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No. 1 UConn and No. 2 Texas remain in sole possession of first-place votes in the AP Top 25 poll. The Huskies snuck another vote back from the Longhorns, giving them 24 of the 32 first-place nods.
As women’s college basketball enters the relative quiet of mid-December, here’s how the latest poll shook out, with first-place votes denoted in parentheses and movement from last week’s poll tracked in brackets:
Here are thoughts about which team’s compose women college basketball’s very best, as well as a closer look at the team that might be the biggest multi-loss threat:
Are UConn and Texas a clear tier above the rest?
Previously, I’d mused that teams ranked in the top five—the same five of No. 1 UConn, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 LSU that has been there all season—formed women’s college basketball’s top tier, with the quintet having separated themselves from the rest of the pack in terms of their potential to win the national championship.
Has the top tier splintered into two tiers? Or at least into a 1A and 1B?
Both UConn and Texas trounced top-20 teams this weekend, with the Huskies giving then-No. 16 USC a harsh reality check as they took over LA and the Longhorns shutting down any notions of a rivalry with their romp over then-No. 13 Baylor. UConn won by 28 points after leading by as many as 39; Texas won by 35 points, with their largest advantage reaching 38. Teams comfortably ranked in the top 25 are supposed to be able to offer up a spirited, four-quarter fight. The Huskies and Longhorns, however, made that impossible, suggesting they are a level above South Carolina, UCLA and LSU. The Gamecocks and Bruins, of course, both have lost to the Longhorns, while the Tigers still have yet to play a ranked opponent.
Saturday’s Champions Classic match up with No. 11 Iowa profiles as the only potential test for the Huskies, although it would be a shock if the Hawkeyes, traveling to Brooklyn for the Champions Classic to play to the Huskies in front of what is likely to be a very pro-UConn crowd, can pull off the upset, or even make things close in the fourth quarter. Texas, in contrast, will encounter real challenges, although not until 2026. Back-to-back mid-January games at LSU and South Carolina will determine if the Longhorns, in fact, belong above the rest of the sport’s elite.
Joyce Edwards keeps raising South Carolina’s ceiling
Despite the loss to Texas, as well as another close call (more on that opponent below), South Carolina and their FAMs likely will dispute their exclusion from the sport’s tippy-top tier.
Down to eight players due to injuries and illnesses, the depleted Gamecocks displayed their familiar, full-strength dominance against visiting Penn State on Sunday afternoon, running away with a 40-point win.
The catalyst for Carolina was sophomore forward Joyce Edwards, who, literally, raced to a career-high 29 points. She was a one-woman transition machine, taking off after any Penn State miss or turnover, corralling the hit-ahead passes from senior guards Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson and converting lay up after lay up. Edwards also collected six steals, swatted four shots, grabbed four rebounds, tossed five assists and hit her only 3-point attempt, resulting in an absurd stat line that encapsulates how thoroughly Edwards can impact all facets of the game with her combination of athleticism and skill.
Her application of her talents—as well as how rapidly those talents are refining and expanding—lends credence to South Carolina’s top-tier upside, even if they need to win the rematch with Texas to ascend to that apex.
Louisville looms as a multi-loss threat
I’m not sure if the overtime affair between now-No. 18 North Carolina and now-No. 16 Louisville salvaged the sinking reputation of the ACC, with the up, down and sideways late-game execution by both teams.
The outcome did, however, spark the most movement in this week’s poll, with voters elevating the victorious Cardinals six spots while sliding the Tar Heels down a corresponding six spots. Furthermore, by getting it together in the extra period, the Cardinals confirmed their status as the most dangerous three-loss team. In fact, and as the rankings reflect, Louisville’s perceived quality exceeds that of most two-loss teams.
The Cardinals’ combination of stretch bigs and dynamic guards give head coach Jeff Walz the ingredients needed to cook up game plans that can cause trouble for opponents.
Senior forward Laura Ziegler extended her behind-the-arc excellence on Sunday, going 3-for-4 from 3 to raise her season average to over 43 percent. Junior forward Elif Istanbulluoglu added a pair of triples. After shooting 12.5 percent from deep last season, she’s up to 31.3 percent. Two bigs that have to be guarded, or at least monitored, from 3 create space that the Cardinal guards are well suited to take advantage of. Sophomore guard Imari Berry can get a paint touch almost any time she desires, as she possesses a special on-the-ball verve. Taj Roberts, meanwhile, sports pure scoring chops. Then, add in sophomore Mackenly Randolph and junior Skylar Jones, both of whom understand their 3-and-D roles. Randolph offers dogged on-the-ball defense, Jones provides defensive playmaking and both are willing to fire open 3s.
On Saturday, the Cardinals will have an opportunity to consolidate their first ranked win with another one, as Louisville meets No. 17 Tennessee in the Barclays Center as the other half of the Champions Classic.
