Women’s basketball preseason rankings revealed. Kentucky is out, but look who’s in.
The Associated Press revealed the first installment of its Top 25 for the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season on Tuesday.
As expected, Kentucky was absent from the rankings following a disappointing 12-19 (2-12 SEC) campaign last season after which several players departed through graduation or the transfer portal. However, several teams who did receive preseason attention are on UK’s schedule this year.
Reigning national champion LSU, with 35 first-place votes, is at the top of the poll after reloading its roster with high-profile transfers Hailey Van Lith (Louisville) and Aneesah Morrow (DePaul).
The SEC is also represented in the Top 25 by defending league champion South Carolina (No. 6), Tennessee (No. 11), Ole Miss (No. 12) and Mississippi State (No. 25).
UK archrival Louisville checked in at No. 17, while Colorado — a Kentucky opponent in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands next month — is No. 20. North Carolina State, another team the Wildcats will face in the Thanksgiving week showcase, as well as SEC member Texas A&M, were among teams also receiving votes in the media poll.
Kentucky was also unranked in USA Today’s preseason coaches poll released Tuesday.
Since their first season at varsity status in 1974-75, the Wildcats have spent 301 total weeks ranked in the AP poll. They’ve been included 15 times in preseason rankings, and 16 times in the final rankings.
Here are some other UK highlights in AP poll history:
Most recent appearance: The last time UK was ranked by the AP was the final poll of the 2021-22 season — head coach Kyra Elzy’s second season at the helm — when the Wildcats checked in at No. 15 after winning the SEC Tournament.
Highest ranking: The Wildcats were No. 4 in week 12 of the 1982-83 season under head coach Terry Hall. UK finished that season 23-5, earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament before losing in the first round to No. 7 seed Indiana.
Longest period of absence: Following a No. 25 ranking in week 10 of the 1992-93 season under head coach Sharon Fanning, the Wildcats dropped out of the poll and did not return again until week 12 of the 2005-06 season under head coach Mickie DeMoss, when the team checked back in at No. 21. That was UK’s sole ranking during that season.
Longest streak: The Wildcats’ longest streak in the AP Top 25 happened while Matthew Mitchell was leading the program. It began in week 13 of the 2009-10 season when the team entered at No. 20. UK remained in the Top 25 for 132 straight polls, ending with a week 9 ranking of No. 24 during the 2016-17 season.
You can find a complete history of UK women’s basketball in the AP poll here: https://tinyurl.com/25x39x8x
2023-24 AP Preseason Top 25
First-place votes in parentheses. Teams on Kentucky’s scheduled marked with a x:
1. LSU-x (35)
2. UConn (1)
3. Iowa
4. UCLA
5. Utah
6. South Carolina-x
7. Ohio State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Indiana
10. Notre Dame
11. Tennessee-x
12. Ole Miss-x
13. Texas
14. Maryland
15. Stanford
16. North Carolina
17. Louisville-x
18. Florida State
19. Baylor
20. Colorado-x
21. USC
22. Creighton
23. Illinois
24. Washington State
25. Mississippi State-x
Others receiving votes: Kansas State 47, North Carolina State-x 34, Kansas 26, Texas A&M-x 20, Iowa State 18, Gonzaga 15, Duke 7, Nebraska 5, Miami 3, Washington 2, Toledo 1, Oregon 1, Villanova 1, Arizona 1.
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