UCLA Tops AP Women’s Basketball Poll Amid Wildfire Disruptions

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team maintained its No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Monday, despite disruptions caused by wildfires in Southern California. The Bruins, who received 29 of 31 first-place votes, are one of three undefeated teams in Division I women’s basketball.

UCLA (17-0) extended its winning streak with an 83-49 victory over Purdue last week, led by a 17-point performance from Charisma Osborne. However, the team faces uncertainty as Northwestern postponed its scheduled trip to Los Angeles due to safety concerns surrounding the wildfires. The Bruins’ next game is set for Jan. 15 against Penn State.

South Carolina (16-1) held steady at No. 2 after securing double-digit wins against Texas A&M and Texas last week. The Gamecocks face a challenging stretch, with their next four games against ranked opponents, including No. 13 Alabama and No. 10 Oklahoma.

Notre Dame (15-2) remained at No. 3, riding a nine-game winning streak that includes recent victories over Wake Forest and Clemson. The Fighting Irish face a tough test Thursday against No. 19 Georgia Tech before hosting SMU on Sunday.

LSU (17-0) moved up one spot to No. 5 after a thrilling 89-87 victory over Tennessee. Angel Reese starred with 23 points and 21 rebounds in the win. The Tigers continue SEC play this week with games against Vanderbilt and Florida.

Minnesota (16-1) entered the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2019, earning the No. 24 spot. The Golden Gophers’ only loss came against South Carolina last month. They face No. 8 Maryland on Tuesday in a key Big Ten matchup.

Oklahoma State (14-2) also returned to the rankings at No. 24 after defeating then-No. 17 Baylor on Saturday. The Cowgirls face a challenging week with road games at Kansas State and Kansas before hosting No. 10 TCU on Jan. 22.

The SEC leads all conferences with seven ranked teams, followed by the Big Ten and ACC with six each. The Big 12 has five ranked teams, while the Big East has one.

Key matchups this week include No. 23 Utah at No. 10 TCU on Friday and No. 13 Alabama at No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday. TCU (17-1) looks to maintain its strong start in Big 12 play, while South Carolina continues its gauntlet of ranked opponents.

As conference play intensifies, the AP Top 25 continues to see significant movement. Iowa and Michigan dropped out of the rankings this week after suffering multiple losses, while Baylor jumped six spots to No. 18 following wins over ranked opponents.