South Carolina Tops Preseason Women’s Basketball Poll

The Gamecocks claim the number one spot in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll ahead of the new season.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Basketball

South Carolina Tops Preseason Women’s Basketball Poll

Live Poll

Do you trust preseason coaches' polls to accurately predict how your local college team will perform?

South Carolina has been named the top team in the USA TODAY Sports women's basketball preseason coaches poll. The team received 26 of the 32 first-place votes cast by coaches across the nation.

Why it matters

The annual preseason ranking sets the initial expectations for the collegiate basketball season. Coaches based their selections on current team rosters, incoming talent from the transfer portal, and returning players.

South Carolina secured the top spot with 26 of 32 first-place votes, while UConn placed second with six votes. The Big Ten leads conference representation with nine ranked teams, followed by the SEC with seven.

The players

South Carolina

This university's women's basketball program is based in Columbia and currently holds the number one ranking.

UConn

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is a perennial national power that currently holds the second spot in the poll.

Duke

This Atlantic Coast Conference program is ranked number four in the preseason coaches poll.

The details

Rounding out the top tier are UConn at number two, USC at number three, and Duke at number four. Other notable inclusions are UCLA at 12th, TCU at 16th, and Oklahoma State at 19th.

October 20, 2026: USA TODAY Sports released the preseason coaches poll.
November 2026: The women's college basketball season begins.

Season Trajectory

This preseason poll provides the foundational ranking structure for the 2026-2027 competitive season. It signals the shift in power between conferences, specifically highlighting the depth of the Big Ten and SEC ahead of tournament play.

The rankings dictate the early season strength-of-schedule metrics and can influence tournament selection math as the year progresses. These numbers help fans track which programs successfully navigated the transfer portal to build their current rotations.

The takeaway

With the season starting in less than two weeks, these rankings serve as a barometer for team success. Fans should monitor roster depth and early-season matchups to see if top-ranked programs can maintain their standing.