With this year’s edition of the NCAA Tournament set to begin, check out our women’s college basketball rankings to find out who are the 25 best teams in the country in March.
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This list is different from the traditional Associated Press poll and is instead a rundown of who we currently believe are the 25 best squads in the nation. So, without further ado, take a look at our latest womens college basketball rankings for the 2023-24 NCAA season.
Top 25 College Basketball Rankings
1. South Carolina (LW: 1)
The South Carolina Gamecocks have again been a dominant force this season as they have stormed to a 32-0 record and again won an SEC title. What makes it all the more impressive is they lost star Aliyah Boston after she moved on to the WNBA last year, but Kamilla Cardoso has taken over her mantle as the team’s top player and has been sensational. They are again a Final Four contender heading into the tournament.
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2. Iowa (LW: 3)
Caitlin Clark is again the biggest star in women’s college basketball as she fills up the stat sheet every night for the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, she has gotten solid help from the likes of Hannah Stuelke and Kate Martin in 2023-24 as the Hawkeyes look to finish the story they nearly completed last March.
Clark is now the queen of scoring in college basketball and the Hawkeyes enter the tourney on a roll after winning the Big Ten conference title.
3. USC (LW: 5)
Led by an outstanding season from Juju Watkins, the USC Trojans have made some big gains this season. While they had missteps early in the season in losses to UCLA and Colorado, a huge recent win against Stanford pushed them into the top 10.
They are on a serious roll heading into the tournament after winning the final Pac-12 title after scoring a second win over rivals Stanford.
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4. Texas (LW: 6)
The Texas Longhorns are having a very strong season in 2023-24 and are led by a rock-solid trio of Madison Booker, Rori Harmon, and Taylor Jones. All three are reliable scorers and rebounders why Booker and Harmon fill the stat sheet in three categories every night.
While their failures in both games to Oklahoma have been surprising, wins over UConn and Kansas State were part of a hot streak that took them all the way to the Big 12 conference title.
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5. Stanford (LW: 2)
Cameron Brink entered the season as one of the better players in the league, but Kiki Iriafen has taken a big leap forward in her Junior season. She has become equal to Brink if not, arguably, better in leading the Stanford Cardinals to a strong season with one of the best frontcourts in the nation.
While they should be a force in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, their pair of losses to USC this season show they may not be good enough to go all the way.
6. UCLA (LW: 7)
While they have suffered some setbacks recently, the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball squad is one of the deepest in the nation. Heading into the tourney they have four different players averaging double-digit points per game and Kiki Rice, Charisma Osborne, and Lauren Betts are a dynamite trio that will be a tough out in the tournament.
They fell in recent women’s college basketball rankings after surprise losses to Washington State, Stanford, and Oregon State this month. But they have rebounded with a pair of wins over ranked teams in March.
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7. Ohio State (LW: 4)
There were high hopes for the Ohio State Buckeyes combo of Jacy Sheldon and Cotie McMahon this season and they have delivered — especially in wins this season over Indiana and Iowa. Those huge victories have been pivotal in the Buckeyes’ rise from just a ranked squad to a top-10 team in February.
Unfortunately, some stumbles in March, including a shocking loss to Maryland, drops to the back end of the top 10 in our latest women’s college basketball rankings.
8. LSU (LW: 8)
After some early season drama, Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers have been a powerhouse in the SEC. To end March they suffered a pair of back-to-back losses to South Carolina (understandable) and Mississippi State (that was surprising), they have reeled off 10 straight wins before another frustrating loss to South Carolina in the SEC Conference Finals ended their regular season.
They head into the tournament confident and capable of reaching the Final Four again in 2024.
9. UConn (LW: 9)
While Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies struggled early in the season, following their December loss to Texas the team has been impressive as they have gone 25-2 since. The Big East champions will be a force in this year’s tournament, however, their losses to the elites in the country — like South Carolina UCLA — have hurt the perception that they will be title contenders in March.
10. Notre Dame (LW: 14)
Over the last couple of months, freshman Hannah Hidalgo and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have slowly crept up the top 25 rankings. However, over the last few weeks, they have blasted their way into the top 10 and an ACC title with five straight wins over ranked teams, including over NC State and Virginia Tech.
Confidence is key come tournament time and no team in the country seems more ready for a run in March than Notre Dame.
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- 11. NC State
- 12. Oregon State
- 13. Virginia Tech
- 14. Indiana
- 15. Gonzaga
- 16. Oklahoma
- 17. Kansas State
- 18. Baylor
- 19. Colorado
- 20. Utah
- 21. Syracuse
- 22. UNLV
- 23. Fairfield
- 24. Creighton
- 25. Louisville
Who is the #1 women’s college basketball player?
Iowa star Caitlin Clark is the best female basketball player in the college ranks right now. She won the Associated Press Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year award for 2022-23 and is a favorite to do it again. She currently leads the country in scoring, assists, and three-pointers made for a team near the top of our rankings.
Will Caitlin Clark go to the WNBA?
Barring a catastrophic injury, Clark is sure to be the top pick overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Who is the leading scorer in women’s college basketball?
Clark currently leads the nation in scoring with 32.4 points per game. She is followed by USC star JuJu Watkins (27.2), and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo (25.0).
What university has the best women’s basketball team?
While several schools have legendary programs, such as Tennessee, Stanford, and Baylor, UConn has the best girl’s basketball program and the proof is in their 11 national championships.