# South Carolina tops AP's preseason Top 25 women's basketball poll followed by UConn, USC

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-10-20 20:20 UTC · Category: Sports

## Executive Summary
South Carolina tops the AP preseason women's basketball poll, displacing perennial powerhouse UConn from the No. 1 spot.

## Intelligence Brief
South Carolina claimed the No. 1 slot, with UConn and USC occupying the second and third positions respectively. The full ranking was disseminated through multiple outlets, including ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report and the AP’s own release. Additional entries highlighted by coverage include Notre Dame debuting at No. 13 and Troy’s women’s program landing near the top of the list. Coverage emphasizes both the surprise of UConn not holding the top spot and the strength of the broader field. ESPN’s headline directly notes South Carolina’s lead, while WFSB focuses on UConn’s second‑place finish.


Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report publish the complete poll, and USA Today offers a team‑by‑team preview. On3 spotlights Notre Dame’s schedule as a test of its ranking, and 247Sports draws attention to Troy’s ascent toward the upper tier. The preseason poll serves as an early benchmark for expectations across the Division I women’s game. South Carolina’s position reflects its recent conference dominance, while UConn’s placement continues a legacy of national relevance despite not leading. USC’s third‑place ranking signals its growing competitiveness.


Notre Dame’s entry at No. 13, paired with a demanding non‑conference slate, and Troy’s proximity to the top suggest shifting power dynamics that could influence recruiting and media attention throughout the season. Readers should watch the season‑opening weekend for the first indicators of how the rankings hold up. Subsequent updates from the same outlets are expected to track wins, losses and any movement within the AP Top 25 as the regular season progresses.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| WYFF | South Carolina claims No. 1 in preseason polls | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxQOVZDZGRkLS10Q19fekJfRjVXYW42UnRSblpadTVaOThROGZaaDhud3pnUUk5bFZuTVRGUmVuZGtMMGg3cDZSeDNzVG1WbDhUdElrLWc5c0xOYW1EVlczT3hhQ29JOUltNllvRUJxTzRRNnIzQUdfMUNaQ2Q2Q2tsYjRZTnA?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | Women's college basketball rankings: Preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, AP Top 25 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxOSWRUU0RTM2pBdFhhQkdJcVNER19oVVd3cnhVMmp1bEpfV3YzdWdqN1Q1cF83LXNrNDh6ZUEyMTBDdlpTT0NXeTFYZjd0YmE2QVhLNlJOQmEtTDBlemVUR3VoTndITklodVFqV3RZSTNDZ0hlUFNMTmg2SUJQYW9acThVZWNtODZZeFo5R0lpRHVpRmJMNWVNcg?oc=5) |
| WFSB | UConn women’s basketball is not No. 1 in preseason AP poll | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxPOUdWdVkwQkpjblZUMEtINTFPMWQtVEkzRnJXaDdFVEpfNDRWNC1rbUNzUGpfZUVwdmlrbGNNMzVPUmNVRnhSVi0wVHdaREJSUG54eU1tNnA5R0tWNDFNakZxWGdOaW4yNFhmMzNab01URlZ5RTJzamYwZWw3V1JfX3h0UDFwRHZHX3FzMl9rMNIBowFBVV95cUxQT1FiYXNWOVRUVlVibU9WZHRNODRtYjZzSDhrNmpJeXEySGtoVGN5OHVtYm41NDlKRDJ5V011WmJkem40TlNOTUVPSGZJWTJvTXAwWmdZaVRqMFlVSWdJV2xpZ2ZqeVNxdS1FTW1XX21xVk1Ec3lKa2ZYU2JmY0M5eUVNV0JUbjVNMUc4aE56Zmg5SUNCSlk2cDZxUERJWkZiVk1J?oc=5) |
| On3 | Notre Dame WBB debuts at No. 13 in AP poll with a killer schedule to test that ranking | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxOcGFsTWluT2FoVkFVRGJuMWtVNmpzbVE0eFhHNjltNTdOdXAwMjlyckQyRjY3S0tEYlRlUGljQUQ3OXNwVGtSZjd0VW9QaWNkTlpsNndEc2EyM21TMVBxQTNSMUlYTmwycXBFamJGcHczYkVseHR5a3p4SXpnZTVYWU9qQnVzUnlDeUVBT0d6WEZBVDdkZzdQS1N3UU93UEoxbmRhSmtLU09lWWdaS0RTTmIteTVQTVU3dXlhUTA5Skpzd0xldE1hRTJHQ1M?oc=5) |
| 247Sports | Women of Troy land near top of preseason AP Top 25 poll | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxPcnNiSkpocGd5VVFBaUhRRFdJUl9KRWdYc3B3dHpYR25Fc3FkUzNqR3FrekQ4VU9WbzVCc2x6aHVhOWtxcFNPUjcxVHdPeTZQT29rcWFZUGtQcGpZTm9MQ3g3by1wMnAyOEtXS2E2ZlFyWWNsQkNnZFhiYjFUVElYVUdjdTFKTVludlAtWV92dDBPMVVOT19aazFCem5BZEpFTUNXaG43aW8xNGhwbVE0YXRpTjIxTUlmTWl4Q2RTRUVoQUotTDYyVw?oc=5) |
| Bleacher Report | AP College Basketball Poll 2026 Preseason Women's Rankings Released | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxPMzFvQ0x4aWMwaEFqcFhHLXNWWEFzdzY0QmJ1VmdZMkZkMjVidjZxNVhXUmQ4X1MtcDJqcm9NeVBmSExUcG1mUWNZTnRRUE1RMXZBT2h6SkJzWjgzT3U3OVlISTN4Vi1nLTlSZ09UbU9vS3VRS3dYUXhUSVZFTU5FVjZiSGdtZG5NODRwNldiNW1EYTVqT2xCc2E3dThRTjZ4X0RtS3ZWRTc3bWRiazNnMQ?oc=5) |
| USA Today | Women's college basketball preview: Breaking down each Top 25 team | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxQVThLRkdicTdJUkc0RTJoTF90OVBPUnVSWWlNeUFrSllLUnpjdnFBMEJoVm45ck5RVlhpYlZhYnhrdUVoWVZldzdkOWpENjcwR1RjMVlMNmJfNFM0WWRpTDZYOUloX0xha2dzX1dGcTNLeFU4T0U1X3F6UHozWFpWa29qTG0tbG8tNWczZkhZeDlnakIwcERFU1Btc1JpemZQeXZyUUpNWEZ0WkhuTkVnTndJQXNpRHhuMy1WTDJha1lBZm5Sb0RZYg?oc=5) |
| ESPN | South Carolina tops AP's preseason Top 25 women's basketball poll followed by UConn, USC | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxNbW5sWS1EXzZmZHowM1EzTFlLeDk3UG11OGRVcVBSd2J0Z2NURUlFYXpOWFhNaGFRcWNFN3N4TGd5QlFnVUJwZjdDVlJkSHlnUDVwQVhfSTJKUEdpUWVQSlBOUHphMG9Eb0xtZzJ0VjlhSWxjWWc2NVlSVUJiT0RxRFBXTk5qd0Y3OWdEXzBNZmViZFQ3aEVXamwxamxjdXo5blpfVTlSUTRTYjNuZElfeFRfblBpWHBRVWhpWXc5cHo?oc=5) |

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