Women’s college basketball Power Rankings: Iowa, OSU enter top 10

Nearly two years after Caitlin Clark graduated from Iowa, the Hawkeyes have returned to the top 10 in the AP Top 25 poll. Staying there is going to be a challenge.

Iowa and Ohio State have also climbed into the top 10 of this week’s ESPN’s women’s college basketball Power Rankings, which spotlight the race at the top of the Big Ten. UCLA is the league favorite and a projected No. 1 seed. But for now the Bruins and Hawkeyes are tied atop the conference standings at 7-0. Next are Ohio State and Michigan at 6-1. Michigan State is 6-2, and Maryland and Illinois 5-3.

A month ago, Iowa was coming off losses to Iowa State and UConn. But coach Jan Jensen was upbeat then about what the Hawkeyes were learning from tough games, and now we see why. They have won six in a row since falling to the Huskies on Dec. 20, including victories over ranked Nebraska on Jan. 1 and Michigan State on Sunday.

Still, Iowa has a lot on its plate going forward. This week the Hawkeyes travel to Maryland on Thursday and host Ohio State on Sunday. The following week is the California road trip as they face USC and UCLA.

As for the Buckeyes, they’ve also won six in a row since their last loss, which was to UCLA on Dec. 28.

Though the Bruins — who have won 11 in a row — are still likely to win the regular-season title with their talent and depth, the rest of the Big Ten won’t hand them anything. We’ll see in the next couple of weeks who might emerge as the biggest threat to UCLA.

Previous ranking: 1

Next seven days: @ Georgetown (Jan. 22), @ Seton Hall (Jan. 25)

What might have been a challenging week for UConn wasn’t that at all. The Huskies flattened the second-place team in the Big East, Villanova, 99-50 last Thursday. Then they avenged one of their losses from last season, beating Notre Dame 85-47 on Monday. Only five of UConn’s foes this season have scored at least 55 points, and four of those were in November.

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Previous ranking: 2

Next seven days: @ Oklahoma (Jan. 22), vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 25)

The Gamecocks avenged their lone loss of the season, a matchup against Texas in November at the Players Era Championship, with a 68-65 SEC victory over the Longhorns last Thursday. All five starters scored in double figures, led by Joyce Edwards (14 points). South Carolina then had a 90-48 nonconference victory at Coppin State on Sunday, in which Edwards scored 26. The Gamecocks now have a big game coming Sunday when they host still-unbeaten Vanderbilt.

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Previous ranking: 3

Next seven days: vs. Purdue (Jan. 21), @ Northwestern (Jan. 25)

UCLA’s scoring depth was impressive last week. Kiki Rice had 25 points in leading the Bruins past Minnesota 76-58 on Wednesday. Then what was thought to potentially be a competitive game Sunday turned into a blowout: UCLA beat Maryland 97-67, led by Gabriela Jaquez’s 22 points. Fellow guard Charlisse Leger-Walker had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists as the Bruins shot 63% from the field and 57% from 3-point range.

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Previous ranking: 4

Next seven days: @ Arkansas (Jan. 25)

The Longhorns started the season 18-0, then had consecutive losses to LSU and South Carolina. Last Thursday’s 68-65 defeat in Columbia was frustrating because they couldn’t establish much in the paint. Still, they lost by just three on the road. They also bounced back on Sunday, pummeling Texas A&M 80-35. Promising freshman guard Aaliyah Crump also returned against the Aggies after missing 15 games with a foot injury. She led Texas in the win with 12 points, and also had six rebounds and four assists.

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Previous ranking: 5

Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Jan. 22), @ South Carolina (Jan. 25)

Vandy, off to its best start ever, and UConn are the only unbeaten teams left in Division I women’s basketball. But it was a tough past week for the Commodores. Guard Mikayla Blakes had 38 points to help hold off Mississippi State 89-84 on Thursday. Then, the Commodores survived Michigan’s rally at the Coretta Scott King Classic in New Jersey on Monday, winning 72-69. The Wolverines focused on defending Blakes, who was held to a season-low 14 points. But freshman guard Aubrey Galvan took advantage of the strategy to put up a season-high 20 points. The biggest challenge yet comes Sunday, though, at South Carolina.

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Previous ranking: 6

Next seven days: vs. Boston College (Jan. 25)

Louisville had two big road wins last week: 79-66 at Notre Dame on Thursday, and 88-80 in overtime at NC State on Sunday. The Cardinals’ resilience showed against the Wolfpack, as they rallied from being down 13 points in the third quarter. Sophomore guard Imari Berry was key, with a career-high 33 points to go with 12 rebounds. She’s one of seven players who have led Louisville in scoring this season.

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Previous ranking: 8

Next seven days: @ Texas A&M (Jan. 22), vs. Florida (Jan. 26)

The Tigers had a week to get ready for their lone foe last week, Oklahoma, and made the most of that preparation, beating the Sooners 91-72. Senior guard Flau’jae Johnson had her best overall game of the season, with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Since being outrebounded 45-29 in their SEC-opening loss to Kentucky on Jan. 1, the Tigers have won the battle of the boards in their subsequent four games by a total of 183-136.

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Previous ranking: 14

Next seven days: vs. Indiana (Jan. 22), @ Iowa (Jan. 25)

The Buckeyes walloped Penn State, which is winless in the Big Ten, 108-84 last Wednesday. Then they got their second victory of the season over a top-10 foe on Monday, beating TCU 71-69 in the Coretta Scott King Classic in New Jersey. Sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge had 51 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists in those two victories.

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Previous ranking: 15

Next seven days: @ Maryland (Jan. 22), vs. Ohio State (Jan. 25)

Senior forward Hannah Stuelke is coming off perhaps her best week of the season, as the Hawkeyes beat Oregon (74-66) and Michigan State (75-68). Stuelke had a combined 40 points, 17 rebounds, 13 assists and 5 steals while shooting 65.4% from the field. Sophomore center Ava Heiden also stood out with a combined 33 points and 15 rebounds.

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Previous ranking: 16

Next seven days: vs. UCF (Jan. 21), vs. Houston (Jan. 25)

Since losing its Big 12 opener by one point to Texas Tech on Dec. 21, Baylor has won six in a row. That includes road wins last week at Utah (61-45) and BYU (69-58), in which guard Taliah Scott had a combined 39 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. The Bears are also excelling defensively. They lead the Big 12, and are third in Division I, in blocks per game (7.2). They are also first nationally in holding their foes to just 22.2% shooting from beyond the arc.

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Previous ranking: 11

Next seven days: @ Rutgers (Jan. 22), vs. USC (Jan. 25)

The Wolverines won 85-69 over Illinois last Thursday and then threatened to become the first team to beat Vanderbilt this season on Monday. But Michigan fell short and lost 72-69 in the Coretta Scott King Classic in New Jersey. Still, it was a good nonconference showcase for the Wolverines. Sophomore guard Kendall Dudley, a transfer from UCLA, had a career-high 16 points on 80% shooting against the Commodores.

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Previous ranking: 7

Next seven days: @ Tennessee (Jan. 22), vs. Georgia (Jan. 25)

The SEC’s unranked teams can be dangerous, too, as the Wildcats found out this past week. Thursday, they trailed Florida by seven points after three quarters and needed a big fourth quarter to win 94-89. Then Sunday, they shot just 32% and were dominated on the boards 52-35 in a 71-59 loss at Mississippi State. Center Clara Strack struggled to shoot from the field in both, going 3-of-16 versus Mississippi State. She was 1-of-13 against Alabama on Jan. 8.

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Previous ranking: 9

Next seven days: @ UCF (Jan. 24)

It was a busy week of emotional swings for the Frogs. Last Wednesday, they got a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Marta Suarez to win 51-50 at West Virginia. On Saturday at home, they defeated Arizona 78-62. Then, they returned to the East Coast on Monday, getting off to a strong start against Ohio State in the Coretta Scott King Classic in New Jersey but losing 71-69. Still, they are tied for first place in the Big 12 with Baylor and Texas Tech.

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Previous ranking: 10

Next seven days: @ BYU (Jan. 21), @ Utah (Jan. 24)

After winning their first 19 games, the Lady Raiders were held to their lowest points total of the season in a 65-59 loss at home to Kansas State. Their biggest problem was rebounding, with K-State prevailing 46-20 and holding them to just three offensive boards. That was a major obstacle on a day when the Lady Raiders shot 39% from the field. They must refocus, however, with two games on the road this week.

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Previous ranking: 12

Next seven days: @ Missouri (Jan. 22), vs. Tennessee (Jan. 26)

You can’t rest for a minute in the SEC. After strong wins against Oklahoma and Mississippi State, the Rebels had a week to prepare for Georgia. But the Bulldogs dominated defensively to win 82-59 on Sunday, holding Ole Miss star Cotie McMahon to nine points on 1-of-13 shooting from the field and holding the Rebels to 30% shooting overall. Meanwhile, Ole Miss couldn’t stop Georgia guard Dani Carnegie, who had a career-high 32 points.

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Previous ranking: 13

Next seven days: vs. South Carolina (Jan. 22), @ Auburn (Jan. 25)

Speaking of the perils of the SEC: Oklahoma is going through a tough stretch. The Sooners lost their only game last week 91-72 to visiting LSU. Senior center Raegan Beers was limited to 10 points and got only eight shots. On the bright side, freshman forward Brooklyn Stewart was 4-of-4 from the field and finished with nine points. The Sooners will need all hands on deck against South Carolina this week to try to halt their three-game skid.

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Dropped out: None