UConn women’s basketball maintains No. 1 ranking in first regular-season AP Top 25 poll

After its 2-0 start to 2025-26, the UConn women’s basketball team remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll after the first week of the regular season.

The Huskies earned 30 of a possible 32 first-place votes — more than they had in the preseason poll — while No. 2 South Carolina received the other two. UConn opened the season on a 79-66 win over Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic at the U.S. Naval Academy last Tuesday, then routed Florida State 99-67 at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday. Louisville fell two spots from the preseason poll to No. 22 with its loss to the Huskies.

The entire preseason top six maintained their positions in the Week 1 poll, but there were several major shakeups further down the rankings. Tennessee, the only preseason top 10 team on UConn’s schedule, fell from No. 8 to No. 12 after losing 80-77 to NC State last Tuesday, then narrowly escaping a 72-61 battle with UT Martin on Sunday. NC State also slid down a spots to No. 10 despite its win over the Lady Vols thanks to a 69-68 loss to USC on Sunday. The Trojans, who entered the season ranked No. 18 with superstar JuJu Watkins out for the year, jumped into the top 10 at No. 8 after Week 1.

Baylor also leapt from No. 16 into the top 10 at No. 7 after beating Duke 58-52 in its season opener. The Blue Devils dropped eight spots to No. 15.

Ohio State was the first team out of the poll receiving 27 votes, so UConn won’t get a ranked matchup when it hosts the Buckeyes at PeoplesBank Arena this Sunday. The Huskies’ next top 25 game is slated to be against No. 14 Michigan in the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov. 21, and the team will also take on USC and No. 21 Iowa later in December.

AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll: Week 1

1. UConn
2. South Carolina
3. UCLA
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Oklahoma
7. Baylor
8. USC
9. Maryland
10. NC State
11. North Carolina
12. Tennessee
13. Ole Miss
14. Michigan
15. Duke
16. Iowa State
17. TCU
18. Notre Dame
19. Vanderbilt
20. Oklahoma State
21. Iowa
22. Louisville
23. Kentucky
24. Michigan State
25. Washington

How UConn reporter Emily Adams voted in AP Top 25

1. UConn
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. UCLA
5. LSU
6. Baylor
7. Oklahoma
8. Ole Miss
9. USC
10. NC State
11. Maryland
12. Iowa State
13. North Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Duke
16. Tennessee
17. Notre Dame
18. Michigan State
19. TCU
20. Oklahoma State
21. Louisville
22. Iowa
23. Ohio State
24. Kentucky
25. Richmond