Big Ten ties record with nine teams
in AP Top 25 women's basketball poll; UConn, Texas still 1-2
[December 09, 2025]
By DOUG FEINBERG
The Big Ten matched The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball
record with nine ranked teams as Nebraska entered at No. 24 on
Monday.
The conference set the mark last year on Dec. 2 and this week has
three teams in the top 10 alone.
UConn still is No. 1, receiving 23 first-place votes from a national
media panel. Texas garnered the other nine votes to remain second.
The top 10 was unchanged this week. South Carolina and UCLA stayed
third and fourth with LSU and Michigan next. Maryland was seventh
after rallying to beat Minnesota in double overtime Sunday.
TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the first 10. The Cyclones
play in-state rival No. 11 Iowa on Wednesday.
Other Big Ten teams in the poll include No. 16 USC, No. 20
Washington, No. 21 Ohio State and No. 25 Michigan State. The
Cornhuskers are ranked for the second consecutive season after
starting 9-0.
“I’ve been honored to be a part of this league for the last 13
seasons, working on year 14, where I’ve watched the league just get
better and better,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “And then
when you have that type of improvement, and then add the four West
Coast teams that are tremendous as well, I just think it added
another top four teams to an already great league.”
Tennessee's milestone ranking
The 18th-ranked Lady Vols appeared in the poll for the 800th time in
the 50-year history of the rankings. Tennessee had a stretch of
being in the Top 25 for 565 straight weeks, a record later surpassed
by UConn.
[to top of second column] |
UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) looks to shoot as DePaul guard Kate
Novik (33) defends in the second half of an NCAA college basketball
game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Conference supremacy
The Big Ten took over the top spot with nine teams while the
Southeastern Conference was next with eight. The Big 12 has four and
the Atlantic Coast Conference has three. The Big East has one.
Struggling ACC
The ACC had a rough week, going 3-13 against the SEC in the
conference challenge. The ACC saw its run of having at least one top
10 team in every poll end earlier this season after 453 consecutive
weeks.
Games of the week
No. 1 UConn at No. 16 Southern California, Saturday. The Huskies
head across the country for one of the few ranked games left on
their schedule. The two teams have met a few times over the last
couple of seasons, including in the NCAA Tournament regional final
in 2024 and 2025. UConn won both of those matchups while the Trojans
were victorious in Connecticut during a regular-season game.
No. 2 Texas vs No. 13 Baylor, Sunday. The two former Big 12 rivals
will tip-off in the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational in
Fort Worth, Texas. The game will be played at the site of one of the
two regionals for the NCAA Tournament.
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