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LSU, UConn and Iowa lead preseason women's basketball AP Top 25 poll – NCAA.com
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Defending women’s basketball champion LSU sits atop the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 poll.
Familiar powerhouses UConn and Iowa followed the Tigers in the AP’s rankings. The season begins on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, and will culminate in Cleveland, Ohio for the 2024 NCAA championship game.
Here is the AP Top 25, along with some initial reactions and takeaways:
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Kansas State 47, NC State 34, Kansas 26, Texas A&M 20, Iowa St. 18, Gonzaga 15, Duke 7, Nebraska 5, Miami 3, UNLV 2, Washington 2, Toledo 1, Oregon 1, Villanova 1, Arizona 1.
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Geaux Tigers: LSU is No. 1
LSU takes the No. 1 spot in the preseason poll for the first time in program history after winning its very first women’s basketball national title in program history last season vs. Iowa.
MVP Angel Reese highlights a remarkable group of women returning for the Tigers, which includes Flaujae Johnson, Sa’Myah Smith and Kateri Poole. Former Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow join the bunch as exciting additions to the reigning champs. With a group of powerhouse players plus picking up the No. 1 recruit in the country, Mikaylah Williams, Head Coach Kim Mulkey can walk into the new season with style.
Paige Bueckers is back: UConn makes a statement at No. 2
Two words: Paige Bueckers. It seems that she is back and ready to set the tone for No. 2 UConn this season. Last season, the Huskies fell to Ohio State — losing their streak of 16-straight Elite Eights and 14-straight Final Fours. The Huskies return with a mission to accomplish as they currently hold a 30-year AP Poll appearance streak since the 1993-94 season.
Bueckers, the 2021 Naismith Trophy recipient, never questioned leaving the Huskies. Nov. 8 is her first game since suffering a torn ACL in 2022. Fans are anticipating a run to this year’s national championship. With Nika Mühl, Aaliyah Edwards and Aubrey Griffin all returning to UConn, expectations are pretty high for the No. 2 team.
National Player of the Year keeps Iowa on top of the poll
When you think of the 2023 Naismith Trophy Recipient Caitlin Clark, one word comes to mind: Dominant. Clark was the spark that kept No. 3 Iowa alive and into the top-five spot of the preseason poll. Clark is the second recipient from Iowa to win the Naismith Trophy, but the first to return for another year －Megan Gustafson was the 2018-19 Naismith Trophy recipient.
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Honorable mentions
South Carolina and Virginia Tech inched their way into the top 10 of the preseason AP Poll. South Carolina comes in at No. 6 with Raven Johnson and Bree Hall returning to maximize on power. Down seven seniors, the Gamecocks added Te-Hina Paopao of Oregon and Sakima Walker of Northwest Florida State to the mix.
UCLA claimed the No. 4 spot － making it the highest preseason rank the program has seen since 1999. No. 8 Virginia Tech still has five-star, ACC Player of the Year and Second Team AP All-American Elizabeth Kitley. Indiana and Notre Dame conclude the top 10 spots.
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Conference Breakdown
The SEC leads all conferences with six teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll. Take a look at the preseason AP Poll by Conference.
Maya Ellison joined NCAA.com in July 2023 as a Digital-Editorial Intern. She is a two-time award-winning journalist who has over 12 internships with companies such as NASCAR, FOX 5 Atlanta, Orlando Sentinel and ESPN. She is an Atlanta native and a Spring 2023 graduate of Florida A&M University with her Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism. You can follow her on Twitter @themayaellison.
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