As the Iowa State women’s basketball team rattled off win after win during a historic start to the season, the Cyclones rapidly rose through the rankings and jumped into the top 10.
But after suffering their first loss of the season on Jan. 4, the question turned to where the Cyclones would go in the rankings.
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Iowa State checked in at No. 11 in the latest Associated Press poll released on Jan. 5. The Cyclones had previously been ranked No. 10 in the AP poll that came out on Dec. 22, 2025.
Iowa State Cyclones’ women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly reacts from bench during the second quarter against Baylor in the Big-12 women’s basketball on Jan. 4, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
A new AP poll wasn’t released last week due to the holiday break.
The season kicked off with the Cyclones rolling to 14 straight wins and matching the best start in school history by the 2013-14 squad.
Iowa State improved to 14-0 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 Conference play with a win at Houston Dec. 31, 2025. But the Cyclones couldn’t top the historic run, falling to No. 21 Baylor, 72-70 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Jan 4.
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Even with the first loss, the season has been a success for Iowa State, which is 14-1 on the campaign including 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play.
Associated Press women’s basketball rankings
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: See where Iowa State women’s basketball ranks in latest AP poll
