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What To Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. Major Shake-Up in the Top 5 Rankings 🏀
The latest AP Top 25 Poll arrived on Monday, and women’s DI college basketball has a new-look top five. UCLA holds steady at No.1, while Notre Dame jumps to No. 2 after South Carolina lost to Texas. Meanwhile, UConn falls out of the top five entirely. Here’s how the top 5 looks now:
UCLA
Notre Dame
Texas
South Carolina
LSU
See the full Top 25 rankings here 👉 AP News
WHY IT MATTERS: This is Notre Dame’s highest ranking since 2019, and UCLA holds the No. 1 spot for the 12th straight week. A top-five ranking doesn’t guarantee a championship, but the week-over-week shake-ups prove just how deep and competitive this year’s field is.
2. Cyclone Emily Ryan Making Assist History 🙌
Iowa State’s Emily Ryan just joined an elite club. In the Cyclones' win over Colorado on Saturday, the senior guard moved into 10th place on the NCAA Division I all-time assists leaderboard. She stands at 942 career assists. (Iowa State Cyclones)
WHY IT MATTERS: While scorers often get the spotlight, Ryan is quietly making history by elevating her teammates. She’s averaging 6.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game, regularly controlling the pace and pushing her team. With Iowa State sitting at 17-9 and a team-centric guard like Ryan running the show, they’ve got a real shot at getting a NCAA postseason bid.
3. Austin’s New Women’s Sports Bar 🍺
Austin, Texas is getting a new sports bar dedicated entirely to showing women’s sports. Named “1972” in honor of the year the landmark legislation Title IX became law, the bar will be located near the University of Texas campus. It will feature Longhorns women’s basketball games, along with other women’s collegiate and professional sports. (Fox 7 Local News)
WHY IT MATTERS: The success of women’s sports bars is growing nationwide. The opening of 1972 follows in the footsteps of Portland’s trailblazing “The Sports Bra”, which opened in Portland in 2022 and is now expanding via franchise (1972 is independent). More fans are looking for dedicated spaces to watch women’s sports, and entrepreneurs are stepping up to meet the demand.
OVERTIME ⏱️
Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament wasted no time delivering shocks. On opening night, Aaliyah Edwards pulled off a massive upset, shutting out 2x WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart (and her 3-on-3 teammate) 12-0—in under two minutes. Watch the highlights here 👉 Women’s Hoops Network
