying into the Top 25, bringing the slate of SEC ranked teams to 10 — the highest single-week tally in the 50-year history of the AP Poll.
The Big Ten did see some positive movement as well, with No. 2 UCLA and No. 8 Iowa both making strides up the Top 10 as the only programs still unbeaten in conference play.
Now the only undefeated Division I team still standing, UConn held tight to their unanimous No. 1 ranking after downing three opponents — including rivals Notre Dame — by an average margin of 39.7 points.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
Ranked action returns on Wednesday, when an injury-struck No. 16 Maryland hosts No. 25 Washington at 7 PM ET, airing live on B1G+.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 12
1. UConn (21-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (19-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (20-2, SEC)
4. Texas (19-2, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (20-1, SEC)
6. LSU (19-2, SEC)
7. Louisville (19-3, ACC)
8. Iowa (18-2, Big Ten)
9. Michigan (17-3, Big Ten)
10. Oklahoma (16-4, SEC)
11. Ohio State (18-3, Big Ten)
12. TCU (19-2, Big 12)
13. Michigan State (18-2, Big Ten)
14. Baylor (18-3, Big 12)
15. Tennessee (14-3, SEC)
16. Maryland (17-4, Big Ten)
17. Ole Miss (17-4, SEC)
18. Kentucky (17-5, SEC)
19. Princeton (17-1, Ivy)
20. Duke (14-6, ACC)
21. Texas Tech (20-2, Big 12)
22. West Virginia (17-4, Big 12)
23. Georgia (18-3, SEC)
24. Alabama (18-3, SEC)
25. Washington (16-4, Big Ten)
A major winter storm moving from New Mexico to New England has caused significant changes to the women’s college basketball calendar this weekend, with several teams adjusting their schedules ahead of predicted snow and ice.
Top-ranked UConn moved its game against Seton Hall from Sunday to Saturday afternoon. No. 14 Baylor postponed its matchup against Houston until Tuesday. Other programs, including No. 20 Princeton, Cincinnati, and Rice, moved their Saturday start times earlier to avoid deteriorating road conditions.
Elsewhere, North Carolina Central postponed two scheduled women's games in Durham, while the Sun Belt Conference proactively rescheduled its entire women's basketball slate from Thursday through Saturday. Similar adjustments occurred in the Big South, where the USC Upstate at Longwood game was moved from Saturday to Friday.
And the storm isn't just impacting college basketball. In the SEC, the top 15 swimming and diving dual meet between No. 9 Tennessee and No. 14 Georgia moved from Saturday to Friday, while No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 5 Georgia pushed up Friday's gymnastics meet from 6 PM ET to 2:45 PM ET.
Athletic departments across the country continue to monitor weather updates for further potential disruptions caused by the winter storm.
How to watch women's college basketball games impacted by the winter storm
Eastern Kentucky vs. North Florida has moved to 11 AM ET on Saturday, live on ESPN+.
No. 1 UConn vs. Seton Hall has moved from Sunday to 12 PM ET on Saturday, live on NBC Sports.
No. 20 Princeton vs. Brown has moved to 12 PM ET on Saturday, live on ESPN+.
Cincinnati vs. Arizona State has moved to 2 PM ET to 12 PM ET on Saturday, live on ESPN+.
Jacksonville State vs. UTEP has moved to 1 PM ET on Saturday, live on ESPN+.
No. 21 Duke vs. Pitt has moved from Sunday to Saturday at 4 PM ET, live on ACC Network.
Boston College vs. No. 8 Louisville has moved from 2 PM ET to 11 AM ET on Sunday, live on ACC Network.
Houston vs. No 14 Baylor has moved from Sunday to 7 PM ET on Tuesday, live on ESPN+.
The No. 15 Maryland Terrapins are hunting an upset, as the once-Top 10 college basketball squad looks to bounce back from two straight ranked losses when they face a rising No. 10 Iowa side on Thursday night.
Once ranked as high as No. 7 in the 2025/26 NCAA season, conference losses to No. 12 Ohio State and No. 3 UCLA sent the Big Ten mainstay skidding in recent weeks.
"Every time this team has not had the outcome that they've wanted, they've done a tremendous job of just really taking the lessons and learning from them, and being ready to move on against their next opponent," Maryland head coach Brenda Frese said.
After last year's NCAA tournament exit in the Sweet Sixteen round, the Terps entered the 2025/26 season anticipating an even deeper run, but a rash of season-ending injuries have forced Maryland to take a different approach.
"Clearly, the injury bug has not been kind to us," Frese said after losing senior guard Kaylene Smikle to a December knee injury. "But I will say that the resiliency in this locker room, as you just witnessed, is something I haven't seen in a really long time."
How to watch Iowa vs. Maryland basketball on Thursday
The No. 15 Terrapins will host the No. 10 Hawkeyes at 6 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage airing on Peacock.
This week's AP Poll update saw little fireworks, as the NCAA women's basketball elite continue to find their form deep into 2025/26 conference play.
The six highest-ranked programs held their ground, with No. 1 UConn and No. 5 Vanderbilt still standing tall as the season's only undefeated Division I teams.
No. 11 Kentucky saw the steepest fall, dropping four spots after Sunday's 71-59 loss to unranked Mississippi State — the Wildcats' second defeat in four games.
Elsewhere, No. 10 Iowa had cause to celebrate, as the Hawkeyes broke into the Top 10 for the first time since superstar guard Caitlin Clark graduated in 2024.
The ranking comes on the back of Sunday's 75-68 win over No. 13 Michigan State, pulling Iowa to 16-2 on the season.
The Hawkeyes now have their work cut out for them, with games against No. 15 Maryland, No. 12 Ohio State, and No. 3 UCLA slated for the next two weeks.
How to watch Iowa basketball this week
The No. 10 Hawkeyes will next take on the No. 15 Terrapins at 6 PM ET on Thursday, airing live on Peacock.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 11
1. UConn (19-0, Big East)
2. South Carolina (19-1, SEC)
3. UCLA (17-1, Big Ten)
4. Texas (19-2, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (19-0, SEC)
6. LSU (17-2, SEC)
7. Michigan (15-3, Big Ten)
8. Louisville (18-3, ACC)
9. TCU (18-2, Big 12)
10. Iowa (16-2, Big Ten)
11. Kentucky (17-3, SEC)
12. Ohio State (17-2, Big Ten)
13. Michigan State (17-2, Big Ten)
14. Baylor (17-3, Big 12)
15. Maryland (17-3, Big Ten)
16. Oklahoma (14-4, SEC)
17. Tennessee (13-3, SEC)
18. Ole Miss (16-4, SEC)
19. Texas Tech (19-1, Big 12)
20. Princeton (16-1, Ivy)
21. Duke (13-6, ACC)
22. West Virginia (15-4, Big 12)
23. Alabama (17-3, SEC)
24. Nebraska (14-4, Big Ten)
25. Washington (14-4, Big Ten)