Women's college basketball Power Rankings: South Carolina holds top spot, UConn falls after loss to Michigan
South Carolina will get a major test on Sunday in a showdown against JuJu Watkins and USC
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South Carolina's point guard-by-committee approach has led the Gamecocks to a 2-0 start and the No. 1 spot in the CBS Sports women's college basketball power rankings. Michigan is No. 2 after handing the UConn Huskies their first loss of the season, while USC takes No. 3 thanks to the Trojans' big three of JuJu Watkins, Jazzy Davidson and Saniyah Hall.
Dawn Staley's Gamecocks were tested early with games against Maryland and North Carolina, and the results provided reassurance that the team will be just fine in the post-Raven Johnson era. Not only did the Gamecocks beat two teams who were in the preseason rankings, but South Carolina also made a serious statement with a 45-point blowout against the Tar Heels -- who also lost to Oklahoma and therefore did not make the top 25 this week.
One of the biggest storylines in college basketball has been the return of Watkins for USC after she missed last year with a knee injury. But the USC superstar is also sharing the spotlight with Davidson, last season's Freshman of the Year, and Hall, the No. 2-ranked player in the class of 2026 for 247Sports. We are in for a treat this weekend as South Carolina hosts the Trojans on Sunday for their "Real SC" battle.
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UConn has a tough non-conference schedule and left a lot to be desired in their Nov. 5 loss to Michigan. However, Geno Auriemma's team remained in the top five after a bounce-back win against Iowa. Sarah Strong and the rest of the Huskies will have to keep that momentum going as four of their next five opponents are ranked teams, starting with No. 17 Ohio State on Thursday night.
Elsewhere, No. 7 LSU started the season with three 100-plus point games, including a 109-point win over Texas Southern, which set the record for the biggest blowout in Division I college hoops history.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame is one spot away from entering the top 10. The Fighting Irish had a major roster rebuild with Hannah Hidalgo as the only returner from last season's Elite Eight run. Multiple players are stepping up to help Hidalgo, including sophomore Leah Macy, who is off to a strong start after missing all of last season due to a knee injury she suffered during her high school senior year.
Here are this week's CBS Sports women's college basketball Power Rankings.
Women's college basketball Power Rankings
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First five out: North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Kansas, Michigan State
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