Once again minimal movement took place in our CBS Sports women's college basketball power rankings, but think of this week as the calm before the storm because some big matchups lie ahead. For now, the top 10 remains the same with South Carolina and UCLA sitting atop the list.
JuJu Watkins and USC will be giving UCLA a run for its money this weekend, but until then the Trojans stay at No. 6, while NC State, Colorado and Iowa round out the top five.
Few games took place this past week due to the holidays, but this weekend will be action packed. Baylor moved up one spot because the Bears remain undefeated and are off to their best start since the 2015-16 season.
TCU entered the rankings for the first time because it is also unbeaten and has been blowing out opponents in impressive fashion. The Horned Frogs will have to prove they deserve that No. 24 spot when they meet Baylor on Jan. 3.
Here are our latest power rankings for the 2023-24 women's college basketball season.
1. South Carolina (11-0)
The Gamecocks haven't played since Dec. 19, when they collected a 93-62 win over Bowling Green. Kamilla Cardoso leads South Carolina with 14.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, but the team is a lot deeper than just her as eight other players average over nine points per game. South Carolina will be back on the court Saturday against East Carolina.
2. UCLA (11-0)
The Bruins remain undefeated after an 85-46 win against Hawaii on Dec. 21. Charisma Osborne led the Bruins' offense with 17 points and three 3-pointers, and the star guard is now tied with Kari Korver and Lisa Willis for the most 3-pointers in school history (256). Osborne is one of five players averaging at least 13 points per game for UCLA, which is off to its best start since opening the 2019-20 season with a 16-0 record.
3. NC State (12-0)
NC State is another team that took last week off. The Wolfpack has six players averaging over nine points per game, so even with Saniya Rivers missing three games with a back injury, the team has gotten the job done. This is just the fifth time in program history the Wolfpack finished the non-conference part of its schedule undefeated. It's also the third time NC State has started 12-0 under coach Wes Moore.
4. Colorado (10-1)
Colorado did not play for over two weeks and took a few minutes to shake off the rust against Northern Colorado on Dec. 21. However, the Buffaloes held the Bears to just 21 points in the second half and got the job done with a 78-56 win. Aaronette Vonleh registered a career-high five blocks in the victory, the most by a Buff since 2017. The Buffaloes have a big challenge ahead as they take on Utah this Saturday.
5. Iowa (12-1)
Caitlin Clark is doing everything in her power to repeat as national player of the year. Most recently, she registered her 13th career triple-double with 35 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in Iowa's win against Loyola Chicago. In women's college basketball, there have only seven triple-doubles with 35-plus points, and Clark has been responsible for three of them. She leads Iowa's offense with 30.5 points per game, while Hannah Stuelke and Kate Martin also average double figures with 12.9 and 12 points per contest, respectively
6. USC (10-0)
The Trojans were a little less dominant than usual without Rayah Marshall, JuJu Watkins and Kaitlyn Davis, but they still got an 85-77 road win against Long Beach State thanks to a career-high 36 points from McKenzie Forbes. USC has now reached 80 or more points in five consecutive games. This is a good sign for the Trojans, as they will need all the depth they can get when they take on UCLA this Saturday.
7. LSU (12-1)
LSU has not played since Dec. 20, but the Tigers will be return to action against Jacksonville on Saturday. Kim Mulkey's team has been successful despite missing starting point guard Haley Van Lith while she deals with plantar fasciitis. Angel Reese is LSU's top scorer and rebounder with almost 20 points and 10 rebounds per contest. Aneesah Morrow is doing it all with 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while also leading the team in steals (38) and blocks (20). Mikaylah Williams is only a freshman, but she's averaging 17.2 points per game amid a stellar debut season.
8. Texas (13-0)
The Longhorns have one of the toughest defenses in the nation as well as one of the best scoring margins. Five Longhorns players are averaging over nine points per game, and Rori Harmon has proven to be one of the most talented players in the Big 12. Last week, Harmon became the fastest player in Texas history to reach 500 career assists.
9. Notre Dame (8-1)
The Fighting Irish don't have Sonia Citron back, but freshman star Hannah Hidalgo has been keeping the team afloat. Hidalgo swept the most recent ACC Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards, and she was also named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Freshman of the Week for the second time. Her selection really was a no-brainer as she registered an impressive 26 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals in a 84-47 win over Western Michigan on Dec. 21. This was less than a week after Hidalgo flirted with a quadruple-double against Purdue.
10. Stanford (10-1)
Stanford has only played four games in December because of final exams and the holidays, but they will have a busy weekend ahead with games against Cal on Friday and Morgan State on Sunday. Cameron Brink is leading the team with 19.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. She has also accumulated an impressive 36 blocks so far this season. Kiki Iriafen is not too far behind offensively with 17 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. Both forwards are making at least 59% of their shots.
| Rank | Team | Change | Previous ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | UConn (9-3) | -- | 11 | |
| 12 | Utah (10-2) | -- | 12 | |
| 13 | Baylor (11-0) | 14 | ||
| 14 | Ohio State (10-2) | 13 | ||
| 15 | Indiana (10-1) | -- | 15 | |
| 16 | Kansas State (12-1) | -- | 16 | |
| 17 | Virginia Tech (9-2) | -- | 17 | |
| 18 | Marquette (12-0) | -- | 18 | |
| 19 | Louisville (11-2) | -- | 19 | |
| 20 | Gonzaga (13-2) | -- | 20 | |
| 21 | Florida State (9-3) | -- | 21 | |
| 22 | Creighton (9-2) | -- | 22 | |
| 23 | North Carolina (8-4) | -- | 23 | |
| 24 | TCU (13-0) | Unranked | ||
| 25 | Washington (11-1) | 24 |
First five out: West Virginia, Maryland, Syracuse, Miami, Texas A&M
