BY DOUG FEINBERG
South Carolina remained the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll on Monday, while Washington was ranked for the first time since 2017.
The Gamecocks received all 36 votes from a national media panel after winning their only game last week in a rout. Many teams were finishing off their break for exams and there wasn’t much movement, with the top 10 unchanged from the previous week.
UCLA, North Carolina State, Iowa and Texas followed South Carolina. The second-ranked Bruins face No. 13 Ohio State on Monday night. That’s one of the only meetings between two AP Top 25 teams this week because schools have a short week because of the holidays.
Southern California, LSU, Colorado, Stanford and Baylor were next. The 10th-ranked Bears beat then-No. 24 Miami on Sunday.
The Hurricanes fell out of the Top 25 and were replaced by No. 25 TCU, which made its first appearance in the poll since 2020. Washington also entered at No. 23, the first time it has been ranked since the final poll in 2017. The Huskies’ first game as a ranked team will be at No. 19 Louisville on Wednesday.
UNLV also dropped out of the rankings after losing at Seton Hall on Saturday.
MILESTONE WIN
Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks earned his 500th career victory on Sunday in a win over Rutgers. His players were wearing shirts after the game in honor of their coach, who last year guided the team to its first-ever Final Four. The No. 15 Hokies have two losses this season, to No. 4 Iowa on a neutral court and at No. 7 LSU.
BIG 12 DOMINANCE
TCU is one of 14 unbeaten teams left in women’s college basketball, including five in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs (11-0) haven’t had the most difficult nonconference schedule and won’t play a ranked team until facing Baylor on Jan. 3. The other undefeated teams in the Big 12 are Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, UCF and West Virginia. The six have combined to go 59-0 but have played only three true road games.
CRUISING TIGERS
LSU had a game to remember last Tuesday, routing McNeese State 133-44. The seventh-ranked Tigers set school records for margin of victory and points in a game, and they rattled off 47 consecutive points. Kim Mulkey’s team also beat Northwestern State 81-36 on Sunday in a game that saw the Hall of Fame coach get ejected. Next up is a trip to face Coppin State in a homecoming game for star Angel Reese.
