USC and Baylor crash women’s top 10 as UConn stays on top originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The first week of the women’s college basketball season delivered a shakeup in the AP Top 25, with Baylor and USC both jumping into the top 10 after impressive early victories. UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, and Texas held steady in the top four, but the middle of the rankings saw major movement.
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Baylor’s win over then-No. 7 Duke in Paris turned heads across the country. That performance launched the Bears nine spots higher to No. 7. Meanwhile, USC’s gritty one-point win over NC State on Sunday pushed the Trojans up ten spots to No. 8.
Both teams made their cases as legitimate contenders, even with USC missing its injured star JuJu Watkins for the season. Freshman Jazzy Davidson quickly made her presence known, hitting the clutch jumper with eight seconds left to seal the win over the Wolfpack.
MORE: Darryn Peterson was super smooth in his college debut
Top contenders show no signs of slowing
At the top, UConn kept its No. 1 spot after cruising through its first two games. The Huskies received 30 of 32 first-place votes, showing that voters still believe Geno Auriemma’s squad is the team to beat. South Carolina earned the other two top votes after another dominant week.
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UCLA and Texas followed closely behind, each handling their early schedules with ease. LSU stayed put at No. 5, while Oklahoma remained in sixth heading into a tough matchup with UCLA in Sacramento.
Maryland jumped to No. 9 after a strong 3-0 start, and NC State rounded out the top 10 following its narrow loss to USC. Tennessee slipped to 12th, and Duke dropped to 15th after the loss overseas.
Huskies raise another banner
Sunday was a celebration in Storrs as UConn unveiled its 12th national championship banner before beating Florida State. Players took the court in white and gold warmups reading “National Champions XII,” marking yet another addition to one of the sport’s most storied programs.
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The poll turns 50
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the women’s basketball poll, first launched in 1976. It began as a coaches’ poll created by Mel Greenberg and switched to media voting in 1994-95. Half a century later, it continues to spotlight how far the women’s game has come.
Upcoming Matchups
The next week offers two can’t-miss showdowns. On Saturday, No. 2 South Carolina travels to face No. 9 USC in a matchup dubbed “The Real SC.” The Trojans will host at Crypto.com Arena before the series moves east next season.
Then on Sunday, No. 17 TCU heads to Raleigh to take on No. 10 NC State in another early test for both teams.
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With big-time programs settling in and new contenders emerging, the early-season chaos is already shaping up to make this women’s college basketball season one of the most exciting in years.
