The Division I women’s basketball selection committee released its updated top-16 rankings Sunday, with UConn remaining at No. 1 heading into the final day of the regular season. The Huskies face St. John’s on Sunday night in their Big East season finale. With a win, UConn would complete its 11th perfect regular season in program history.
UCLA and South Carolina, which have both remained unbeaten since the last top-16 reveal on Feb. 14, stayed at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. The Bruins claimed the Big Ten regular-season crown a week ago with a win over Wisconsin, while the Gamecocks took the SEC regular-season title this past week by defeating Mizzou.
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The big move near the top of the rankings came from Texas, which leapfrogged Vanderbilt to No. 4 — a ranking that would give the Longhorns the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If these seedings hold, it would be the third time in women’s NCAA Tournament history that the previous year’s Final Four were the subsequent season’s No. 1 seeds.
The SEC and Big Ten dominated February’s reveal, with six teams apiece. In this round, Minnesota jumped into the top 16 to give the Big Ten seven teams, while the SEC claims five spots, including four of the top seven.
Here’s today’s top-16 reveal (previous rank in parentheses):
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1. UConn (1)
2. UCLA (2)
3. South Carolina (3)
4. Texas (5)
5. Vanderbilt (4)
6. Iowa (11)
7. LSU (8)
8. Michigan (6)
9. Louisville (7)
10. Duke (10)
11. TCU (12)
12. Oklahoma (16)
13. Maryland (13)
14. Michigan State (14)
15. Minnesota (NR)
16. Ohio State (9)
Dropped from the rankings: Ole Miss (15)
On March 14, the day before Selection Sunday, the committee will release an unranked grouping of the top 16 teams. These teams will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Historically, home-court advantage has proved to be key — in 2024 and 2025, 13 of the 16 host teams in each tournament advanced to the Sweet 16.
How the bracket looks for now
Fort Worth 1: UConn (1), LSU (7), Louisville (9), Maryland (13)
Sacramento 2: UCLA (2), Vanderbilt (5), Duke (10), Ohio State (16)
Fort Worth 3: South Carolina (3), Michigan (8), TCU (11), Minnesota (15)
Sacramento 4: Texas (4), Iowa (6), Oklahoma (12), Michigan State (14)
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The great Vanderbilt-Texas debate marches on
These rankings provide a sense of what the committee values most at this point in the season. Ahead of the February rankings, Vanderbilt had beaten Texas in a game in which the Longhorns didn’t look particularly competitive for long stretches. The committee ranked the Commodores ahead of the Longhorns then, preferring Vandy’s head-to-head advantage over criteria such as bad losses. (Vanderbilt had a 29-point defeat to South Carolina in late January.)
Since that reveal, Vanderbilt has lost at Georgia, while the Longhorns have won four straight, including a win over the Lady Bulldogs. That was enough to push Texas past Vanderbilt for the final No. 1 seed, but it’s possible the two teams could swap places again before the official bracket is revealed.
The SEC tournament could ultimately determine whether Vanderbilt or Texas snags that last No. 1 seed. Sunday’s games could still impact seeding for the Nos. 2-4 positions in the conference tourney between Vanderbilt, Texas and LSU. However, if all three win on Sunday, the Commodores and Longhorns would both be in the bottom half of the SEC bracket, with the possibility of facing off in the semifinals with a potential No. 1 seed in the Big Dance on the line.
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Another head-to-head matchup impacts the rankings
Michigan and Iowa swapped places as the second-highest Big Ten team in the rankings, behind UCLA. This appears to be another credit to the weight the committee is placing on head-to-head results, as the Hawkeyes took down the Wolverines, 62-44, on Feb. 22 in Iowa City, Iowa.
This should flag to teams in the top 16 (and those sitting just outside of it) that conference tournament results could be crucial in the final rankings. Wins over ranked opponents could allow some teams to secure their top-16 status or spur others to jump into the rankings and secure hosting positions in the NCAA Tournament field.
Minnesota moves into the top 16
The Gophers’ climb into the rankings is a testament to the committee’s respect for the Big Ten’s depth and to Minnesota’s growth under third-year coach Dawn Plitzuweit. If they remain in the final top 16, the Gophers should receive their highest tournament seed since 2005, when they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 3 seed.
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Minnesota has recorded two signature wins in the last three weeks. The Gophers handed Iowa its only home loss of the season on Feb. 5 and notched an impressive 13-point win over Ohio State on Feb. 18. Given that Iowa rose five spots in Sunday’s rankings compared to the previous top 16, that victory in Iowa City appears to have given the Gophers’ resume a major boost.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Golden Gophers, Vanderbilt Commodores, Iowa Hawkeyes, Connecticut Huskies, Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns, Women’s College Basketball
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