Women’s Top 25 Rankings: SEC Supremacy, Iowa State's Ceiling

Women’s basketball fans have enjoyed incredible parity over the past few seasons, and while it still exists throughout the game – multiple Division-II wins over D-I programs have proved that – there is clear separation at the top.

At this point in the season it’s UConn, Texas and then a pretty sizable gap. Everyone in the top 10 has a chance at a Final Four, but I can only see the Longhorns or the Huskies winning the ultimate prize.

There’s time for that to change, of course, and the competition among the rest of the top 25 teams has been fun to watch.

Here’s how I voted in this week’s AP Poll, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.

1. UConn (1)

2. Texas (2)

3. UCLA (3)

4. South Carolina (4)

5. Michigan (5)

6. Oklahoma (9)

7. Iowa State (11)

8. TCU (6)

9. LSU (7)

10. Maryland (8)

11. Vanderbilt (12)

12. Louisville (18)

13. Tennessee (13)

14. USC (10)

15. Kentucky (17)

16. Iowa (15)

17. North Carolina (14)

18. Ole Miss (19)

19. Washington (20)

20. Ohio State (21)

21. Princeton (22)

22. Baylor (16)

23. Nebraska (UR)

24. Michigan State (21)

25. Notre Dame (19)

Dropped out: N/A

Almost famous: Texas Tech, Georgia, NC State, West Virginia, Stanford, James Madison, Fairfield, Oklahoma State

Notes on the votes:

UConn: The Huskies made easy work of fellow top-25 squad USC, coming away with a 79-51 victory. As usual, UConn had big offensive games from sophomore forward Sarah Strong and senior guard Azzi Fudd, but freshman forward Blanca Quiñonez also contributed 12 points off the bench. That’s a great sign for the Huskies, as coach Geno Auriemma has been vocal about needing scoring outside of his dynamic duo.

Then there’s the defense. UConn held USC to 30-percent shooting and 21 percent from beyond the arc, while freshman guard Jazzy Davidson was held to 10 points on 3 of 13 shooting. As impressive as UConn is on offense, its defense may be even better.

Texas: The country’s top two teams have something in common: They both play elite defense. Texas has been known for its pressure ever since Vic Schaefer took over in 2020 and this particular group has really embraced his defensive identity. In a lopsided 89-54 win over Baylor on Sunday, the Longhorns forced 30 turnovers, which led to 42 points on the other end.

Texas is disciplined on both sides of the ball. The Longhorns cause chaos on defense, but never let the sloppiness they create seep into the way they run their offense. Against Baylor they only committed seven turnovers, and the Bears scored just two points off those turnovers. That’s been the story all season, as Texas is third in the country in turnover margin.

Oklahoma: The Sooners continue to impress on offense, thanks to a balanced starting five. Center Raegan Beers drives the attack with her 6-foot-4 frame and polished paint footwork, averaging 18.1 points per game, but freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez has established herself as the team’s top scorer. Chavez came into the season as the country’s third-ranked freshman and she has quickly assimilated to college basketball, averaging 18.1 points per game. Meanwhile, the team’s other three starters, Sahara Williams (13.7 points per game), Payton Verhulst (11.3) and Zya Vann (11.3) are also averaging double figures.

All five scored in double figures in a 92-70 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday. If they keep sharing the wealth, the Sooners will continue to be a difficult team to defend.

Iowa State: There’s not a better guard and post duo in the country than Audi Crooks and Jada Williams. The 6-foot-3 Crooks leads the country in scoring with 27.8 points per game while shooting 72.2 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Williams is responsible for passing to Crooks on nearly all of her baskets. She’s perfected the art of the entry pass, averaging 7.2 assists per game. In their win over rival Iowa, Crooks once again put on an offensive show, scoring 30 points, while Williams had a career-high 12 assists.

Louisville: The Cardinals have played a tough schedule over the last two seasons. Despite their youth, coach Jeff Walz scheduled UCLA, Kentucky, Oklahoma and UConn during last season’s nonconference schedule. This year Louisville played UConn, Kentucky and South Carolina before heading into ACC play. The Cardinals lost every one of those games, but showed signs of improvement in every contest, even losing by just 2 to South Carolina on Dec. 4. Now, the willingness to play the country’s best teams is paying off. Louisville upset North Carolina 76-66 in an overtime contest on Sunday, taking their place as the best team in the ACC.

Iowa: Despite the loss to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes don’t move down much in my poll. That’s because Iowa State looks like a Final Four squad and Iowa put up a valiant effort in their 74-69 road loss. Sophomore center Ava Heiden is on her way to stardom, but foul trouble limited her to just 15 minutes, which was a key factor in the game. Meanwhile, sophomore guard Chit-Chat Wright showed why she was brought in via the transfer portal, scoring 21 points.

But Iowa will go where its senior leaders take it. Kyle Feuerbach is one of those players. When it looked like Iowa State was going to run away with the game after building a double-digit lead, it was Feuerbach who rallied her squad. She scored all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter.

The close call is a good sign for the Hawkeyes. If Heiden continues to improve and Iowa’s upperclassmen continue establishing themselves, Iowa will be competitive in a tough Big Ten.

Women’s Top 25 Rankings: SEC Supremacy, Iowa State’s Ceiling

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