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JuJu Watkins is out for the season

USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg breaks down who to look out for on the Trojans team with the lack of JuJu Watkins, and players across college basketball.

Sports Seriously

The 2025 preseason women’s college basketball rankings are out, and a familiar name is at the top.

The defending champion Connecticut Huskies took the No. 1 spot in the initial USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released on Thursday, Oct. 23. UConn may have lost Paige Bueckers to the WNBA, but does return Azzi Fudd and other stars as it looks to become the first repeat champion since winning four straight from 2013-16.

REQUIRED READING: Connecticut starts at No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports preseason women’s college basketball poll

However, the path for UConn will once again feature Dawn Staley and South Carolina, which comes in No. 2. The Gamecocks added firepower with Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson, who led the NCAA with 25.2 points per game last season.

Texas, UCLA and LSU round out the preseason five, showing the SEC could be the best conference in women’s college basketball again this season.

Here’s a full look at the top-25 rankings to start the 2025 women’s college basketball season:

Preseason women’s college basketball rankingsUConn (28)South Carolina (3)TexasUCLALSUDukeOklahomaNorth Carolina StateTennesseeMarylandNorth CarolinaTCUNotre DameMississippiMichiganSouthern CaliforniaIowa StateBaylorLouisvilleKentuckyVanderbiltOklahoma StateIowaOhio StateKansas State

Others receiving votes: West Virginia 72; Richmond 67; Michigan State 64; Alabama 40; South Dakota State 19; Florida State 15; Princeton 9; Creighton 9; Washington 8; Indiana 7; Stanford 4; James Madison 4; Nebraska 2; South Florida 1; Minnesota 1; George Mason 1; Fairfield 1; Cal 1.

1. UConn (27)2. South Carolina (4)3. UCLA4. Texas5. LSU6. Oklahoma7. Duke8. Tennessee9. NC State10. Maryland11. North Carolina12. Ole Miss13. Michigan14. Iowa State15. Notre Dame16. Baylor17. TCU18. USC19. Vanderbilt20. Louisville21. Iowa22. Oklahoma State23. Michigan StateT-24. KentuckyT-24. Richmond

Others receiving votes: Washington 79, Ohio St. 46, West Virginia 17, Princeton 17, Minnesota 15, Kansas St 15, Kansas 7, Stanford 3, South Dakota St. 3, Illinois 2, Nebraska 2, Columbia 2.