South Carolina Women’s Basketball Holds Steady at No. 3 in Latest AP Poll Amid SEC Dominance
South Carolina women’s basketball team maintained its No. 3 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll released January 5, 2026, following a strong week that included SEC victories over Alabama and Florida.[1][2] The Gamecocks now stand at 15-1 for the season, trailing undefeated UConn (No. 1, 15-0) and Texas (No. 2, 17-0).[3]
Current Top Rankings
UConn leads the poll, followed closely by Texas and South Carolina, with UCLA at No. 4 (14-1).[1][3] The top seven features five SEC teams: Texas (2), South Carolina (3), Oklahoma (5, 14-1), Kentucky (6, 15-1), and Vanderbilt (7, 15-0).[4][3] This marks continued SEC strength, with eight conference teams overall in the top 25.[2]
South Carolina’s Recent Performance
The Gamecocks secured a 74-63 win over Florida despite committing a season-high 21 turnovers and missing injured second-leading scorer Ta’Niya Latson for her second straight game.[1][2] Their only loss remains a November matchup against Texas.[5] Dawn Staley’s squad has won consistently in SEC play, emphasizing physicality and defense.[1]
SEC’s Top-Heavy Presence
Texas remains unbeaten after surviving close SEC games, while Kentucky surged from No. 11 with wins over LSU and Missouri.[1][5] Vanderbilt, also undefeated, earned its spot after beating LSU and Arkansas.[5][3] Oklahoma holds steady despite a single loss.
Key Stats and Challenges Ahead
South Carolina faces Arkansas on Thursday, testing their road form in SEC play.[1] Upcoming games include rematches with Texas, plus Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Kentucky.[2] The poll shakeup highlights SEC depth, with LSU dropping to No. 12 after back-to-back losses.[1][4]
Citations:
[1] AP women’s college basketball Top 25 poll breakdown
https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story//id/47434095/ap-women-college-basketball-2025-2026-top-25-poll-reaction-week-8 [2] South Carolina women’s basketball remains in top three of …
https://www.on3.com/teams/south-carolina-gamecocks/news/south-carolina-womens-basketball-ap-12-29-25/ [3] Women’s AP Top 25 Update: Top 10 Snapshot and What’s …
https://bustingbrackets.com/women-s-ap-top-25-update-top-10-snapshot-and-what-s-next-basketball [4] A HUGE shakeup to the women’s college basketball AP …
https://x.com/espn/status/2008242133061234764 [5] Women’s College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 …
https://www.on3.com/her/news/womens-college-basketball-rankings-ap-top-25-updated-following-week-9-of-play/ [6] NCAA Women’s College Basketball AP Top 25 Poll
https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/basketball/wncaab/ap-poll [7] South Carolina women’s basketball: This week’s AP poll
https://www.secsports.com/wbb-ap-top25 [9] Women′s College Basketball Rankings 2025-26 – AP Top …
https://www.cbssports.com/womens-college-basketball/rankings/ [10] The Big Ten is the first conference to have 9 teams ranked …
https://www.facebook.com/BigTenConference/posts/the-big-ten-is-the-first-conference-to-have-9-teams-ranked-in-3-different-ap-wom/1290242439814362/ [11] NCAA women’s college basketball rankings
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d1/associated-press [12] 2025 Final AP Women’s Basketball Poll | College Poll Archive https://collegepollarchive.com/basketball/women/ap/seasons.cfm [13] 2025-26 Women’s College Basketball Rankings – ESPN
https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/rankings [14] South Carolina women’s basketball: This week’s AP poll
https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-shakeup-d2f425b1952665515f2b7922bbe0a957 [16] SEC Women’s Basketball National Polls
https://www.secsports.com/rankings/womens-basketball [17] South Carolina Gamecocks Scores, Stats and Highlights
https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/team//id/2579/south-carolina-gamecocks
