See where South Carolina women’s basketball ranks in first AP Top 25
South Carolina is ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press preseason women’s basketball Top 25 poll that was released Tuesday.
The Gamecocks are ranked behind UConn (No. 1) and ahead of UCLA, Texas and LSU. The Gamecocks received four first-place votes, with the Huskies landing the other 27.
This is just the second time in the last six seasons the Gamecocks aren’t ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll. Dawn Staley’s squad was ranked No. 6 in the preseason poll before their national title run in the 2023-24 season but has been ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll in each season since (except for this year).
South Carolina won its ninth SEC tournament championship in program history last season. It was also the Gamecocks’ third-straight SEC tournament title.
South Carolina was 35-4 a year ago with a loss to UConn in the national championship game.
The Gamecocks were picked to finish first in the SEC this year by the media on Monday.
South Carolina begins its season on Nov. 3 against Grand Canyon, but will play two exhibition games against Anderson (Oct. 24) and UNC (Oct. 30) before the regular season begins.
Associated Press WBB preseason Top 25
First-place votes in parentheses.
- 1. UConn (27)
- 2. South Carolina (4)
- 3. UCLA
- 4. Texas
- 5. LSU
- 6. Oklahoma
- 7. Duke
- 8. Tennessee
- 9. NC State
- 10. Maryland
- 11. UNC
- 12. Ole Miss
- 13. Michigan
- 14. Iowa State
- 15. Notre Dame
- 16. Baylor
- 17. TCU
- 18. Southern Cal
- 19. Vanderbilt
- 20. Louisville
- 21. Iowa
- 22. Oklahoma State
- 23. Michigan State
- T-24. Kentucky
- T-24. Richmond
Others receiving votes: Washington 79, Ohio St. 46, West Virginia 17, Princeton 17, Minnesota 15, Kansas St 15, Kansas 7, Stanford 3, South Dakota St. 3, Illinois 2, Nebraska 2, Columbia 2.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 12:03 PM.
