Where AP voters ranked South Carolina women's basketball this week

On Monday, the updated AP top 25 came out. Following a 1-0 week (the Gamecocks didn’t play their second game until Monday night, a win over Texas A&M), South Carolina women’s basketball occupied the No. 3 spot in the rankings behind the UConn Huskies and UCLA Bruins.

South Carolina did not earn a first-place vote because UConn holds the top spot unanimously.

31 AP voters (one normal voter was not included this week) placed Dawn Staley’s team in their overall top four. Every ballot that listed South Carolina at No. 3 had UConn at No. 1 and UCLA at No. 2. Though not always at No. 2, UCLA was ahead of USC on all 31 ballots, too. Both Texas and LSU popped up in front of Carolina on multiple ballots.

26 voters ranked South Carolina No. 3. Of the five voters who listed the Gamecocks at No. 4 this week, three listed UCLA at No. 2, while two put Texas just behind UConn. Two No. 4 voters listed UCLA at No. 3, two ranked LSU in the spot, and one placed Texas there.

South Carolina was this week’s No. 1 team in the SEC. The Gamecocks were listed as such on 26 ballots. According to three voters, Texas was the highest-rated SEC squad. Two times, that honor went to the LSU Tigers. In total, the Gamecocks picked up 26 No. 1 SEC rankings and five No. 2 SEC rankings.

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26 voters listed South Carolina at No. 3, five slotted the Gamecocks in at No. 4, and one did not submit a ballot.

Below are the South Carolina rankings from the five total voters who put the Gamecocks somewhere other than No. 3.

No. 4: Cassandra Negley (Yahoo Sports; Syracuse, New York)
No. 4: Jeff Linder (Cedar Rapids Gazette; Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
No. 4: Mitchell Northam (WUNC; Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
No. 4: Percy Allen (Seattle Times; Seattle, Washington)
No. 4: Robert Cessna (Bryan-College Station Eagle; College Station, Texas)

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In an incredible statistical and voting oddity, 2025-2026 has been the first season since 2018-2019 that South Carolina has not yet made it to No. 1. USC has not been outside the top seven since the preseason poll ahead of the 2019-2020 season.

Because of a scheduling shift, Dawn Staley and company will take the floor three times between this week’s AP poll and next week’s. One of those games, a road contest against Texas A&M, happened on Monday night, and the Gamecocks won handily. The other two represent a return home to Colonial Life Arena. Carolina will play three games in seven days.

On Thursday, February 5th, South Carolina and Mississippi State will meet in the “Play 4 Kay” Game in Columbia. That contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. SEC Network will carry that broadcast, while the ESPN app streams the action.

Rounding out the busy week, USC will host the Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Sunday, February 8th. The SEC rivalry will start at 3:00 p.m. ABC will produce the national television broadcast, while the ESPN app and ESPN+ make it available via streaming. Tennessee enters the week ranked 19th overall and holds a 14-5 (6-1) record.

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