It’s mid-January. If you haven't been paying attention to the women’s basketball AP poll lately, you’ve basically missed a total controlled explosion of the status quo. Seriously. The poll released this week (the week of January 12-18, 2026) is a mess in the best way possible.
UConn is back at the top. Like, unanimously back. After a week where four of the top ten teams decided to lose at the same time, the Huskies are sitting pretty with all 32 first-place votes. It’s the first time they’ve been the undisputed No. 1 this season. Meanwhile, everyone else is playing musical chairs with their dignity.
The Chaos at the Top
Let’s talk about South Carolina. Dawn Staley’s squad just jumped up to No. 2. They’ve got a 18-1 record after edging out Texas 68-65 on January 15. That game was a heavyweight fight, honestly. Texas was No. 2, but that loss—combined with a literal mugging by LSU earlier in the week—pushed the Longhorns down to No. 4.
UCLA is the sneaky one here. They’re No. 3 now. They quietly went into Nebraska and Minnesota and handled business. While everyone is screaming about the SEC, the Bruins are just out there shooting over 50% from the field as a team. It’s clinical. It’s boringly good.
The SEC is Actually Ridiculous
The SEC has nine teams in the Top 25. Nine. That is nearly 40% of the entire poll. Look at the jump LSU just made. They were down at No. 12 after dropping their first two conference games. Then they go and beat Texas. Boom. They’re back at No. 6.
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Vanderbilt is the story nobody expected. They are No. 5. They are undefeated. Think about that for a second. The last time the Commodores were ranked this high, most of the current roster was probably in diapers—it was 2002. They haven’t played the "gauntlet" part of the SEC schedule yet, but 17-0 is 17-0.
Mid-Season Risers and the "In and Out" Club
If you’re looking for a team that's basically a roller coaster, it’s Iowa State. They won 14 straight, looked like world-beaters, and then just... hit a wall. Three straight losses. They plummeted nine spots down to No. 19. It’s brutal.
On the flip side, we’ve got some new faces (or returning ones) in the women’s basketball AP poll this week:
- Alabama (No. 21): Only one loss all year, and that was to South Carolina. They finally got the respect they were hunting for after beating Kentucky.
- Notre Dame (No. 23): They actually fell out of the poll entirely for a minute there, snapping an 85-week streak. But they clawed back in after some "soul-searching" wins.
- Princeton (No. 22): The Ivy League isn't a joke. They’ve climbed to their highest ranking since 2020.
Why the Poll is Different in 2026
The "parity" people have been talking about for years is actually here. It used to be that you could pencil in the top four and go to sleep until March. Not anymore. When TCU—yes, the Horned Frogs—jumps into the Top 10 (No. 10 this week), you know the landscape has shifted.
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The Big Ten and the SEC are essentially in an arms race. While the SEC has nine teams ranked, the Big Ten has eight. Maryland and Ohio State are flickering in and out of that elite top-tier conversation, but the depth is insane. You have teams like Michigan (No. 8) and Louisville (No. 9) who could easily be Final Four contenders, yet they’re fighting just to stay in the single digits of the poll.
Realities of the Rankings
We have to acknowledge that the AP poll is a beauty contest. It’s humans voting. If you look at the NET rankings (the math-heavy version the NCAA uses for the tournament), it looks a bit different. South Carolina is No. 3 in the NET, while the AP voters have them at No. 2.
Why does that matter? Because the poll creates the "narrative," but the NET creates the "bracket." If you're a fan, you want the high AP rank for the hype, but you need the NET rank for the home-court advantage in March.
What to Watch Next
The schedule coming up is a minefield. South Carolina has to deal with a surging Oklahoma and then a showdown with No. 5 Vanderbilt on January 25. That game is going to be the "truth-teller" for Vandy. Are they actually a top-five team, or have they just had a friendly schedule?
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UCLA is also heading into a meat-grinder. They have Maryland, Iowa, and Michigan all coming up in a three-week span. By the time the February polls roll around, this Top 25 is going to look completely different again.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the NET vs. AP: Don’t just rely on the women’s basketball AP poll. Go look at the NCAA NET rankings to see which teams are actually efficient versus just "popular."
- Watch the "Bubble" Games: Keep an eye on the No. 20 to No. 30 range. Teams like Illinois and Nebraska are one upset away from becoming permanent fixtures in the Top 25.
- Follow the Freshmen: Keep an eye on Jaloni Cambridge at Ohio State. She just dropped 41 on Illinois. The voters notice individual dominance, and she’s single-handedly keeping the Buckeyes in the Top 15.
The bottom line? Don't get too attached to the numbers next to these team names. In this season, a No. 2 ranking is basically a giant "kick me" sign for the rest of the conference.