AP poll reaction: TCU jumps eight spots to No. 9
The new AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll is out.
The TCU Horned Frogs jumped eight spots to No. 9 after beating the then-No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 76-68 last Friday in the Cayman Islands. The Irish fell seven spots to No. 10.
The Duke Blue Devils and Iowa Hawkeyes also each climbed five spots this week.
What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.
Stats courtesy of ESPN Research and The Associated Press.
All times Eastern
Previous ranking: 1
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: Kiki Rice shot 70% from the field (7 of 10), 50% on 3-pointers (2 of 4) and 100% (5 of 5) at the foul line Sunday in the championship game of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown. Rice finished with 21 points.
What’s next: Sunday at Washington, 5 p.m., B1G+
Previous ranking: 2
2024-25 record: 6-0
Stat to know: Paige Bueckers (22.0 PPG) has two games this season of 25-plus points, giving her 25 for her career. That’s the second-most by a UConn player of the last 25 seasons, trailing only Maya Moore (32).
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Previous ranking: 4
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: After losing at UCLA on Nov. 24, the Gamecocks blew out their next two opponents (including then-No. 15 Iowa State) by a combined 88 points.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Duke, 9 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 5
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: The Longhorns ranked No. 1 in Division I scoring margin (42.7) heading into Sunday’s game against West Virginia. The Mountaineers pulled within two points in the final minute before Texas won by five.
What’s next: Thursday at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 7
2024-25 record: 9-0
Stat to know: Aneesah Morrow had 17 points and 11 rebounds Sunday. With her next double-double, she’ll have 83 for her career and tie Aliyah Boston for the eighth-most in Division I history.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Stanford, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 6
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: In Friday’s 104-65 win over Saint Louis, JuJu Watkins (34 points) and Kiki Iriafen (30 points) became the first pair of Division I teammates this season to each have 30 points in the same game.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. California Baptist, 9:30 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 10
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: The Terps are off to their best start since 2018-19, when they started 12-0.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Previous ranking: 13
2024-25 record: 8-1
Stat to know: Defense does it for the Blue Devils, who held Columbia to three field goals in the fourth quarter and its lowest point total (63) and field goal percentage (.375) of the season.
What’s next: Thursday at South Carolina, 9 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 17
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: The Horned Frogs upended then-No. 3 Notre Dame 76-68 on Friday, their first win over an AP top-five opponent since 2008. Sedona Prince became the first player with 20 points and 20 rebounds against an AP top-three opponent since Teaira McCowan in the 2018 national semifinals.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Florida Atlantic, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 3
2024-25 record: 5-2
Stat to know: After winning at USC on Nov. 23, the Irish lost back-to-back games — 76-68 to TCU on Friday and 78-67 to Utah on Saturday — for the first time since Feb. 28-March 4 2021.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Texas, 7 p.m., ESPN
Previous ranking: 8
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: Payton Verhulst had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Wednesday’s 109-99 overtime loss to then-No. 13 Duke to join Caitlin Clark as the only Division I players over the last 25 years with a 25-point triple-double against a ranked opponent. (Clark did it twice.)
What’s next: Wednesday at Louisville, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 11
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: Ajae Petty, who transferred from Kentucky in the offseason, has a combined 41 points and 20 rebounds in her last two games, including her first double-double as a Buckeye.
What’s next: Sunday vs. Illinois, 4 p.m., BTN
Previous ranking: 9
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: The Wildcats have won three games this season by at least 45 points. They had two such games over the previous five seasons combined.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Eastern Illinois, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 14
2024-25 record: 7-0
Stat to know: The Wildcats are 7-0 for the first time since 2019-20, when they started 10-0. Kentucky has won each of its first seven games by 10 points for the first time since 2013-14.
What’s next: Thursday at North Carolina, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 12
2024-25 record: 8-1
Stat to know: After an 8-0 start, the Mountaineers dropped their first game of the season Sunday, 78-73 to then-No. 5 Texas.
What’s next: Friday vs. East Tennessee State, 10:30 a.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 16
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: The Tar Heels’ 119 points in a rout of North Carolina Central on Friday marked their third-most points in a game in program history.
What’s next: Thursday vs. Kentucky, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 22
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: Three players — Lucy Olsen, Addison O’Grady and Hannah Stuelke — have led the Hawkeyes in scoring in the last three games. Last season, someone other than Caitlin Clark led Iowa in scoring in just two of 39 games.
What’s next: Saturday vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m., FOX
Previous ranking: 18
2024-25 record: 5-2
Stat to know: The Rebels’ 65-point victory over Alabama State on Saturday marked the largest margin of victory in program history.
What’s next: Thursday at NC State, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: 23
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: The Crimson Tide are 8-0 for the first time since 2000-21.
What’s next: Monday vs. Georgia State, noon, SECN+
Previous ranking: 15
2024-25 record: 6-2
Stat to know: After a 40-point loss to South Carolina on Thursday, the Cyclones rebounded with a 75-59 win over Middle Tennessee.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. South Carolina Upstate, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 19
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: The Illini won their first six games of the season before Wednesday’s 76-53 loss to then-No. 14 Kentucky. It was a season low for Illinois.
What’s next: Monday at Canisius, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Previous ranking: 24
2024-25 record: 5-2
Stat to know: The Cardinals are 0-2 this season against ranked opponents, but face Oklahoma on Wednesday and UConn on Saturday.
What’s next: Wednesday vs. Oklahoma, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Previous ranking: NR
2024-25 record: 7-1
Stat to know: Freshman Syla Swords leads the Wolverines in scoring at 18.8 PPG.
What’s next: Sunday vs. Northwestern, 2 p.m., B1G+
Previous ranking: NR
2024-25 record: 8-0
Stat to know: The Spartans are 8-0 for the third time in program history, joining the 2012-13 and 2020-21 teams.
What’s next: Sunday vs. DePaul, 2 p.m., B1G+
Previous ranking: 25
2024-25 record: 6-1
Stat to know: Alexis Markowski (15.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG) has three double-doubles in seven games this season.
What’s next: Tuesday vs. Lindenwood, 8 p.m., B1G+
