There is still plenty of season left to play, but it seems as though the top four teams in the country have been solidified. Despite two losses, one to South Carolina and another to LSU, Texas still remains part of the elusive club thanks to its previous wins and difficult schedule. UConn, South Carolina and UCLA remain in the top three, with the Huskies owning the No. 1 spot thanks to their perfect record.
The rest of the poll, however, continues to change dramatically week to week because of a never-ending stream of upsets. Here’s how I voted in this week’s AP Poll, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
2. South Carolina (2)
Dropped out: Iowa State (18), Washington (25)
Almost famous: West Virginia, Villanova, NC State, Fairfield, Minnesota, Richmond, South Dakota State, North Carolina, USC, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Alabama
Notes on the votes:
Vanderbilt: The Commodores are making history as one of the only two undefeated teams left in the country. Coach Shea Ralph joins her former coach, Geno Auriemma, and the UConn Huskies with a perfect record. The 18-0 Commodores are led by sensational sophomore Mikayla Blakes, who is averaging 25.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. Vanderbilt already defeated a top-10 LSU squad, but the Commodores have an even bigger test coming up on Monday as they take on Syla Swords and Michigan. That will be followed by contests with seven ranked SEC opponents to close out the regular season.
LSU: The Tigers opened SEC play with back to back losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt, but have since rebounded. They handed Texas its first loss of the season and then defeated Oklahoma by 19 points. Any concerns about the Tigers are gone. Mikaylah Williams and Flau’jae Johnson continue to be one of the country’s best shot-creating duos, with Johnson averaging 14.5 points per game and Williams contributing 13.3. The SEC is tough, but the Tigers have a chance to finish near the top.
Princeton: The Ivy League’s top team continues to climb in my rankings because of consistency. The Tigers perform night in and night out, which is impressive no matter the conference. Led by senior guard Madison St. Rose and her 17 points per game, the Tigers boast a balanced attack with five double-digit scorers. Princeton still has to play Harvard and Columbia – the Ivy’s other consistent squads – but I expect them to earn their conference’s automatic bid this season.
Oklahoma State: The Cowgirls played close with TCU last week before falling 69-61. They’ve had potential all season, but hadn’t been able to get a big win. That changed Sunday, as Oklahoma State defeated Iowa State 86-58 behind a triple-double from junior forward Stailee Heard (18 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists). But even more impressive was the defensive play of junior forward Achol Akot, who held Iowa State’s star center Audi Crooks to just 15 points — well below her average of 27.6 per game.
Georgia: Like the Cowgirls, Georgia has been knocking on the door of the top 25 all season. An 82-59 win over Ole Miss finally gets the Bulldogs in at No. 25. Sophomore guard Dani Carnegie, who transferred in from Georgia Tech, has been instrumental to Georgia’s success this season. She leads her team in both points (17.5 per game) and rebounds (5.8). She had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists against Ole Miss.
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