Mid-February is where reputations are tested and resumes are sharpened. The latest Associated Press women’s Top 25 did not bring chaos at the very top, but it absolutely brought movement everywhere else.
UConn Huskies remains the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. Behind them, UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas Longhorns and Vanderbilt Commodores hold their spots in the top five.
But beneath that layer, there are storylines everywhere. Duke is charging. TCU is dangerous. Maryland just reminded the Big Ten it is not going anywhere. Georgia crashed the party. Minnesota is suddenly relevant.
With conference tournaments on the horizon, this is where the separation begins.
UConn’s standard never wavers
At 27-0, UConn is not just winning. The Huskies are overwhelming teams with balance, discipline and the kind of defensive pressure that travels in March.
They have now won 43 straight games, one of the longest active streaks in the country, and Geno Auriemma continues to add to a legacy that already feels untouchable. UConn has been ranked for more than three decades straight. That kind of sustained dominance is almost impossible in the modern game.
Villanova is next, but the bigger question is not whether UConn will win games. It is who can push them for four quarters.
The top five feel solid but not invincible
UCLA at No. 2 has won 19 straight and continues to control the Big Ten race. The Bruins look physical and poised, especially in the paint, and they are beating teams by margins that suggest they are thinking beyond conference play.
South Carolina remains South Carolina. Dawn Staley’s group has now beaten LSU 18 consecutive times and continues to defend at an elite level. Texas steadied itself after recent scrutiny and keeps stacking SEC wins, while Vanderbilt absorbed a tough loss to Georgia but remains firmly in the national conversation.
The top five did not change, but the gap between them and the next tier may not be as wide as it looked a month ago.
Duke is no longer a quiet contender
The most obvious momentum shift belongs to Duke.
Duke Blue Devils has won 16 straight games and sits 14-0 in ACC play. That consistency has pushed the Blue Devils up to No. 9, back inside the top 10 and firmly into the protected-seed discussion.
This is not a flashy team. It is a disciplined, defensively engaged group that knows how to close games. A matchup with NC State is coming, and that will be another measuring stick, but Duke looks like a program that expects to be playing deep into March.
TCU and Maryland send loud messages
TCU Horned Frogs jumped five spots to No. 12 after an offensive outburst that turned heads across the Big 12. The Horned Frogs have the kind of perimeter firepower that can flip a game in minutes, and that makes them dangerous in both the conference tournament and the NCAA field.
Meanwhile, Maryland Terrapins produced one of the most impressive rallies of the season, erasing a 19-point deficit against Ohio State. That comeback vaulted them up six spots to No. 14 and reopened the Big Ten race just behind UCLA.
The Terrapins have experience, size and the ability to score in waves. No one in the league is thrilled about seeing them in a tournament bracket.
Georgia and Minnesota crash the rankings
Two of the freshest names in the poll are also two of the most intriguing.
Georgia Lady Bulldogs earned its way into the Top 25 after knocking off Vanderbilt in one of the week’s biggest upsets. Georgia now owns multiple wins over ranked SEC teams and looks far more dangerous than it did in December.
Minnesota Golden Gophers enters at No. 23 riding an eight-game winning streak. The Gophers’ win over Iowa earlier this season was not a fluke, and their closing stretch, which includes Ohio State and Michigan State, will determine whether this ranking sticks.
Both programs have something to prove. Both have opportunities immediately in front of them.
Key games ahead could reshape the bracket
The upcoming week is loaded with games that will impact seeding and perception.
No. 6 Michigan travels to No. 13 Iowa in a matchup that could determine positioning behind UCLA in the Big Ten. LSU heads to Ole Miss in a pivotal SEC clash. Duke hosts NC State. Minnesota faces Ohio State.
These are not just resume games. They are tone-setting games.
With March approaching, there is no more room for learning experiences. It is about results.
Full Associated Press Women’s Top 25 (Records)
- UConn (27-0)
- UCLA (25-1)
- South Carolina (25-2)
- Texas (24-3)
- Vanderbilt (24-3)
- Michigan (22-4)
- LSU (22-4)
- Louisville (24-4)
- Duke (19-6)
- Ohio State (22-4)
- Oklahoma (19-6)
- TCU (23-4)
- Iowa (19-5)
- Maryland (21-6)
- Baylor (22-5)
- Kentucky (20-7)
- Ole Miss (20-6)
- Michigan State (20-6)
- West Virginia (21-6)
- Texas Tech (23-4)
- Tennessee (16-7)
- North Carolina (21-6)
- Minnesota (20-6)
- Georgia (20-6)
- Alabama (20-6)
The top remains steady. The middle is shifting. The bottom of the poll is fighting for relevance. And with only weeks left before conference tournaments, this is exactly how February should feel.