South Carolina remains atop the AP Top 25 poll after the first week of the 2024-25 women's college basketball season, and this time they are there unanimously. Dawn Staley's team not only took care of business against a talented NC State team on Sunday, but they also got more dangerous with the return of Ashlyn Watkins.
Watkins, a 6-foot-3 forward, returned to the team last week after a judge dismissed the first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping charges she had been facing. South Carolina's roster was already deep, but her return gives the Gamecocks another experienced leader. She averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and a team-best 2.4 blocks per game last season.
The big question for Staley's team right now is Chloe Kitts, who missed Sunday's game because she is dealing with an academic policy issue.
No. 2 UConn is not fully healthy yet, but the Huskies are 2-0 after lopsided wins over Boston University and South Florida. Paige Bueckers is as talented as ever, but freshman Sarah Strong has also shown she can be a powerful weapon for the Huskies, as she's averaging 15 points a game on the young season.
Meanwhile, the two Los Angeles teams opened their season against ranked opponents in Paris and proved why they started the season ranked so high.
USC survived an upset scare against then-No. 20 Ole Miss on Nov. 4 to remain No. 3, as the Trojans pulled off a 68-66 win with Kiki Iriafen making some clutch free throws and defensive plays late in the game. She and JuJu Watkins are already proving to be a lethal duo. The team also has a not-so secret weapon with freshman Kennedy Smith. USC followed that win with a 90-35 domination of Cal Poly on Saturday.
No. 5 UCLA got the job done with a 66-59 win against a ranked Louisville squad last Monday behind 18 points, 13 rebounds and five assists from Lauren Betts. The Bruins are 2-0 after an 81-63 win over Colgate on Sunday.
Stanford started the season unranked for the first time since 1999, but it only took Kate Paye one week to get the Cardinal back in the spotlight as they entered the poll this week at No. 24. The Cardinal opened the season with a 107-43 victory over Le Moyne then crushed Washington State and Gonzaga.
Another team joining the top 25 this week is Oregon, the team that upset then-No. 12 Baylor, 76-74, on Sunday. It's still early in the season, but former North Carolina star Deja Kelly is already proving to be a game-changing addition for the Ducks. That win snapped the Ducks' 14-game losing streak to ranked opponents.
AP Women's Basketball Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Prev. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | 2-0 | 775 | 1 |
| 2 | UConn | 2-0 | 733 | 2 |
| 3 | USC | 2-0 | 703 | 3 |
| 4 | Texas | 1-0 | 665 | 4 |
| 5 | UCLA | 2-0 | 650 | 5 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 2-0 | 648 | 6 |
| 7 | LSU | 2-0 | 575 | 7 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 3-0 | 552 | 8 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 2-0 | 515 | 10 |
| 10 | Kansas State | 2-0 | 451 | 13 |
| 11 | Maryland | 3-0 | 442 | 18 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 1-0 | 404 | 14 |
| 13 | North Carolina State | 1-1 | 402 | 9 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 2-0 | 333 | 15 |
| 15 | West Virginia | 2-0 | 329 | 16 |
| 16 | Duke | 2-1 | 294 | 11 |
| 17 | Baylor | 1-1 | 209 | 12 |
| 18 | Louisville | 1-1 | 207 | 17 |
| 19 | Ole Miss | 1-1 | 198 | 20 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 2-0 | 170 | 22 |
| 21 | Nebraska | 2-0 | 125 | 23 |
| 22 | Alabama | 3-0 | 104 | 24 |
| 23 | Illinois | 2-0 | 100 | NR |
| 24 | Stanford | 3-0 | 98 | NR |
| 25 | Oregon | 3-0 | 84 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Iowa 60, TCU 55, Florida State 42, Michigan 36, Utah 32, Michigan State 18, Vanderbilt 13, Fairfield 11, South Dakota State 9, Mississippi State 7, Arizona 6, Creighton 5, Tennessee 3, Harvard 3, Indiana 3, Middle Tennessee 3, Miami 2