This week has been rather historic in NCAA women’s basketball as it saw some records being rewritten. It also defined a chaotic start to the new year. For the first time in 27 years, eight teams entering the week with a 10-0 record or better suffered their first losses within a seven-day span.
This mass exodus from the ranks of the unbeaten represents the most significant shakeup week in nearly three decades. It again proves that no ranking is safe when conference play intensifies, leaving no margin for errors.
Among the most high-profile falls were Flau’jae Johnson’s LSU Tigers and Audi Crooks’ Iowa State Cyclones. LSU, previously a top-five powerhouse, saw its perfect season vanish in heartbreaking back-to-back losses, falling first to Kentucky and then Vanderbilt.
Meanwhile, Audi Crooks and the No.11 Cyclones, who had dominated their non-conference slate, finally met their match, as the rigors of the schedule caught up to them.
The carnage didn’t just stop there. Six other teams, including Maryland, TCU, Arizona State, Alabama, and Michigan, also witnessed their unbeaten streaks shatter within this time frame. This unprecedented collapse of the teams has cleared the path for a major alignment in the AP Top 25, leaving a handful of schools like UConn and Texas still standing strong. As these eight programs regroup, the message seems clear: the road to the Final Four is wider and more dangerous than it has been in a long time.
How Do The AP Top 25 Rankings Look Like After These Losses?
The latest AP Top 25 poll reflects the absolute carnage of the past week. LSU suffered the most dramatic fall, plummeting from No. 5 down to No. 12. This drop was followed by consecutive conference losses that shook the SEC.
Meanwhile, the teams that toppled them reaped the rewards. Kentucky and Vanderbilt both surged five spots to claim the No. 6 and No. 7 rankings, respectively.
Maryland slipped one spot to No. 8 after their first defeat. Michigan fell two places to land at No. 9 following a road loss. TCU saw a significant slide, dropping to No. 13 after an overtime thriller. With all of these teams falling, only four undefeated teams remain. The rankings are now a minefield as conference play starts taking over.
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