Defending national champion LSU opens as No.1 team in women’s basketball poll

Coming off its first national championship in program history, the LSU women’s basketball squad of Kim Mulkey are the top-ranked basketball team in the nation in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Tuesday.

The Tigers garnered 35 of 36 first-place votes to claim the top spot.

LSU returns All-American center Angel Reese, along with sophomore Flau’jae Johnson and Kateri Poole. LSU has a pair of outstanding transfers in Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow and a talented freshman class, led by Parkway’s Mikayla Williams, the No. 1 ranked prep player in the country last season and the two-time reigning Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year.

UCONN, with Paige Bueckers returning, is ranked second with Iowa and National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark third. UCLA is fourth with Utah fifth and perennial power South Carolina sixth. Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Indiana and Notre Dame round out the top 10. Tennessee checks in at No. 11 with Ole Miss 12th. Mississippi State is No. 25.

AP Top 25 Preseason Poll
First-place votes in parentheses.
1. LSU (35)
2. UConn (1)
3. Iowa
4. UCLA
5. Utah
6. South Carolina
7. Ohio State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Indiana
10. Notre Dame
11. Tennessee
12. Ole Miss
13. Texas
14. Maryland
15. Stanford
16. North Carolina
17. Louisville
18. Florida State
19. Baylor
20. Colorado
21. Southern Cal
22. Creighton
23. Illinois
24. Washington State
25. Mississippi State