Women's College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 updated following Week 5 of play

It’s now firmly in December, and things are heating up around the country. As they heat up, the AP Poll got back to work, updating the AP Top 25 rankings following Week 5 of play.

This comes after a week where nobody in the AP Top 10 lost a game. Still, there is plenty of room for movement as voters continue to get a better idea of who each team is, and several added wins in impressive fashion.

With all of that in mind, here’s a look at how the AP Top 25 worked out following Week 5 of play. It’s bound to offer unique insight into where every team stands this season.

1. UConn

The UConn Huskies continued their unbeaten season last week, dominating USF and later DePaul. That win over DePaul was a conference game too. So, it’s no surprise the Huskies remain ranked at the top of the AP Poll.

UConn will only have one game next week. It’s an interesting test, though. They’ll travel cross country to take on USC in Los Angeles.

2. Texas

Texas added another game against AP-ranked North Carolina last week. That went along with a blowout over Prairie View to keep the Longhorns unbeaten and at the top of the rankings.

Next week, non-conference play is going to continue for the Longhorns. That includes an interesting game against Baylor next Sunday. A former conference foe, now Baylor would love to pull off a major upset and they’re capable of it too.

3. South Carolina

South Carolina was looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Texas last week. It wasn’t easy, though, and the Gamecocks would need to survive a tight battle against a good Louisville team. Add a blowout against NC Central and it was a good week.

Still incredibly well regarded by the AP Poll, South Carolina is in a position to build on that success. Next week, that’s going to come in the form of a pair of non-conference games. First, against USF and later FGCU.

4. UCLA

UCLA only played one game since the previous AP Poll came out. That ended up being a comfortable win against Oregon to open Big Ten play up nicely. It also made for a third win in a row since losing to Texas.

It’s a light schedule this next week for UCLA. In fact, the Bruins won’t have another game between now and the next AP Poll. In fact, it’s just two more non-conference games against mid-majors until after Christmas.

5. LSU

The LSU Tigers stayed unbeaten last week, adding a pair of wins against Duke and New Orleans respectively. That was enough to keep the AP voters happy and the Tigers are still one of the top teams in the country.

There’s just one game this upcoming week for LSU, against Louisiana Tech. The Tigers are still a few weeks away from January 1st, when SEC play tips off for LSU.

6. Michigan

Michigan added a pair of wins last week to remain one of the top-ranked teams in the country, according to the AP Poll. That included Central Michigan in the non-conference slate before tipping off Big Ten action against Purdue. That turned out to be a blowout win for the Wolverines.

It’s back to non-conference action for Michigan this week. The Wolverines have one game, on Saturday, against Michigan.

7. Maryland

The Maryland Terrapins played and won a pair of games last week to remain among the top-ranked teams in the AP Poll. That included opening Big Ten play with a major scare against Minnesota, which Maryland was only able to survive by going into overtime. 

The Terrapins only have one game next week. That’s going to be against Delaware State in non-conference play.

8. TCU

TCU kept rolling last week with a pair of non-conference blowout wins. That included beating a pair of in-state teams, Incarnate Word and UTEP.

This next week, TCU will keep the train of non-conference games rolling. The Horned Frogs are set to play Jacksonville next week. It’s their only game before the next AP rankings come out.

9. Oklahoma

Next up in the AP rankings is Oklahoma. The Sooners have continued to be one of the best offenses in the country, adding wins against NC State and UMES in the past week. That win against NC State was a close call, though, going into overtime.

The Sooners see a pair of interesting non-conference games next week, first against Little Rock and later Oklahoma State. That rivalry game with Oklahoma State will be a particularly tough battle.

10. Iowa State

Iowa State would remain unbeaten last week, knocking off Northern Illinois in a blowout during non-conference play. With that, the Cyclones maintained their spot in the AP Top 10.

Next week, Iowa State is gonna see a couple of in-state opponents. First, they’ll have a massive rivalry game against Iowa. After that, Northern Iowa is going to take its shot to knock off the Cyclones.

11. Iowa
12. North Carolina
13. Baylor
14. Vanderbilt
15. Kentucky
16. USC
17. Ole Miss
18. Tennessee
19. Notre Dame
20. Washington
21. Ohio State
22. Louisville
23. Oklahoma State
24. Nebraska
25. Michigan State

Others receiving votes: Princeton 31, Texas Tech 24, Georgia 12, Alabama 11, NC State 8, Oregon 3, Stanford 1, Illinois 1, West Virginia 1.