Women’s Basketball Preseason Rankings 2026: AP Top 25 and Opening Day Games

The women’s basketball preseason rankings are set, and the games finally count. The 2026-27 AP preseason Top 25, released Oct. 20, put South Carolina at No. 1 ahead of UConn and Southern California. Opening day is Monday, Nov. 2, and several ranked teams tip off right away, including two in Paris.

Quick summary

• No. 1: South Carolina, with 23 of 31 first-place votes, edged No. 2 UConn (six) and No. 3 USC (two).
• Big Ten depth: The conference has nine ranked teams, the most ever for one league in the AP preseason poll, per NCAA.com.
• Opening day in Paris: No. 1 South Carolina meets No. 20 Maryland and No. 12 North Carolina meets No. 21 Oklahoma at Adidas Arena.
• Defending champion: UCLA, which won its first national title last season, opens at No. 11.

Women’s Basketball Preseason Rankings: The AP Top 25

Here is the full AP preseason poll as published by NCAA.com. Points are in parentheses.

1. South Carolina (764, 23 first-place votes)
2. UConn (746, 6)
3. Southern California (668, 2)
4. Duke (647)
5. Michigan (644)
6. Texas (618)
7. Louisville (557)
8. Vanderbilt (536)
9. LSU (512)
10. Iowa (492)
11. UCLA (442)
12. North Carolina (396)
13. Notre Dame (368)
14. Kentucky (325)
15. TCU (301)
16. Washington (272)
17. Minnesota (238)
18. Ohio State (234)
19. Ole Miss (223)
20. Maryland (222)
21. Oklahoma (206)
22. Oklahoma State (202)
23. Illinois (128)
24. West Virginia (73)
25. NC State (51)

Nebraska (47 points), Arizona State (36), Baylor (31) and Virginia (30) led the teams that also received votes.

What the Preseason Poll Tells Us

South Carolina is No. 1 again

The Gamecocks open at No. 1 for the fifth time in seven seasons, according to NCAA.com. The margin is small, though. Only 18 points separate the Gamecocks from UConn, and the Huskies took six first-place votes. Expect the No. 1 spot to be in play once the two meet on Nov. 24 in the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Michigan’s highest preseason ranking

Michigan’s No. 5 spot is the highest preseason ranking in program history, up from No. 13 a year ago. The Wolverines sit just three points behind No. 4 Duke, so the top five is tightly bunched.

The Big Ten’s nine ranked teams

USC, Michigan, Iowa, UCLA, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio State, Maryland and Illinois give the Big Ten nine teams in the Top 25. That is a record for one conference in the women’s basketball preseason rankings. The SEC is close behind with South Carolina, Texas, Vanderbilt, LSU, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Oklahoma in the top 21.

UCLA starts its title defense at No. 11

UCLA won the first national championship in program history last season and begins the new season at No. 11. That is a lower start than many champions get, which says plenty about how much talent changed hands across the sport this offseason.

Opening Day Games: Monday, Nov. 2

Several teams from the women’s basketball preseason rankings play on day one. Times below are Eastern and come from the NCAA.com scoreboard; they can change, so check local listings for TV and streaming.

Paris doubleheader: South Carolina vs. Maryland and North Carolina vs. Oklahoma

The season starts overseas. The 2026 Oui-Play event at Adidas Arena in Paris pairs No. 1 South Carolina with No. 20 Maryland (12 p.m. ET), then No. 12 North Carolina with No. 21 Oklahoma (2:30 p.m. ET). North Carolina’s schedule release notes that the Tar Heels enter year eight under Courtney Banghart after consecutive Sweet 16 trips.

Follow the teams on RallyFuel: South Carolina women’s basketball, Maryland women’s basketball, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for South Carolina vs. Maryland on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for North Carolina vs. Oklahoma on RallyFuel

More ranked teams in action

• Lipscomb vs. No. 8 Vanderbilt, 12 p.m. ET
• Alcorn State vs. No. 19 Ole Miss, 12 p.m. ET
• Lehigh vs. No. 11 UCLA, 2:30 p.m. ET
• No. 3 USC vs. UNLV, 4 p.m. ET
• Cornell vs. No. 2 UConn, 5 p.m. ET
• Harvard vs. No. 17 Minnesota, 6 p.m. ET
• UIC vs. No. 18 Ohio State, 6:30 p.m. ET
• Towson vs. No. 10 Iowa, 8 p.m. ET

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Vanderbilt vs. Lipscomb on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for UCLA vs. Lehigh on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for USC vs. UNLV on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for UConn vs. Cornell on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Minnesota vs. Harvard on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Ohio State vs. UIC on RallyFuel

🗳️ Vote: Make your prediction for Iowa vs. Towson on RallyFuel

School pages: UConn, UCLA, Iowa, USC and Vanderbilt.

South Carolina’s Early Schedule Is a Gauntlet

The No. 1 team will not ease into the season. According to FOX Carolina’s schedule report, the Gamecocks follow the Paris opener with North Carolina in Charlotte on Nov. 8, USC in Greenville on Nov. 15 and UConn in Uncasville on Nov. 24. NCAA.com adds a Dec. 3 trip to Duke. That is four ranked opponents, three of them in the top four, before December is a week old.

For fans tracking the rankings, those games matter most. A split could reshuffle the top five, and a sweep would make South Carolina a clear No. 1 heading into SEC play.

How to Follow the Season

The women’s basketball preseason rankings are only a starting point. The AP poll comes out weekly during the season, so the order above will change quickly. For a broader look at opening week across men’s and women’s basketball, see our college basketball opening night guide and our explainer on when the 2026-27 season starts. Maryland fans can also read our Maryland NIL laws breakdown.

FAQ

Who is No. 1 in the women’s basketball preseason rankings?

South Carolina is No. 1 in the 2026-27 women’s basketball preseason rankings from the AP, with 23 first-place votes. UConn is No. 2 and Southern California is No. 3.

Which conference has the most ranked teams?

The Big Ten has nine ranked teams, the most ever for one conference in the AP preseason poll, according to NCAA.com.

When does the women’s college basketball season start?

Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. South Carolina vs. Maryland and North Carolina vs. Oklahoma open the day in Paris.

Where is defending champion UCLA ranked?

UCLA, which won its first national title last season, is No. 11 in the preseason poll and opens against Lehigh.

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