Unstoppable Gamecocks: South Carolina Finishes Season as Unanimous No. 1 in Final AP Poll
The national champion Gamecocks were first in the first-ever Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll, which was issued following the NCAA Tournament, adding yet another first to their incredible season.
After defeating Iowa 87-75 on Sunday to win their second championship in three years, the Gamecocks were given all 35 first-place votes by a panel of national media on Monday. With the exception of the preseason poll, when the team was ranked sixth, South Carolina has finished the season unbeaten every week this year, finishing at 38-0 to become only the 10th team in history to do so.
This is the first time the AP has released its final poll following the NCAA Tournament in the 47-year history of the women’s Top 25. This year, the final poll was announced on the eve of the event, following Selection Sunday.
At No. 2, Iowa was the unanimous choice, marking the Hawkeyes’ best performance since they placed second in the 1988 final poll. UConn and North Carolina State, both Final Four participants, came in third and fourth, respectively. Since 1994, the Huskies have finished in the top 10 of the final poll each year. Since 2007, they have finished in the top six every season.
This year, North Carolina State reached a high of three rankings after entering the season unranked. With each team rising seven spots, the Huskies and Wolfpack saw the largest increases in the final rankings.
USC finished fifth, securing their highest finish at the end of the season since the Trojans were third in 1986. This was the team’s first ranking in the final poll since 2014.
Stanford and UCLA completed the top 10, followed by LSU, Texas, and Oregon State, all of which advanced to the Elite Eight.
IN AND OUT
Duke, West Virginia and Iowa State all made the Top 25 after strong showings in the NCAA tourney.
The Blue Devils nearly defeated UConn in the Sweet 16 then defeated Ohio State, the No. 2 seed, in the second round. In the second round, the Mountaineers were defeated by Iowa, which pushed Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes to their absolute limit at home. Stanford defeated the Cyclones in overtime during the second round.
UNLV, Fairfield and Louisville all fell out of the rankings after losses in the first round.
CONFERENCE SUPREMACY
In the Pac-12’s last season in its current configuration, seven teams qualified for the tournament, with five of them making it to the Sweet 16. Six teams—including USC, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, and 15th-ranked Colorado and 22nd-ranked Utah—are included in the season-ending Top 25.
Six teams from the Big 12 were included in the rankings. The Big Ten had three teams and the ACC had five, in order of precedence. Gonzaga was in the West Coast Conference, whereas the SEC and Big East each had two.
Here’s the full top 25:
1. South Carolina
2. Iowa
3. UConn
4. North Carolina State
5. USC
6. LSU
7. Texas
8. Oregon State
9. Stanford
10. UCLA
11. Notre Dame
12. Indiana
13. Baylor
14. Gonzaga
15. Colorado
16. Ohio State
17. Duke
18. Virginia Tech
19. Kansas State
20. Syracuse
21. Oklahoma
22. Utah
23. Creighton
24. West Virginia
25. Iowa State