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South Carolina women's basketball holding strong to top three AP poll ranking

Screenshotby: Kevin Miller12 hours agokevinmillerGC

South Carolina women’s basketball played just once over the past week, but the Gamecocks made it count with a 40-point win against Penn State at Colonial Life Arena. Despite being shorthanded with just eight available players, USC easily moved to 10-1 on the 2025-2026 season.

Following the exam week victory, the Associated Press released its top 25 rankings for week seven. With Carolina handling business last week, the Gamecocks again ranked third nationally. Like the last couple of weeks, Dawn Staley’s team trails the UConn Huskies and the Texas Longhorns.

Once again, South Carolina did not receive a first-place vote. UConn remained at No. 1 and now carries 24 first-place votes, while the Texas Longhorns are No. 2. Vic Schaefer’s group also earned eight first-place nods.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!

You can check out the entire AP top 25 below (overall first-place votes in parentheses):

  1. UConn Huskies (24)
  2. Texas Longhorns (8)
  3. South Carolina Gamecocks
  4. UCLA Bruins
  5. LSU Tigers
  6. Michigan Wolverines
  7. Maryland Terrapins
  8. Oklahoma Sooners
  9. TCU Horned Frogs
  10. Iowa State Cyclones
  11. Iowa Hawkeyes
  12. Kentucky Wildcats
  13. Vanderbilt Commodores
  14. Ole Miss Rebels
  15. Baylor Bears
  16. Louisville Cardinals
  17. Tennessee Lady Volunteers
  18. North Carolina Tar Heels
  19. Southern Cal Trojans
  20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  21. Ohio State Buckeyes
  22. Washington Huskies
  23. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  24. Michigan State Spartans
  25. Princeton Tigers

Also receiving votes: Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, NC State Wolfpack, Arizona State Sun Devils, Illinois Fighting Illini

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South Carolina has not been below seventh in the AP poll at any point since the preseason poll ahead of the 2019-2020 season. The Gamecocks finished that year as the No. 1 team in the country before the Covid-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament.

The Gamecocks’ current No. 3 spot is also second in the SEC, behind Texas. USC is one of eight total Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the top 25.

The 2025-2026 South Carolina women’s basketball schedule includes games against 10 currently ranked opponents.

The Gamecocks have already beaten the Southern Cal Trojans (No. 19), lost to the Texas Longhorns (No. 2), and beaten Louisville (No. 16). USC also has upcoming games on the schedule against the Texas Longhorns (No. 2), Oklahoma Sooners (No. 8), Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 13), Tennessee Lady Volunteers (No. 17), LSU Tigers (No. 5), Ole Miss Rebels (No. 14), and Kentucky Wildcats (No. 12). They will face the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs in SEC play, teams in the “also receiving votes” portion of the poll.

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This week, South Carolina will play a pair of games in the Sunshine State.

First, on Thursday, the Gamecocks will face off with the South Florida Bulls in Tampa. The 7:00 p.m. showdown will broadcast on ESPN2 and stream on the ESPN app. South Carolina and South Florida have met twice in the last three seasons, with Dawn Staley’s team winning both games, including in the 2022-2023 NCAA Tournament.

Then, on Saturday, Carolina will be in Fort Myers for a matchup against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Traditional television will not carry the contest, but ESPN+ will make it available via streaming. USC hasn’t met up with FGCU since the Gamecocks’ win in the 2012-2013 Paradis Jam in the Virgin Islands.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!