SEC sets record with 10 ranked teams, a 1st in 50-year history of women’s AP Top 25; UConn, UCLA 1-2

NEW YORK (AP) — The Southeastern Conference set a record with 10 teams in The Associated Press women’s Top 25 basketball poll released Monday.

Georgia entered at No. 23 after its win over then-No. 11 Kentucky to give the conference the most teams ever in a single week in the 50-year history of the poll. Last season, the SEC had 10 teams in the men’s Top 25 for a few weeks.

UConn remained the unanimous No. 1 choice from the 31-member national media panel. The Huskies are the lone undefeated team left in women’s college basketball. They have won 37 straight games dating to last season. UCLA moved up to No. 2 after South Carolina lost in overtime to Oklahoma, which jumped six spots to No. 10.

The Gamecocks fell to third, leading a quartet of SEC squads. Texas was fourth, Vanderbilt fifth and LSU sixth. The Commodores suffered their first loss of the season, falling at South Carolina on Sunday.

Louisville and Iowa were seventh and eighth. Michigan dropped two spots to ninth after losing to the Commodores in the Coretta Scott King Classic last week.

Ranked Georgia

The Lady Bulldogs are in the Top 25 for the first time since 2022. They started the season 14-0 in non-conference play for the first time in 16 years and already own victories over No. 17 Ole Miss and No. 18 Kentucky. The team was a staple in the Top 25 for years under former coach Andy Landers. Georgia replaced Nebraska, which fell out of the poll.

Leading the way

The four teams that played in the Women’s Champions Classic at Barclays Center in December haven’t lost a conference game yet. No. 15 Tennessee leads the SEC, Iowa is atop the Big Ten, Louisville is in front of the ACC and UConn tops the Big East. The four are a combined 35-0 in league play through Sunday.

Conference supremacy

After the SEC’s 10 ranked teams, the Big Ten is next with seven. The Big 12 has four teams in the Top 25. The Atlantic Coast Conference has two while the Big East and Ivy League each have one.

Games of the week

No. 15 Tennessee at No. 1 UConn, Sunday. The Lady Vols will try and spoil the Huskies’ undefeated season when the two teams get together. This will likely be the final ranked opponent that UConn will face before the NCAA Tournament.

No. 8 Iowa at No. 2 UCLA, Sunday. First place in the Big Ten will be on the line when the Hawkeyes visit the Bruins. UCLA has won 13 consecutive games since its lone loss of the season to Texas. Iowa has won eight consecutive games since a loss to UConn in late December.

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