Everyone is staring at the number next to the name, but honestly, the number is usually a week behind the reality. If you’ve been tracking womens college basketball rankings this January, you know the AP Top 25 is currently a chaotic mess of SEC dominance and Big East perfection.
UConn is back. It’s almost boring how good they look. As of mid-January 2026, the Huskies are the unanimous No. 1, sitting at a flawless 18-0 record. They aren't just winning; they are vaporizing opponents by nearly 47 points per game. Sarah Strong is playing like a seasoned pro instead of a freshman, and Paige Bueckers—well, she's doing Paige Bueckers things.
But look past the "1" for a second. The real story is the absolute street fight happening in the SEC.
The SEC’s Hostile Takeover of the Top 10
The Southeastern Conference currently has nine teams in the Top 25. That ties a record. It’s basically an invitational at this point.
South Carolina just climbed to No. 2, but it wasn't a clean ride. They have that one loss on the resume, yet they still feel like the most dangerous team in the country because of their depth. Dawn Staley has managed to keep the Gamecocks' engine humming even after losing some legendary pieces to the WNBA last year.
Then you have the Longhorns. Texas was cruising at No. 2 until LSU decided to remind everyone why Kim Mulkey has all those rings. LSU handed Texas their first loss of the season in a 70-65 grinder that felt more like a March Elite Eight game than a regular-season matchup.
- Vanderbilt (18-0): Still undefeated. Still sort of flying under the radar despite being ranked No. 5. This is their highest ranking since 2002.
- Kentucky: Sitting at No. 7 but recently took a punch to the gut from unranked Alabama.
- LSU: Jumped six spots to No. 6 after the Texas win.
It’s a revolving door. One bad night in Knoxville or Baton Rouge and your ranking evaporates.
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Why the NET Rankings Tell a Different Story
If you want to know who the committee actually likes, you look at the NET. It’s less about "who did you beat" and more about "how badly did you hurt them and where did it happen."
Right now, the NET rankings have Michigan and Arizona lurking in spots that the AP voters haven't quite caught up to yet. Michigan, sitting at No. 8 in the AP but significantly higher in efficiency metrics, is the team nobody wants to play in the tournament.
Texas is actually chasing UConn in the NET because their strength of schedule is absurd. They’ve played UCLA and South Carolina already. Compare that to a team like TCU, who started 11-0 but played nine of those games against "Quad 4" teams (basically the bottom tier of D1). The AP poll rewarded the 11-0 record, but the NET saw right through it.
The JuJu Watkins Factor
We have to talk about USC. It’s weird seeing them outside the top 15, isn't it?
The Trojans had been ranked in 51 consecutive polls before dropping out recently. Losing JuJu Watkins to that ACL injury during the tournament last year changed everything. She’s the most dynamic player in the country when healthy, but without her, USC is struggling to find a secondary identity. They have Jasmine Davidson coming in, and Kennedy Smith is a bucket, but the "womens college basketball rankings" don't care about "what if." They care about "what now," and right now, the Trojans are fighting just to stay relevant in the Big Ten.
The Big Ten/SEC Power Struggle
For the first time in a long time, the Big Ten is actually matching the SEC's depth. Earlier this month, they also had nine teams ranked.
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UCLA is the standard-bearer there at No. 3. They dominated USC 80-46 in the crosstown rivalry, which was basically a statement win to tell the world that Los Angeles belongs to the Bruins this year. But watch out for Maryland and Ohio State. They’ve been sliding up and down the 10-15 range like a yo-yo.
Maryland actually fell out of the top 10 for the first time this season after a rough week, but their "Quad 1" win count is still among the best in the nation.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rankings
Fans get obsessed with the "Chg" column—the little plus or minus next to a team's name. It’s mostly noise.
The real indicator of a team's ceiling is their performance against the "Quad 1" bracket. For example, Iowa State started 14-0 and everyone thought they were a Final Four lock. Then they dropped three straight. They plummeted nine spots to No. 20.
Was Iowa State ever actually the 11th best team in the country? Probably not. They just hadn't been tested. The rankings are a lagging indicator of talent but a leading indicator of momentum.
Mid-Major Sleepers to Watch
Don’t ignore Princeton. They’re sitting at No. 22 and just keep winning. They don't have the 6'7" centers that South Carolina has, but they play a style of basketball that is an absolute nightmare to scout in a one-and-done tournament format.
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Then there’s South Dakota State and Florida Gulf Coast. They aren't in the Top 25 right now, but they’re receiving votes. These are the teams that ruin brackets.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Season
If you're trying to figure out who is actually "real" in the womens college basketball rankings, stop looking at the record and start looking at the following three things:
- Road Wins: Winning at home is easy in this sport. If a team like Vanderbilt can win at Michigan on Monday, they are officially a title contender.
- Turnover Margin: UConn and South Carolina lead the nation here. If you don't value the ball, you won't survive the second weekend of March.
- The "Sarah Strong" Effect: Watch how teams integrate freshmen. The teams that are peaking right now are the ones who aren't relying solely on 5th-year seniors.
Keep an eye on the January 19th matchup between UConn and Notre Dame. It’s a measuring stick for the Irish, who just re-entered the poll at No. 23. If they keep it within 10, they’re a top-15 team in disguise.
Check the NET rankings every Monday morning rather than waiting for the AP poll. The math usually knows more than the voters do about who is actually going to be standing in the Final Four. Don't get married to the numbers you see on the screen today; by next Sunday, half of them will be wrong.
Stop betting on the names on the front of the jersey and start looking at the strength of the schedule. That’s where the real rankings live.
Next Steps for Your Scouting:
- Monitor the NET Quad 1 wins specifically for teams in the 15-25 range to find your upset specials.
- Watch the injury reports for USC; any update on a JuJu Watkins return timeline will instantly shift the betting lines for the Big Ten tournament.
- Track the SEC/Big Ten head-to-head records to determine which conference will likely secure more #1 and #2 seeds in the NCAA tournament.