Michigan Reaches All-Time High No. 2 Rank After Beating UConn

Michigan holds the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll released Monday, marking the highest regular-season ranking in school history. The Wolverines secured the jump after a 77-66 victory over UConn, a team that had been unbeaten in the regular season since February 2025.

UConn settled at No. 4 following the loss. Geno Auriemma’s squad responded quickly on Sunday, defeating Iowa 91-79. Sarah Strong, the 2026 National Player of the Year, led the Huskies with a career-high 39 points. Iowa retained its No. 10 position, though it now shares that rank with UCLA.

USC remains at No. 3 after a 2-0 start. The Trojans received one of the 33 first-place votes. JuJu Watkins, the 2025 National Player of the Year, returned from ACL surgery that sidelined her for all of last season. In her first two games, Watkins averages 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per contest. She shoots 46.3% from the field while playing 26 minutes per game.

South Carolina took the remaining 32 first-place votes. The Gamecocks opened their season with a 101-93 win over Maryland in Paris on Monday. They followed that with an 84-39 rout of North Carolina on Sunday in Charlotte at the Ally Tipoff.

Maryland moved up one spot to No. 19 despite the loss in Paris. The Terrapins’ second-half performance earned them the climb from their previous No. 20 ranking. North Carolina dropped 11 spots to No. 23 after falling to Oklahoma in its season opener and then losing to South Carolina. Oklahoma climbed seven places to reach No. 14.

Teams outside the Top 25 received votes in the poll. Baylor led the unranked group with 39 points. NC State followed with 35. Arizona State and Virginia each earned 18 points. Kansas had eight, Michigan State three, and Fairfield and Colorado two apiece. Tennessee and Princeton received one point each.