AP Top 25: South Carolina ranked No. 1 in women’s preseason poll

South Carolina is beginning the season the place it completed off final yr — ranked No. 1 within the AP Prime 25 girls’s school basketball ballot.

The Gamecocks acquired 27 of the 30 first-place votes within the preseason rankings from a nationwide media panel Tuesday. South Carolina returns 4 starters from the nationwide championship workforce that went undefeated final yr, capping off the historic season over Caitlin Clark and Iowa within the title sport.

UConn is No. 2, USC is No. 3 and Texas and UCLA spherical out the highest 5.

South Carolina has been No. 1 within the preseason ballot 4 of the previous 5 years. Final season, they began sixth within the preseason earlier than shifting as much as No. 1 for the rest of the yr.

“We knew we’d have a goal on our backs this season because the reigning champions and this preseason rating simply confirms that,” South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley instructed the AP. “We recognize the popularity, however I do know our teaching workers and our workforce are extra targeted on what we see within the fitness center each day. And that’s each participant working extraordinarily exhausting to get higher individually and as a workforce.”

UConn acquired two first-place votes. The Huskies have been ranked within the high 10 within the preseason ballot for 30 straight years now. Geno Auriemma’s workforce went by main harm points final yr however the Huskies look to be wholesome for probably the most half to start out this season.

Third-ranked USC is led by phenomenal sophomore guard JuJu Watkins and the workforce added two gifted transfers in Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen. The Trojans, who acquired the opposite first place vote, have their highest rating within the preseason for the reason that 1982 and 1983 squads had been No. 1 within the opening ballot each years.

Texas welcomes again Rori Harmon, who was sidelined for many of final season with an ACL harm. She and Madison Booker give the Longhorns a stable 1-2 punch on offense. UCLA added its personal stable group of transfers to a robust workforce with Charlisse Leger-Walker and Timea Gardiner becoming a member of Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice.

Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa State, North Carolina State and Oklahoma rounded out the primary 10 groups within the ballot. It’s the second time in three seasons that the Cyclones have began this excessive within the preseason ballot. The Sooners haven’t been ranked this excessive within the inaugural ballot of the season since 2010 once they had been additionally tenth.

Welcome again

No. 24 Alabama is making its first look within the rankings for the reason that remaining ballot of 1999. The Crimson Tide haven’t been within the preseason ballot since 1998 (No. 9). The workforce has appeared in consecutive NCAA tournaments behind stars Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye.

“We’re very grateful for the point out, however wish to deal with every day,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry mentioned. “We’re excited this season concerning the group and the way in which we completed final season.”

Finish of an period

Stanford is unranked within the preseason for the primary time since 1999. Corridor of Fame Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer retired in April and was changed by longtime assistant Kate Paye. It had been the second-longest energetic preseason streak behind solely UConn.

Convention supremacy

New convention additions Texas and Oklahoma give the SEC seven groups within the Prime 25. Becoming a member of them are South Carolina, LSU, No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 22 Kentucky and Alabama. The ACC and Large Ten every have six ranked groups, although Iowa — the nationwide runner-up the final two years — is unranked because the Hawkeyes prepare for a season with out Caitlin Clark, now within the WNBA. The Large 12 has 4 groups within the Prime 25 whereas UConn and Creighton give the Large East two.

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