The Big Ten and the SEC both have arguments to be considered the top league in women’s college basketball.
Each has seven teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll Monday, including four apiece in the first 10. Both leagues have been bolstered this season by conference realignment, with No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC joining the Big Ten while No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma are new to the SEC.
UCLA was once again the top choice in the poll after receiving 30 of 32 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Bruins have been the solid No. 1 team since knocking off former top team South Carolina in late November. The Gamecocks, who remained No. 2, host No. 5 Texas on Sunday.
Notre Dame remained third, garnering the other two first-place votes, taking one away from the Gamecocks.
LSU and UConn were next after the Longhorns. Undefeated Maryland was eighth with Ohio State moving up one spot to ninth after Oklahoma split a pair of games with Texas and then-No. 15 Tennessee.
Utah underwent a coaching change in the first month of the season when Lynne Roberts left to coach in the WNBA. Longtime assistant Gavin Petersen stepped in and now has the Utes ranked for the third consecutive season as they entered the poll at No. 22.
“I don’t know if it’s ever happened in our game before — leaving a few games in,” Petersen said in a phone interview. “Our resilient crew has stepped up and faced the adversity that’s in front of them. We got through that feeling-out phase and put to rest all the unknowns.”
Utah had a huge Thanksgiving tournament win over Notre Dame. The Utes next face No. 12 Kansas State on Wednesday.
No. 1 UCLA vs. Indiana Highlights | FOX College Women’s Hoops
No. 18 Alabama is off to its best start in the SEC in 21 years as the Crimson Tide improved to 2-0 in the conference for the first time since the 2003-04 season with a 68-49 win over Missouri. Alabama visits No. 5 Texas on Thursday.
The SEC and Big Ten each have seven teams ranked this week after Ole Miss fell out of the Top 25. The ACC has six, while the Big 12 has four and the Big East one.
Here’s the full AP Top 25:
1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. Texas
6. LSU
7. UConn
8. Maryland
9. Ohio State
10. Oklahoma
11. TCU
12. Kansas State
13. Georgia Tech
14. Duke
15. Kentucky
16. Tennessee
17. West Virginia
18. Alabama
19. North Carolina
20. Michigan State
21. North Carolina State
22. Utah
23. Iowa
24. Cal
25. Michigan
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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