Women's Power Rankings: UConn, Iowa State, Ohio State move into top five

If the South Carolina Gamecocks and Stanford Cardinal conscionable again this play successful the Final Four, some teams volition nary uncertainty look backmost connected everything Sunday's women's assemblage hoops showdown taught them.

The Gamecocks walked distant from their 76-71 overtime roadworthy triumph with an accrued content successful their seat (outscored the Cardinal 34-9), their superstar (Aliyah Boston had her struggles yet inactive finished with a double-double and ne'er got rattled) and their resilience (down aft the first, 2nd and 3rd quarters, they outscored Stanford 32-17 implicit the 4th play and OT).

The Cardinal near Sunday's crippled with immoderate frustration, due to the fact that they were successful power going into the 4th fourth and past didn't people for the adjacent 6 minutes. Forward Cameron Brink had a immense game, but erstwhile again battled foul trouble. The Cardinal blocked 10 shots and for the archetypal 3 quarters were truly coagulated defensively.

Then things changed. What caused Stanford's scoring drought successful the 4th quarter? South Carolina's defence turned it up a notch and made things harder for Cardinal freshman constituent defender Talana Lepolo. To that end, manager Dawn Staley had a small much velocity connected the tribunal for the Gamecocks, with sophomore Bree Hall putting much unit connected the ball. Then Staley said she saw immoderate fatigue successful her squad astir 3 minutes into the 4th and called a timeout.

"It was the stroke that they needed to proceed connected and play astatine that pace," Staley said. "I thought [we] were clicking connected each cylinders from a antiaircraft standpoint, and past from an violative standpoint, we conscionable simplified.

"I deliberation successful large games similar this, you privation to play truthful good that sometimes it works against you."

All successful all, it was an entertaining crippled that gave some teams things to deliberation about. Stanford manager Tara VanDerveer said possibly her squad conscionable isn't acceptable yet to beryllium No. 1. But whether the Cardinal are ready, South Carolina won't springiness it up easily.

These 2 stay atop the Power Rankings successful Week 2. But aft that, determination is rather a spot of movement, including 2 preseason top-five teams, the Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Lady Volunteers, falling retired of this database of 16 aft a combined 5 losses frankincense far.

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NC State Wolfpack vs. UConn Huskies: Full Highlights

Player of the Week: Azzi Fudd, UConn Huskies

In victories implicit top-10 teams Texas and NC State, the sophomore defender had a combined 64 points, shooting 55.6% from the field. She has scored 90 points frankincense far, much than immoderate different UConn subordinate implicit the past 20 years successful the archetypal 3 games of a season. That includes Maya Moore (81 points), Breanna Stewart (74) and Diana Taurasi (73) , each of whom were past starting their elder seasons.

Team of the Week: Kansas State Wildcats

The Wildcats don't person prima halfway Ayoka Lee, who is retired this play aft genu surgery. But they person started 5-0, including an 84-83 upset implicit then-No. 4 Iowa connected Thursday. Gabby Gregory, a transportation elder defender from Oklahoma, is averaging a team-best 21.4 PPG. Sophomore defender Serena Sundell is 2nd successful scoring (14.6 PPG) and leads successful rebounds (7.0) and assists (5.0).

Win of the Week: UCLA 80, Tennessee 63

Admittedly, the marquee triumph was South Carolina's implicit Stanford. But let's dispersed astir the kudos and springiness the motion to the UCLA Bruins, who won their Pac 12-SEC battle. The Lady Vols person had a disappointing start, but that doesn't instrumentality distant from the excitement UCLA feels astatine being 5-0 heading into Monday's title crippled of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

A motion present besides goes to Marquette, UCLA's hostile Monday, for its victories implicit Texas and Gonzaga successful the Bahamas. Marquette is besides 5-0.

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Mackenzie Holmes' large crippled leads Indiana to victory

Coach of the Week: Teri Moren, Indiana Hoosiers

Part of getting disconnected to a 5-0 start, including a triumph astatine Tennessee past Monday, has been the summation of transfers Sara Scalia and Sydney Parrish and the speedy interaction of freshman Yarden Garzon from Israel. Moren, who took the Hoosiers to the Elite Eight for the archetypal clip successful 2021 and past to the Sweet 16 past season, has added beardown complementary pieces astir veterans Mackenzie Holmes and Grace Berger arsenic the Hoosiers look to beryllium beardown challengers for the Big Ten title.

Power Rankings

1. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: vs. Cal Poly (Tuesday), vs. Hampton (Sunday)

The Gamecocks' extent was a spot past play erstwhile they won the NCAA title, and it's the aforesaid this year. Admittedly, South Carolina is inactive looking to solidify things astatine constituent guard, but the Gamecocks inactive had conscionable 11 turnovers to Stanford's 22. They changeable 38.4% from the field, but got large shots erstwhile they needed them -- specified arsenic Brea Beal's 3-pointer with 17 seconds near successful regulation, followed by Boston's game-tying changeable with 2.1 remaining. Winning connected the roadworthy against the No. 2 squad shows however bully the Gamecocks are.

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Bree Hall takes the walk from Aliyah Boston and drains an important changeable for South Carolina.

2. Stanford Cardinal (5-1)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: vs. Florida Gulf Coast (Friday), vs. Grambling (Saturday), vs. Hawaii Rainbow Wahine (Sunday) (all games successful Honolulu, Hawaii)

Watching movie from the South Carolina crippled won't beryllium amusive for the Cardinal, but it volition beryllium instructive. There were bully things. The wrong antiaircraft combo of 6-foot-4 Brink and 6-5 Ashten Prechtel tin beryllium ferocious. Offensively, Brink was 8-of-13 from the tract and 7-of-8 from the foul line; she has go 1 of the astir hard players to defender successful the assemblage game. Freshman defender Lepolo is mode up of the learning curve with conscionable six assemblage games nether her belt. But the aforementioned scoring drought and the intelligence mistakes precocious successful overtime marred what looked similar an epic time for Stanford.

3. UConn Huskies (3-0)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: vs. Duke (Friday), vs. Iowa/Oregon State (Sunday) (all games successful Portland, Oregon)

In victories implicit Texas and NC State past week, the Huskies didn't conscionable get large constituent accumulation from Fudd. They besides got a combined 24 assists from Nika Mühl and a combined 30 points from Aubrey Griffin. The Huskies caput into the four-team Phil Knight Legacy tourney successful Portland this week arsenic the favorite, adjacent with guardant Dorka Juhasz retired with a breached thumb.

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Ashley Joens shows retired with 26 points to assistance Iowa State stave disconnected Northern Iowa.

4. Iowa State Cyclones (4-0)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: vs. Michigan State (Thursday), vs. North Carolina/Oregon (Sunday) (all games successful Portland, Oregon)

The Cyclones were taken to the ligament by Northern Iowa past week but won 88-85, and past bushed Columbia 99-76. Iowa State heads into the Phil Knight Invitational tourney successful Portland arsenic the top-ranked team. The Cyclones volition look 6-0 Michigan State connected Thanksgiving, and manager Bill Fennelly is thankful Ashley Joens returned for her ace elder season. She leads the Cyclones with 25.5 PPG and 11.0 RPG, and has made 13 of her past 23 3-point attempts, including a career-high 7 Sunday.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: vs. Wright State (Wednesday), vs. North Alabama (Sunday)

The Buckeyes cruised implicit Ohio and McNeese this past week. Thus far, they person had 4 antithetic starring scorers successful their 4 games. Ohio State's defence has been punishing foes by forcing an mean of 33.5 turnovers per game. Guard Jacy Sheldon has 27 steals, which leads Division I.

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Check retired this saccharine dime from Olivia Miles

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: vs. American (Thursday), vs. Arizona State (Friday oregon Saturday) (all games successful the Bahamas

The Fighting Irish rocked Northwestern (in a crippled that got chippy, with standout Olivia Miles getting ejected with 2 method fouls) and Ball State this past week. Now, Notre Dame heads to the Goombay Splash lawsuit successful the Bahamas. If Notre Dame beats winless American, it plays Arizona State connected Saturday. If the Irish suffer the opener, they play Friday. Which means you tin astir apt number connected it being Saturday.

7. Indiana Hoosiers (5-0)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: vs. Auburn (Friday), vs. Memphis (Saturday) (all games successful Las Vegas)

The Hoosiers bushed Tennessee, Bowling Green and Quinnipiac past week and present caput to the Las Vegas Invitational. Forward Mackenzie Holmes is shooting 71.2% from the field, and defender Grace Berger 51.9%. It's early, but Indiana is shooting 89.2%.

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North Carolina Tar Heels vs. James Madison Dukes: Full Highlights

8. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-0)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: vs. Oregon (Thursday), vs. Iowa State/Michigan State (Sunday) (all games successful Portland, Oregon)

After beating the South Carolina State and James Madison this past week, the Tar Heels volition look their archetypal existent tests this play astatine the Phil Knight Invitational tournament. Redshirt freshman Teonni Key, the sister of Tennessee's Tamari Key, missed past play with a genu injury. Teonni made her assemblage debut with 13 points and 7 rebounds against South Carolina State.

9. Louisville Cardinals (4-1)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: vs. South Dakota State (Monday; Bahamas), vs. Longwood (Friday)

The Cardinals fell 79-67 successful overtime to Gonzaga astatine the Battle 4 Atlantis, and Louisville manager Jeff Walz called his team's lackluster defence "a look for disaster." The Cardinals stayed successful the apical 10, though, acknowledgment to their consequent triumph implicit Texas, and they volition effort to permission the Bahamas with a closing triumph Monday.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: vs. Oregon State (Friday), vs. UConn/Duke (Sunday) (all games successful Portland, Oregon)

The Hawkeyes got a scare erstwhile defender Caitlin Clark went down with a twisted ankle Thursday successful an 84-83 nonaccomplishment astatine Kansas State. But she was backmost with a vengeance Sunday against Belmont, which was hoping to manus the Hawkeyes their 2nd upset nonaccomplishment of the week. Clark prevented that with 33 points and 5 assists successful a 73-62 win, and present Iowa heads to the Phil Knight Legacy tournament.

11. NC State Wolfpack (4-1)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: vs. Vanderbilt (Thursday), vs. West Virginia (Friday) (all games successful Mexico)

The Wolfpack bushed Charlotte this past week, but past mislaid 91-69 astatine UConn successful their archetypal existent trial this season. NC State got down 9-0 to the Huskies and ne'er recovered connected a disappointing time for the Wolfpack's defense. They regroup and caput to the Cancun Challenge successful Mexico.

12. LSU Tigers (5-0)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: vs. George Mason (Thursday), vs. UAB (Friday oregon Saturday) (all games successful the Bahamas)

The Tigers person scored astatine slightest 100 points successful each 5 of their games. LSU manager Kim Mulkey arsenic a subordinate successful 1981-82 was connected a Louisiana Tech squad that deed the period people six games successful a row, and went connected to triumph the NCAA title. However, LSU is getting plentifulness of side-eye from women's hoops fans for playing lower-tiered teams: their foes frankincense acold are combined 5-13. At the Goombay Splash this week, it would beryllium amusive to spot the Tigers look Notre Dame, but they aren't successful the aforesaid bracket.

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Creighton Bluejays vs. Northern Iowa Panthers: Full Highlights

13. Creighton Bluejays (4-0)
Previous ranking: NR
This week: astatine Omaha (Tuesday), astatine Xavier (Friday)

The Bluejays socked it to the authorities flagship schoolhouse past Tuesday, beating Nebraska 77-51. Then they won by 19 points Sunday astatine Northern Iowa, a notable people considering Iowa State bushed the Panthers by conscionable 3 points earlier successful the week. This week, Creighton goes for metropolis supremacy successful facing the Mavericks; the schools' arenas are lone 6 miles isolated successful Omaha. Then the Bluejays commencement their Big East slate vs. Xavier.

14. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: vs. Kentucky (Monday), Missouri (Wednesday), Longwood (Sunday) (all games successful the Bahamas)

It's inactive hard to archer however bully the Hokies are, arsenic they person dominated 3 overmatched foes frankincense far, each astatine Virginia Tech. They could get tested a small much this week astatine the Baha Mar Hoops tourney successful the Bahamas, wherever they look 2 SEC teams.

15. Utah Utes (4-0)
Previous ranking: NR
This week: vs. Alabama (Monday), vs. Ole Miss (Wednesday)

The Utes played conscionable 1 crippled this past week, but it was a doozy. They bushed Oklahoma 124-78 connected Wednesday, taking vantage of the Sooners' high-risk/high-reward violative style. Oklahoma ne'er slows down, but Utah burned them severely astatine that game, scoring 41 points successful the 3rd 4th alone. This week, the Utes spell to the Baha Mar Hoops tourney successful the Bahamas to look 2 SEC teams.

16. Maryland Terrapins (4-1)
Previous ranking: NR
This week: vs. DePaul (Friday), vs. Towson (Saturday), vs. Pittsburgh (Sunday) (all games successful Fort Myers, Florida)

With players being mislaid to transportation and injuries, the Terps couldn't vie with top-ranked South Carolina connected Nov. 11 and mislaid by 25 points. But they person beaten everyone else, including Baylor connected Sunday. Admittedly, Baylor is besides dealing with injuries, but it was inactive a noteworthy triumph down Diamond Miller's 32 points and 10 rebounds. This week, Maryland goes to the Fort Myers Tip-Off successful Florida.

Fell out: Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas