For the fifth time since 2020, the USC women’s basketball team is the preseason number one in the Associated Press rankings. The Gamecocks received twenty-three first place votes to outpace UConn & Southern California in the poll. Duke and Michigan round out the “Top 5.”
This is the 14th-straight year South Carolina has been ranked in the AP preseason Top 25 poll. USC had been ranked in the preseason poll just five times in program history before Dawn Staley took over the program in 2008.
USC was also picked No. 1 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll released Tuesday. South Carolina received 26 votes in the preseason coaches’ poll with No. 2 UConn receiving six first-place votes.
The Gamecocks will hold one final exhibition on Friday versus Benedict before starting the regular season. South Carolina will open its 2026-27 campaign on Nov. 2 in Paris vs. Maryland.
Clemson received one vote for inclusion in the AP “Top 25.” The Tigers received two votes in the USA Today Coaches’ poll.
AP Top 25 Preseason Poll
- #1–USC
- #2–UConn
- #3–Southern Cal
- #4–Duke
- #5–Michigan
- #6–Texas
- #7–Louisville
- #8–Vanderbilt
- #9–LSU
- #10–Iowa
- #11–UCLA
- #12–North Carolina
- #13–Notre Dame
- #14–Kentucky
- #15–TCU
- #16–Washington
- #17–Minnesota
- #18–Ohio State
- #19–Ole Miss
- #20–Maryland
- #21–Oklahoma
- #22–Oklahoma State
- #23–Illinois
- #24–West Virginia
- #25–NC State
Others Receiving Votes:
Nebraska 47, Arizona State 36, Baylor 31, Virginia 30, Michigan State 16, Kansas 12, Tennessee 9, Alabama 7, Syracuse 5, Villanova 5, Fairfield 2, Oregon 2, Rice 2, Georgia 2, Colorado 2, Virginia Tech 1, Clemson 1.
USA Today Coaches’ Preseason Poll:
- #1–USC
- #2–UConn
- #3–Southern Cal
- #4–Duke
- #5–Michigan
- #6–Texas
- #7–Louisville
- #8–LSU
- #9–Vanderbilt
- #10–Iowa
- #11-North Carolina
- #12–UCLA
- #13–Notre Dame
- #14–Kentucky
- #15–Washington
- #16–TCU
- #17–Maryland
- #18–Minnesota
- #19–Oklahoma State
- #20–Ohio State
- #21–Oklahoma
- #22–Illinois
- #23–Ole Miss
- #24–West Virginia
- #25–NC State
Others Receiving Votes:
Baylor 44; Arizona State 42; Nebraska 40; Tennessee 20; Michigan State 18; Gonzaga 15; South Dakota State 11; Oregon 9; Oregon State 8; Villanova 5; Rice 5; Princeton 4; Texas Tech 3; James Madison 3; Florida 3; Virginia 2; Kansas 2; Fairfield 2; Clemson 2.
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