The updated AP Top 25 women’s collegiate basketball standings have been released.
Significant shifts characterized the initial 2026 rankings, as the LSU Tigers, Maryland Terrapins, and Iowa State Cyclones each recorded their initial defeats of the current season. Further turbulence in the standings was caused by the teams previously holding positions 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, all of whom experienced losses within the past ninety-six hours.
Following a consecutive loss on Sunday, LSU plummeted seven places to secure the twelfth position.
The Kentucky Wildcats (advancing five positions), Vanderbilt Commodores (also gaining five spots), and Louisville Cardinals (climbing three positions) all ascended to enter the elite top ten.
What implications do these developments hold for the AP Top 25? We shall now analyze the placements.
Data compiled from ESPN Research and The Associated Press.
All listed times are Eastern.
Prior position in standings: 1
Season standing for 2025-26: 15-0
Key statistic: The Huskies are experiencing their most successful beginning to a season since the 2017-18 campaign, when they achieved a 36-0 record before being defeated in the Final Four.
Upcoming match: Wednesday vs. St. John’s, 7:30 p.m., truTV
1:17
UConn Huskies vs. Providence Friars: Game Highlights
UConn Huskies vs. Providence Friars: Game Highlights
Prior position in standings: 2
Season standing for 2025-26: 17-0
Key statistic: Madison Booker has achieved at least 20 points in five out of her most recent seven games.
Upcoming match: Thursday vs. Auburn, 8 p.m., SEC Network Plus
2:01
Madison Booker highlights key players behind Texas’ dominance
After a 67-64 win over Ole Miss, Booker explains how her teammates’ contributions free her to score and help the No. 2 Longhorns challenge opponents defensively.
Prior position in standings: 3
Season standing for 2025-26: 15-1
Key statistic: The Gamecocks’ second-highest scorer, the injured Ta’Niya Latson, was absent for her second consecutive match on Sunday. South Carolina recorded a season-high 21 turnovers during their 74-63 triumph over Florida.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network Plus
1:23
Raven Johnson praises Gamecocks fight through adversity vs. UF
Johnson breaks down No. 3 South Carolina’s balanced contributions through challenges and explains how she limited Florida’s Liv McGill with her defensive approach.
Prior position in standings: 4
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-1
Key statistic: Five individuals are achieving double-digit scoring averages for the Bruins: Lauren Betts (16.3 PPG), Kiki Rice (15.3), Gianna Kneepkens (14.3), Gabriela Jaquez (14.1), and Angela Dugalic (10.3).
Upcoming match: Sunday at Nebraska, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network
Prior position in standings: 8
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-1
Key statistic: The Sooners’ current 13-game victorious streak represents the second-longest in the program’s history.
Upcoming match: Thursday vs. Ole Miss, 7 p.m., SEC Network Plus
Prior position in standings: 11
Season standing for 2025-26: 15-1
Key statistic: After inflicting LSU’s first defeat on January 1st, the Wildcats secured an eighth consecutive victory by overcoming Missouri on Sunday.
Upcoming match:Thursday at Alabama, 7 p.m., SEC Network Plus
2:31
Teonni Key on Kentucky’s mentality vs. LSU: ‘We’re a good team too’
After posting 17 points and 16 rebounds in a road win over LSU, Key explains how the Wildcats’ effort and style of play fueled the victory.
Prior position in standings: 12
Season standing for 2025-26: 15-0
Key statistic: Mikayla Blakes contributed 32 points on Sunday as the Commodores defeated LSU 65-61, marking coach Shea Ralph’s inaugural victory against a top-5 ranked program.
Upcoming match: Thursday vs. Missouri, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network Plus
Prior position in standings: 7
Season standing for 2025-26: 15-1
Key statistic: Oluchi Okananwa achieved a personal-best 34 points in an 82-67 win over Indiana on Sunday, as Maryland recovered from their season’s initial loss.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Rutgers, 7 p.m., Big Ten Plus
Prior position in standings: 6
Season standing for 2025-26: 11-2
Key statistic: The Wolverines experienced their first defeat of the season, a 64-52 loss to Washington, on January 1st. Their shooting percentage in that game was 33%.
Upcoming match: Monday vs. Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Prior position in standings: 13
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-3
Key statistic: The Cardinals have registered seven consecutive victories since their loss to South Carolina during the ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Miami, 3 p.m., ACC Extra
Prior position in standings: 10
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-1
Key statistic: After five consecutive matches with at least 30 points, Audi Crooks concluded with 26 — notably only four in the latter half — on Sunday as the Cyclones suffered a home defeat to Baylor. Jada Williams (28 points) was the sole other Iowa State player to reach double figures in scoring.
Upcoming match: ESPN+
Prior position in standings: 5
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-2
Key statistic: The Tigers surpassed 100 points in 11 of their initial 14 contests — all of which were wins — before suffering back-to-back defeats, first to then-No. 11 Kentucky on January 1st and then to then-No. 12 Vanderbilt on Sunday. LSU managed only 61 points in Nashville.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Georgia, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network Plus
1:08
Kim Mulkey pleads to refs after late missed call dooms LSU
Kim Mulkey voices her displeasure to an official after Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes appears to step out of bounds late in the game.
Prior position in standings: 8
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-1
Key statistic: The Horned Frogs experienced their initial loss of the season on Saturday, an 87-77 overtime defeat to Utah. Olivia Miles contributed 31 points in the loss.
Upcoming match: Wednesday vs. Oklahoma State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Prior position in standings: 14
Season standing for 2025-26: 12-2
Key statistic: Iowa defeated then-No. 20 Nebraska to improve their Big Ten record to 3-0, a standing surpassed only by UCLA (4-0).
Upcoming match: Monday at Northwestern, 8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Prior position in standings: 24
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-1
Key statistic: The Spartans ended Illinois’ 11-game winning streak on Sunday with an 81-75 victory.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Washington, 9 p.m., Big Ten Plus
Prior position in standings: 22
Season standing for 2025-26: 13-3
Key statistic: The Bears overcame previously undefeated and then-No. 10 Iowa State on Sunday, securing a victory against the Cyclones in Ames.
Upcoming match: Thursday vs. Colorado, 8 p.m., ESPN+
0:28
Taliah Scott hits game winner for Baylor over Audi Crooks
Taliah Scott hits a game-winning shot as time winds down as No. 22 Baylor beats No. 10 Iowa State in Ames.
Prior position in standings: 21
Season standing for 2025-26: 16-0
Key statistic: The Lady Raiders, currently the sole undefeated team in the Big 12, are scheduled to compete against West Virginia, the only other team maintaining an unbeaten record in conference play, this week.
Upcoming match: Wednesday at West Virginia. UCF, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Prior position in standings: 15
Season standing for 2025-26: 14-3
Key statistic: Despite performing competitively against Texas — Cotie McMahon tallied 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter — the Rebels were defeated by the nation’s second-ranked team by a margin of three points on Sunday.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Oklahoma, 7 p.m., SEC Network Plus
Prior position in standings: 19
Season standing for 2025-26: 13-2
Key statistic: The Buckeyes have claimed victory in 11 of their last 12 contests, with their sole defeat occurring against UCLA.
Upcoming match: Wednesday at Illinois, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network Plus
Prior position in standings: 23
Season standing for 2025-26: 10-3
Key statistic: The Lady Vols committed a season-high 25 turnovers during Sunday’s 17-point triumph over Auburn.
Upcoming match: Thursday at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network Plus
Prior position in standings: 17
Season standing for 2025-26: 10-4
Key statistic: Freshman Jazzy Davidson leads the Trojans — who suffered a significant loss at UCLA on Saturday — in scoring, averaging 16.3 PPG.
Upcoming match: Tuesday vs. Oregon, 10 p.m., Big Ten Plus
Prior position in standings: 16
Season standing for 2025-26: 13-4
Key statistic: The Tar Heels were defeated in overtime by Stanford on Sunday, having shot 3-for-11 from the field in the fourth quarter and 1-for-5 during the additional period.
Upcoming match: Sunday at Notre Dame, 1 p.m., ESPN
Prior position in standings: NR
Season standing for 2025-26: 12-2
Key statistic: The Huskies re-enter the poll as Notre Dame drops out.
Upcoming match: Thursday vs. Michigan State, 9 p.m., Big Ten Plus
Prior position in standings: 25
Season standing for 2025-26: 13-1
Key statistic: Princeton has secured 11 consecutive wins. Their sole defeat occurred on November 16th against then-No. 9 Maryland.
Upcoming match: Saturday at Yale, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Prior position in standings:20
Season standing for 2025-26: 13-2
Key statistic: The Cornhuskers experienced back-to-back Big Ten losses (to USC and Iowa) before defeating Purdue on Sunday.
Upcoming match: Thursday vs. Indiana, 8 p.m., Big Ten Plus
