Women’s college basketball rankings, Week 14: South Carolina asserts dominance

All eyes were on South Carolina as they took down UConn, but there were plenty of other notable moves in this week’s women’s college basketball rankings.

In one of the biggest games of the year, South Carolina reminded everyone why they’ve been number one for 33 consecutive weeks. Sunday’s showdown with UConn pushed the reigning champs to their limit, but the Gamecocks continued their winning ways, defeating the Huskies 81-77. The win further solidified South Carolina’s case as the best team in the nation, and they were once again the unanimous number one in this week’s poll.

A new team occupies the two spot, though, as Indiana climbed two spots. The Hoosiers have won ten straight, but have a difficult stretch ahead. Number five Iowa comes to Bloomington on Thursday, then the Hoosiers head to Columbus to face number 13 Ohio State next Monday.

LSU remained perfect, winning three close games this week. The Tigers will have all week to prepare for their battle against South Carolina on Sunday.

UConn moved up to number four despite their loss, and Iowa rounds out the top five.

Stanford fell out of the top five for the first time this season after a loss to Washington. Utah and Maryland held firm at seven and eight, respectively. The Terrapins picked up a big win over Ohio State on Sunday.

Duke made the biggest upward move this week, vaulting into the top 10 for the first time. The Blue Devils took down Notre Dame in South Bend on Sunday and moved up seven spots. The Fighting Irish dropped one spot to number 10 following the loss.

Virginia Tech got back to their winning ways this week and moved up two spots to 11. The Hokies’ next five games are against ranked ACC opponents.

Michigan jumped six spots to number 12 after a pair of wins against Illinois and Michigan State. Ohio State’s loss to Maryland, their fourth in five games, dropped them three spots to number 13. North Carolina also fell three spots after their loss to Louisville.

Villanova, Oklahoma, and Arizona all moved up significantly this week. Arizona had the biggest win of the three, taking down then-number 14 UCLA, who dropped to 18 after the loss.

Florida State continued their climb, jumping four spots to number 19. Texas returned to the top 20 after a close win over Kansas.

Iowa State had the week’s largest drop, plummeting nine spots after losses to Kansas State and Baylor. NC State dropped seven spots to 22 after their loss to Georgia Tech. Gonzaga also took a tumble, dropping six spots after a loss to Santa Clara.

South Florida and Colorado round out the rankings. The Buffaloes returned to the poll after falling out last week.

Full women’s college basketball rankings, Week 14

1. South Carolina (23-0) (PREV: 1)
2. Indiana (22-1) (PREV: 4)
3. LSU (23-0) (PREV: 3)
4. UConn (21-3) (PREV: 5)
5. Iowa (19-4) (PREV: 6)
6. Stanford (22-3) (PREV: 2)
7. Utah (20-2) (PREV: 7)
8. Maryland (19-5) (PREV: 8)
9. Duke (20-3) (PREV: 16)
10. Notre Dame (18-4) (PREV: 9)
11. Virginia Tech (18-4) (PREV: 13)
12. Michigan (19-5) (PREV: 18)
13. Ohio State (20-4) (PREV: 10)
14. North Carolina (17-6) (PREV: 11)
15. Villanova (20-4) (PREV: 19)
16. Oklahoma (18-4) (PREV: 20)
17. Arizona (18-5) (PREV: 22)
18. UCLA (18-6) (PREV: 14)
19. Florida State (20-5) (PREV: 23)
20. Texas (18-6) (PREV: 24)
21. Iowa State (15-6) (PREV: 12)
22. North Carolina State (16-6) (PREV: 15)
23. Gonzaga (22-3) (PREV: 17)
24. South Florida (22-4) (PREV: 25)
25. Colorado (18-5) (PREV: NR)

Others receiving votes

Baylor 29, Illinois 18, UNLV 14, Tennessee 13, USC 8, Middle Tennessee 8, Florida Gulf Coast 2, Louisville 2, Cleveland State 1