Notre Dame has seized the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll after UCLA’s shocking 71-60 loss to rival USC. This marks the Fighting Irish’s first time atop the rankings since January 2019, signaling a potential shift in the NCAA Tournament landscape. 'We’re honored, but focused on daily improvement,' coach Niele Ivey told reporters as her team prepared to face No. 11 Duke.
Texas made the week’s boldest statement, rising to No. 2 after accomplishing what no team has since 2004-05: defeating three consecutive top-10 opponents (South Carolina, Kentucky, LSU). With eight first-place votes, the Longhorns are now prime contenders for a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.
‘It’s been 19 years since any program pulled off what Texas just did,’ ESPN analysts noted during Sunday’s broadcast.
Key developments reshaping the rankings:
- UCLA tumbles to No. 3 after 12 weeks at the summit
- USC jumps to No. 4, UConn vaults to No. 5 after crushing South Carolina
- North Carolina (+3 to No. 9) achieves highest rank in three years
Conference power dynamics intensified as SEC leads with seven ranked teams. The NCAA selection committee’s Sunday reveal positioned UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, and Notre Dame as current No. 1 seeds – though South Carolina’s 87-58 loss to UConn occurred after the announcement.
With four weeks until March Madness, critical ACC and Big 12 matchups loom:
No. 1 Notre Dame visits No. 13 NC State on Sunday, seeking to extend their two-game conference lead. Meanwhile, No. 10 TCU clashes with No. 17 West Virginia in a pivotal Big 12 showdown. These games could dramatically alter both conference standings and final Tournament seeding.
