The South Carolina Gamecocks are starting the new year just as they left 2022: undefeated and the No. 1 team in the nation.
While the Gamecocks are No. 1 for the 28th consecutive week, Utah is celebrating cracking the top 10 for the first time in program history. Utah started the 2022-23 campaign 14-0, which is the second best mark in school history. The Utes are just two wins shy of the program record of 16-0, accomplished by the 1997-98 squad.
The top five teams had remained the same for three consecutive weeks, but this week it looks slightly different. Stanford and Ohio State stayed at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, while Notre Dame climbed one spot to No. 4.
The UConn Huskies have encountered several bumps this season, ranging from injuries to travel delays, but have persevered through it all and collected dominant wins against Creighton and Marquette last week. They were rewarded with the No. 5 ranking. The previous No. 4, Indiana, dropped to No. 6.
Duke made its debut in the poll this week at No. 19 following a pair of victories against NC State and Louisville. The Blue Devils received votes in the previous eight weeks.
It has been a competitive season so far, and the stats prove that staying on top is not an easy accomplishment. According to ESPN, the 22 losses seen by teams in the AP top 10 this season before Jan. 1 was tied for the most in the past 23 years before January -- matching the 2014-15 season.
AP Top 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sunday, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week's ranking:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Prev. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina (28) | 13-0 | 700 | 1 |
| 2 | Stanford | 14-1 | 672 | 2 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 15-0 | 643 | 3 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 12-1 | 614 | 5 |
| 5 | UConn | 11-2 | 567 | 8 |
| 6 | Indiana | 13-1 | 540 | 4 |
| 7 | LSU | 14-0 | 537 | 9 |
| 8 | Utah | 14-0 | 499 | 11 |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | 12-2 | 440 | 7 |
| 10 | NC State | 12-2 | 438 | 4 |
| 11 | Iowa State | 9-2 | 402 | 15 |
| 12 | UCLA | 13-2 | 367 | 10 |
| 13 | Maryland | 11-3 | 344 | 16 |
| 14 | Michigan | 12-2 | 339 | 14 |
| 15 | Arizona | 12-1 | 325 | 18 |
| 16 | Iowa | 11-4 | 244 | 12 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 11-1 | 216 | 20 |
| 18 | Oregon | 11-3 | 183 | 17 |
| 19 | Duke | 13-1 | 177 | NR |
| 20 | Gonzaga | 14-2 | 176 | 19 |
| 21 | Kansas | 11-1 | 144 | 22 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 9-4 | 127 | 13 |
| 23 | Baylor | 10-3 | 110 | 23 |
| 24 | St. John's | 13-0 | 105 | 25 |
| 25 | Creighton | 9-4 | 48 | 21 |
Others receiving votes: Illinois 32, Florida St. 29, Arkansas 24, Villanova 20, Middle Tennessee 12, Texas 9, South Florida 7, Columbia 7, Tennessee 2, Nebraska 1.
