UConn is back at number one. Honestly, if you’ve been watching the 2025-2026 season unfold, that shouldn’t surprise you, even with Paige Bueckers now rocking a Dallas Wings jersey in the WNBA. But looking at the latest women’s top 25 basketball polls right now feels a bit like looking at a weather map in the middle of a hurricane. Everything is shifting.
You’ve got the Huskies sitting pretty with a unanimous 17-0 record, yet just below them, the SEC is basically a weekly demolition derby.
The Chaos at the Top
The AP Poll and the WBCA Coaches Poll dropped their Week 11 updates recently, and the big takeaway isn't just who’s winning. It’s who’s surviving.
Texas was rolling. They were 18-0 and looked untouchable until they ran into Kim Mulkey’s LSU squad last Sunday. LSU didn't just win; they sent a message that jumping six spots to No. 6 in the rankings was earned. That 70-65 victory over the Longhorns effectively handed UConn the "unanimous" crown, but let’s be real—rankings in January are mostly just placeholders for the March Madness bracket reveal.
South Carolina is sitting at No. 2, and they’re playing a style of basketball that feels exhausting just to watch. Dawn Staley has Chloe Kitts playing like an All-American, and they just added Ta’Niya Latson, who spent last year leading the nation in scoring at Florida State. Imagine having the best defense in the country and then adding the best pure scorer. It’s almost unfair.
Current AP Top 10 (As of Mid-January 2026)
- 1. UConn (17-0): Unanimous for a reason. Sarah Strong is a sophomore problem for every other coach.
- 2. South Carolina (17-1): Their only blemish is a narrow loss, and they’ve since looked like a buzzsaw.
- 3. UCLA (15-1): Lauren Betts is 6’7” and currently leads the nation in "shots altered."
- 4. Texas (18-1): Madison Booker is still the best player on the floor most nights, even after the LSU loss.
- 5. Vanderbilt (17-0): The biggest surprise of the year. Nobody—and I mean nobody—expected the Commodores to be undefeated this late.
- 6. LSU (16-2): Flau’jae Johnson is having a career year, and the Tigers are peaking at the right time.
- 7. Kentucky (16-2): Kenny Brooks has turned this program around in record time.
- 8. Michigan (14-2): Syla Swords is the real deal as a sophomore.
- 9. Louisville (16-3): Jeff Walz just finds ways to stay in the Top 10 every single year.
- 10. TCU (16-1): Olivia Miles is finally healthy, and it shows.
Why Some Teams Are Falling Fast
It's rough out there for the West Coast. USC was a lock for the top five until JuJu Watkins had to sit out the season to rehab her ACL. Without her, the Trojans have struggled to find an identity, recently dropping out of the women’s top 25 basketball rankings entirely for the first time in over a year. It’s a reminder of how fragile these "super-teams" can be when the injury bug bites.
💡 You might also like: Why Isn't Mbappe Playing Today: The Real Madrid Crisis Explained
Then there's Iowa. People thought life after Caitlin Clark would be a total rebuild. It hasn't been. Hannah Stuelke has taken a massive leap, but the Big Ten is a gauntlet this year. They’re sitting at No. 11 (AP) / No. 13 (Coaches), and their upcoming schedule is essentially a "who's who" of ranked opponents. If they come out of February with fewer than three losses, they're Final Four material.
Maryland and Oklahoma also took massive tumbles this week. The Sooners dropped eight spots to No. 13 after getting swept in a two-game week. In the SEC, you can't have a "bad Wednesday" and expect the voters to be kind.
The Mid-Major Reality Check
We have to talk about the teams that don't get the ESPN "College GameDay" treatment.
Dordt (Iowa) is currently the No. 1 team in the NAIA rankings with a 16-1 record. Gracie Schoonhoven is shooting 63% from the field. I don't care what level you play at; 63% is absurd. In Division II, Grand Valley State is still the gold standard, sitting at 12-0.
But back in the D1 spotlight, keep an eye on Illinois and Nebraska. Both programs are hovering around that No. 24 or No. 25 spot. Illinois’ Berry Wallace is a sophomore who can score from basically anywhere on the court. They’re the kind of teams that end up ruining a No. 2 seed's weekend in the second round of the tournament.
📖 Related: Tottenham vs FC Barcelona: Why This Matchup Still Matters in 2026
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rankings
People love to argue about whether No. 4 is better than No. 6.
Honestly? It doesn't matter.
The women’s top 25 basketball landscape in 2026 is driven by the transfer portal more than high school recruiting. Look at TCU. They’re a Top 10 team because they’ve mastered the portal. Look at South Carolina. They stayed elite by snagging the best available talent from other Power Five schools.
The nuance that gets lost is chemistry. A team like Vanderbilt, which is still undefeated, doesn't have the same "star power" as LSU, but they play like they’ve known each other since kindergarten. That’s why they’re 17-0 while more "talented" rosters are sitting with three or four losses.
Watch the "Bubble" Teams
If you're looking for value or just want to be the smartest person in your friend group, watch these teams receiving votes:
👉 See also: Buddy Hield Sacramento Kings: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
- Southern California: If they can find a second scoring option, they’ll be back in the Top 25 by February.
- North Carolina: They’ve had a brutal stretch, but the talent is there.
- Texas Tech: They were 18-0 before a recent slip-up. They’re much better than "unranked" suggests.
Moving Forward
The next few weeks are going to be a bloodbath. We have LSU vs. South Carolina coming up in February, and the Big Ten has a four-way tie for second place that needs to be settled.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, stop looking at the wins and losses and start looking at the "points per possession" stats. Teams like UCLA and UConn are significantly more efficient than the rest of the field. They aren't just winning; they're dominating the math of the game.
Check the schedule for Thursday night games—that's usually when the biggest upsets happen in the women's game. Pay attention to the health of the frontcourts in the SEC, specifically South Carolina and Oklahoma. The team that stays healthy in the paint will likely be the one lifting the trophy in April.
Stay updated on the weekly AP Poll movements every Monday at noon ET, as that’s when the narrative for the week officially shifts. If Vanderbilt beats another ranked opponent this week, expect them to jump into the Top 3.