South Carolina women’s basketball maintained its No. 3 ranking in Monday’s updated AP Top 25, remaining behind unanimous No. 1 UConn and No. 2 UCLA following a 1-0 week that included a victory over Texas A&M.
Voting Breakdown
The Gamecocks received no first-place votes as UConn claimed the top spot unanimously across all 31 ballots (one regular voter was absent this week). Dawn Staley’s squad appeared in the top four on every ballot submitted.
Twenty-six voters ranked South Carolina at No. 3, while five placed the Gamecocks at No. 4. Every ballot listing USC at No. 3 had identical top-two teams: UConn first, UCLA second. UCLA appeared ahead of South Carolina on all 31 ballots, though not always at No. 2. Both Texas and LSU occasionally displaced the Gamecocks from the No. 3 position.
Among the five voters ranking South Carolina fourth, three placed UCLA at No. 2 while two elevated Texas directly behind UConn. The third-place selections on those No. 4 ballots varied: two listed UCLA, two chose LSU, and one selected Texas.
SEC Standings
Within conference rankings, South Carolina dominated as the top SEC team on 26 ballots. Three voters gave Texas that distinction, while LSU earned it twice. Overall, the Gamecocks collected 26 No. 1 SEC rankings and five No. 2 SEC designations.
The Dissenting Five
These voters placed South Carolina at No. 4 instead of No. 3:
- Cassandra Negley (Yahoo Sports; Syracuse, New York)
- Jeff Linder (Cedar Rapids Gazette; Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
- Mitchell Northam (WUNC; Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
- Percy Allen (Seattle Times; Seattle, Washington)
- Robert Cessna (Bryan-College Station Eagle; College Station, Texas)
Historical Context
In a remarkable statistical oddity, 2025-2026 marks the first season since 2018-2019 that South Carolina has not reached No. 1 at any point. The program hasn’t fallen outside the top seven since the preseason poll preceding the 2019-2020 campaign, underscoring the sustained excellence Staley has built in Columbia.
Busy Week Ahead
South Carolina faces a compressed schedule between this week’s poll and next, playing three games in seven days. Monday’s Texas A&M victory already counts toward that total, leaving two home contests at Colonial Life Arena.
Thursday, February 5th brings Mississippi State to town for the “Play 4 Kay” game, tipping at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network (ESPN app streaming).
The week concludes Sunday, February 8th when No. 19 Tennessee (14-5, 6-1 SEC) visits for the marquee SEC rivalry matchup. That contest begins at 3:00 p.m. on ABC with ESPN app and ESPN+ streaming options available.
The three-game homestand—following Monday’s road escape—provides South Carolina an opportunity to sharpen execution before next week’s rankings, particularly if the Gamecocks can deliver dominant performances against quality conference opponents.
