Women’s college basketball rankings: South Carolina is No. 1 ahead of UConn, Stanford in preseason AP Top 25

It has been simply over six month since Stanford overcame South Carolina in an exciting Remaining 4 matchup en path to its third NCAA championship. The Gamecocks, nevertheless, grabbed the primary win of the 2022 season — on paper, that’s.

South Carolina is No. 1 within the AP Prime 25 preseason ladies’s basketball ballot for a second consecutive season whereas Stanford ranked third. UConn, which has captured a staggering 11 NCAA championships, sandwiched between them at No. 2. The nationwide media panel of voters gave South Carolina 14 first place nods whereas UConn and Stanford earned 10 and 5, respectively. 

After claiming an SEC Championship final season, the Gamecocks might be poised for a nationwide title as they return all 5 starters and their high two reserves in Laeticia Amihere and LeLe Grissett. Coach Daybreak Staley signed a seven-year, $22.4 million contract extension final week, crystallizing these expectations in Columbia, South Carolina.

Stanford misplaced guard Kiana Williams — the crew’s chief in factors, assists and steals a season in the past —  to the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, nevertheless it has a greater than succesful substitute in Haley Jones. Jones shot a team-leading 54.6% in 2020-21 and ranked second in scoring and assists. When it mattered most, within the Remaining 4 and NCAA Championship, Jones confirmed no worry of the second by main the Cardinal with 24 and 17 factors, respectively. 

Arizona took the largest stumble within the preseason ballot. Regardless of coming some extent shy of Stanford in final yr’s NCAA Championship, the Wildcats are ranked twenty second heading into the 2021-22 marketing campaign. The Wildcats misplaced two starters, however forwards Cate Reese and Sam Thomas return to solidify the frontcourt. 

No. 10 Oregon joins Stanford from the Pac-12 within the top-10 a yr after ending second to the Cardinal within the convention. The Kelly Graves-led Geese, which misplaced to Louisville in final season’s Candy 16, have now ranked within the AP preseason top-10 for a fourth straight season. 

Indiana comes into the 2021-2022 marketing campaign with important momentum and continuity. The Hoosiers are coming off an Elite Eight look and rank a program-record eighth within the AP’s preseason ballot. All 5 starters return for Indiana, serving to coach Teri Moren’s quest for a seventh straight 20-win season. 

A Huge Ten foe of Indiana’s has additionally made a historic stand up the AP’s preseason ballot, as Michigan tied its highest rank ever at No. 11. Coach Kim Barnes Arico’s Wolverines lose two starters from final season’s Candy 16  squad, however Naz Hillmon is again after ending because the convention’s second-leading scorer. 

No. 4 Maryland, No. 9 Iowa and No. 17 Ohio State be part of Indiana and Michigan from the Huge Ten within the Prime 25. The Pac-12 has No. 14 Oregon State and No. 20 UCLA to go together with Stanford, Oregon and Arizona. No. 5 NC State, No. 6 Louisville, No. 16 Florida State, No. 17 Georgia Tech and No. 24 Virginia Tech symbolize the ACC. 

Ladies’s preseason AP Prime 25 

Others receiving votes: Georgia 65, Michigan State 63, Florida Gulf Coast 43, Missouri State 18, South Dakota 13, BYU 11, LSU 10, Arkansas 10, Washington State 9, Notre Dame 8, Oklahoma State 8, DePaul 6, Belmont 5, Oklahoma 3, South Dakota State 1, Mississippi 1.