The Sky lost yet another 2025 WNBA draft pick, after Ajša Sivka — selected 10th overall by Chicago — committed to Kentucky for the 2026/27 NCAA season.
The 20-year-old Slovenia international has played professionally in Europe since 2022. However, she never renounced her college eligibility prior to being drafted, reserving her right to play college basketball.
“She wanted to experience college, have the college experience from a basketball standpoint, and a lifestyle standpoint,” Sky coach Tyler Marsh told reporters.
“We’ve been in regular communication with her agent and with her family. And we all felt like this was the best decision for her.”
Sivka’s path underlines the risk WNBA teams take with ”draft-and-stash” overseas talent. According to the rules, those picks can weigh their options before joining the league.
Sivka sat out the 2025 WNBA season, opting to finish high school back home while improving her game — all with Chicago’s blessing.
The Sky now retains Sivka’s pro rights, banking on her returning to the team as a fully developed prospect after her time in Lexington.
“I am delighted to welcome Ajša to our program,” Wildcats head coach Kenny Brooks said in a team statement.
“Her combination of size and skill will fit into our system seamlessly. Ajša is a tremendous shooter, scorer, and playmaker from the wing position and she will add experience to our team. BBN let’s welcome Ajša to our family!”
No. 17 Kentucky advanced to the SEC women's basketball tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, notching a 76-61 second-round win over Georgia behind Clara Strack's dominant performance.
Strack tied her career high with 33 points — including five 3-pointers — in the victory, while additionally registering eight rebounds, three blocks, and two assists. Her offensive output ranks as the Kentucky's second-highest in SEC Tournament history, trailing only Valarie Still's 34 in 1982.
Wildcat Teonni Key also pitched in, recorindg a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Tonie Morgan contributed 14 points and seven assists.
Kentucky jumped ahead early, mounting a 20-16 lead after the first quarter behind Strack's 13 opening-period points. However, Georgia fought back in the second, entering halftime with a 36-35 advantage.
Nevertheless, Strack continued her hot streak in the third quarter, scoring nine points to push Kentucky to a 54-49 lead heading into the final frame.
The Wildcats then pulled away in the fourth quarter. After Georgia cut the deficit to four points at 60-56, Strack sparked a decisive run, scoring four straight baskets to ignite an 8-0 Kentucky stretch. Amelia Hassett sealed the victory with a 3-pointer and two free throws.
What's Next in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament
Kentucky now faces top-seeded South Carolina in Friday's SEC quarterfinals, tipping off at 12 PM ET on ESPN.
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)
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)
NCAA upsets rocked the AP Poll again this week, with significant Top 10 movement as women's basketball underdogs muscle their way up the 2025/26 table.
LSU's Sunday victory over once-unbeaten Texas saw the Longhorns fall two spots to No. 4, while the Tigers returned to the Top 10 to claim No. 6 in a six-spot jump.
No. 7 Kentucky fell one spot after a loss to No. 21 Alabama and a Top-10 win over then-No. 5 Oklahoma, with the Sooners exiting the single-digits in an eight-spot plummet to No. 13 after two losses of their own.
Meanwhile, No. 1 UConn earned unanimous first-place votes after Texas's defeat, with the Huskies joined in the Top 5 by the also-undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores.
Three teams left the AP Poll entirely, as Washington, USC, and North Carolina continue to struggle — with the Trojans snapping a 51-week ranked streak as they strive to find their footing without injured star JuJu Watkins.
No. 19 Iowa State also saw a precipitous eight-rank drop, losing three games in a row as injured starter Addy Brown watched from the bench.
On the flip side, Alabama, No. 23 Notre Dame, and No. 25 Illinois broke back into the Top 25 with Monday's rankings drop.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
Though ranked matchups will resume on Thursday, Tuesday night puts one of the three remaining undefeated Division I seasons to the test when No. 17 Texas Tech takes the court against unranked Houston.
The clash tips off live at 7 PM ET on ESPN+.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 10
1. UConn (17-0, Big East)
2. South Carolina (17-1, SEC)
3. UCLA (15-1, Big Ten)
4. Texas (18-1, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (17-0, SEC)
6. LSU (16-2, SEC)
7. Kentucky (16-2, SEC)
8. Michigan (14-2, Big Ten)
9. Louisville (16-3, ACC)
10. TCU (16-1, Big 12)
11. Iowa (14-2, Big Ten)
12. Maryland (16-2, Big Ten)
13. Oklahoma (14-3, SEC)
14. Ohio State (15-2, Big Ten)
15. Michigan State (16-1, Big Ten)
16. Ole Miss (16-3, SEC)
17. Texas Tech (18-0, Big 12)
18. Baylor (15-3, Big 12)
19. Iowa State (14-3, Big 12)
20. Tennessee (12-3, SEC)
21. Alabama (17-1, SEC)
22. Princeton (14-1, Ivy)
23. Notre Dame (12-4, ACC)
24. Nebraska (14-3, Big Ten)
25. Illinois (14-3, Big Ten)
This weekend's SEC slate brings the heat, as the stacked NCAA basketball conference gears up for more than one high-profile ranked matchup on Sunday.
Undefeated No. 2 Texas will visit Baton Rouge to take on No. 12 LSU, with the Tigers looking to add to their 80-59 Thursday win over unranked Georgia as they continue battling back from a dismal 0-2 start in 2025/26 conference play.
"We think we're just going to go in there and out-jump, out-leap somebody," said LSU boss Kim Mulkey following last Sunday's loss to No. 7 Vanderbilt. "You're not going to do that in this league."
"This year, the [SEC] is every bit as good as last year — when you really think about it, it's probably way better," Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer told the Austin American-Statesman on Thursday. "The big thing right now is we've got to get better."
Texas's clash with LSU opens a tough stretch for the Longhorns, as they face AP Poll headliners No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Kentucky, and No. 7 Vanderbilt in the coming weeks.
Sunday's other SEC blockbuster between the Sooners and the Wildcats is all about redemption, as Oklahoma aims to bounce back from their 74-69 upset loss to No. 18 Ole Miss on Thursday while Kentucky looks to put their 64-51 Thursday loss to unranked Alabama in the rearview mirror.
How to watch ranked SEC basketball on Sunday
No. 2 Texas will tip off Sunday's ranked SEC slate against No. 12 LSU at 3 PM ET, airing live on ESPN.
Then at 4 PM ET, No. 5 Oklahoma will visit No. 6 Kentucky, with live coverage on the SEC Network.
In the first AP women's basketball poll in two weeks, Monday's new rankings reflected last week's conference upsets, sending four Top 10 teams skidding down the table while other contenders broke through.
Now-No. 12 LSU suffered the biggest drop, falling seven spots after consecutive losses to No. 6 Kentucky and No. 7 Vanderbilt.
The Wildcats and the still-undefeated Commodores experienced the opposite effect, jumping five spots each after their ranked victories, with No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 10 Louisville making similar three-spot advances.
The biggest winner of this week's AP poll, however, sits just outside the Top 10, as No. 15 Michigan State leapt nine spots, defeating unranked Indiana, Illinois, and Rutgers after closing out nonconference play with a 66-49 upset win over now-No. 18 Ole Miss.
Chasing the Spartans' rise up the ranks are No. 16 Baylor, who earned a six-spot jump after handing No. 11 Iowa State their first loss of the season on Sunday, and No. 17 Texas Tech, whose unbeaten status saw the Red Raiders claim a four-spot boost.
Meanwhile, a struggling Notre Dame dropped out of the Top 25 entirely after losses to unranked Georgia Tech and Duke, snapping an 85-week AP Poll appearance streak — the third-longest in women's basketball history.
Additionally, the Top 4 remained unchanged after perfect results from No. 1 UConn, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 South Carolina, and No. 4 UCLA — who dominated their crosstown rival No. 21 USC 80-46 on Saturday.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
Top 25 teams will continue their conference slates this week, starting with USC taking on unranked Oregon on Tuesday.
The Trojans and visiting Ducks will tip off live at 10 PM ET on Fox Sports.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 9
1. UConn (15-0, Big East)
2. Texas (17-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (15-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (14-1, Big Ten)
5. Oklahoma (14-1, SEC)
6. Kentucky (15-1, SEC)
7. Vanderbilt (15-0, SEC)
8. Maryland (15-1, Big Ten)
9. Michigan (12-2, Big Ten)
10. Louisville (14-3, ACC)
11. Iowa State (14-1, Big 12)
12. LSU (14-2, SEC)
13. TCU (14-1, Big 12)
14. Iowa (13-2, Big Ten)
15. Michigan State (14-1, Big Ten)
16. Baylor (13-3, Big 12)
17. Texas Tech (16-0, Big 12)
18. Ole Miss (14-3, SEC)
19. Ohio State (13-2, Big Ten)
20. Tennessee (10-3, SEC)
21. USC (10-4, Big Ten)
22. UNC (13-4, ACC)
23. Washington (12-2, Big Ten)
24. Princeton (13-1, Ivy)
25. Nebraska (13-2, Big Ten)
Only four Division I basketball teams remain unbeaten after a wild week of early NCAA conference play upsets handed seven programs their first defeats of the 2025/26 season.
Now-No. 12 LSU dropped games against SEC rising stars No. 6 Kentucky and No. 5 Vanderbilt late last week, with fellow top-ranked teams No. 8 Maryland, No. 13 TCU, and No. 11 Iowa State also falling for the first time this season.
"We're not tough enough," Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey said after Sunday's 65-61 loss to the Commodores. "And toughness is, you either have it or you don't."
LSU's struggles highlight key differences between scheduling approaches, with the inevitable SEC competition leaving few places to hide despite significant nonconference success.
"If we hadn't played that [easier nonconference] schedule, we might would be sitting here with a lot of losses," Mulkey told reporters.
Elsewhere, other conferences also showed their depth, as unranked Utah defeated TCU in Big 12 play while the Big Ten saw unranked Illinois take down Maryland and No. 23 Washington beat No. 9 Michigan.
Meanwhile, top-ranked UConn, No. 2 Texas, the aforementioned No. 7 Vanderbilt, and No. 17 Texas Tech are holding strong in 2025/26 play, avoiding upsets to become the last undefeated NCAA basketball teams still standing.
While the AP Top 10 stayed mostly intact this week, a few programs — including the Oklahoma Sooners — are making a case for themselves as the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball season's nonconference schedule hits its peak.
The Sooners were the only Top 10 riser in Monday's AP Poll, jumping one spot to No. 8 after taking down rivals Oklahoma State 92-70 on Saturday — a game that sent the Cowgirls out of the rankings entirely.
Bouncing back from an early season loss to No. 4 UCLA, Oklahoma's strengthening record dislodged undefeated TCU, with the Horned Frogs falling to No. 9 despite a perfect week against unranked competition.
Meanwhile, No. 1 UConn retained their crown after Saturday's top-ranked win over now-No. 19 USC, while No. 2 Texas continues to shine after humbling in-state rivals No. 15 Baylor on Sunday.
The Longhorns received eight first-place votes this week, a tick down from the last round after notching two Top 5 wins in late November.
Despite some ranked blowouts, the ACC saw the greatest movement, as No. 16 Louisville rocketed up six spots after upsetting then-No. 12 North Carolina — sending the Tar Heels skidding the same distance down to No. 18.
The SEC also saw gains, as No. 12 Kentucky and No. 14 Ole Miss both rose three spots as they creep toward the Top 10 with one loss apiece.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 7
1. UConn (10-0, Big East)
2. Texas (12-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (10-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (9-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (11-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (9-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (12-0, Big Ten)
8. Oklahoma (11-1, SEC)
9. TCU (11-0, Big 12)
10. Iowa State (12-0, Big 12)
11. Iowa (10-1, Big Ten)
12. Kentucky (11-1, SEC)
13. Vanderbilt (10-0, SEC)
14. Ole Miss (10-1, SEC)
15. Baylor (10-2, Big 12)
16. Louisville (10-3, ACC)
17. Tennessee (7-2, SEC)
18. UNC (9-3, ACC)
19. USC (7-3, Big Ten)
20. Notre Dame (8-2, ACC)
21. Ohio State (9-1, Big Ten)
22. Washington (9-1, Big Ten)
23. Nebraska (11-0, Big Ten)
24. Michigan State (9-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (10-1, Ivy)
Less than a day after Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles shocked the women’s basketball world by opting to enter the transfer portal rather than declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Irish’s transfer fall-out has continued.
Sophomore guard Emma Risch and freshman forward Kate Koval have also entered the portal, with Koval — who started in 10 games this season — leading the Irish in blocks.
Between transfer moves and graduating seniors, sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo remains Notre Dame’s only returning starter — a sharp turn for an Irish squad ranked No. 1 in the country just six weeks ago.
Other top NCAA programs see transfer portal movement
Notre Dame isn’t the only top-tier program experiencing a roster shakeup after exiting the 2025 NCAA tournament.
LSU sophomore forward Sa'myah Smith entered the transfer portal after the Tigers’ season ended in Sunday’s Elite Eight. USC sophomore guard Aaliyah Gayles subsequently followed suit after the Trojans fell to UConn on Monday.
Schools like TCU have become national contenders via the transfer portal, with the Horned Frogs recruiting both Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince ahead of their first-ever Elite Eight run. Former Kentucky center Clara Silva is the latest transfer to commit to TCU, as the team comes off their best tournament finish in school history.
The modern era of NCAA roster-building is upon us, with top players taking the reigns as ambitious teams scramble to fill offseason gaps.