Texas jumps to No. 2 behind UConn in AP Top 25

Published: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 5:45 pm

Texas Soars to No. 2 in AP Women's Basketball Poll

The University of Texas women's basketball team has surged to the No. 2 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, trailing only UConn. This rise comes after a dominant performance at a Thanksgiving tournament where they defeated two highly-ranked opponents.

Texas secured victories against then-No. 2 South Carolina and then-No. 3 UCLA. The Longhorns edged out South Carolina 66-64 and previously defeated UCLA 76-65. This feat marks the first time in the last quarter-century that a team has defeated two top-3 ranked teams in such a short span. The Longhorns received 10 first-place votes from a national media panel. UConn, which routed Xavier, secured the remaining 22 first-place votes.

South Carolina dropped to third place, followed by UCLA in fourth. LSU maintained its position at fifth. The Tigers have set a new NCAA record by scoring over 100 points in each of their first eight games. This surpasses the previous record of six consecutive games, set by the 1981-82 Louisiana Tech team, where current LSU coach Kim Mulkey played.

Rounding out the top 10 are Michigan, Maryland, TCU, Oklahoma, and Iowa State. Iowa State's Audi Crooks had a standout performance, scoring a school-record 47 points in a win against Indiana. Ohio State entered the poll at No. 23 after a close win over West Virginia, followed by a record-breaking victory over Niagara. NC State fell out of the rankings.

The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference are tied with eight teams each in the Top 25. The Big 12 has five teams ranked, while the Atlantic Coast Conference has three, and the Big East has one.

Upcoming games include the ACC-SEC challenge, featuring several key matchups between the two conferences. Notable games include No. 22 Louisville hosting No. 3 South Carolina, No. 11 North Carolina visiting No. 2 Texas, and No. 13 Ole Miss playing No. 18 Notre Dame.

BNN's Perspective: The AP poll reflects the dynamic nature of women's college basketball. While Texas's rise is impressive, the season is still young. The upcoming ACC-SEC challenge will provide further opportunities for teams to solidify their rankings and demonstrate their strength.

Keywords: Texas Longhorns, UConn Huskies, AP Top 25, Women's Basketball, South Carolina, UCLA, LSU, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Ohio State, Audi Crooks, College Basketball Rankings

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