The SEC Just Did That

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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

For the first time in the 50-year history of the women’s AP Top 25, the SEC has landed 10 teams in the rankings. No conference has ever hit double digits before. (AP News)

👉 See the full Top 25 poll

WHY IT MATTERS: The SEC has become the deepest, most dominant conference in women’s basketball. Night after night, teams are getting tested by ranked opponents, and that kind of grind matters. When nearly half the conference is ranked, the rest of the regular season starts to feel a lot like March, every single night.

The AP Top 25 poll is filled with Power 4 conference programs, but one mid-major team is carving its own path. With just one loss on the season, Princeton sits at No. 19, and they’re doing it without the resources most ranked teams rely on.

📺 Watch highlights from Princeton’s latest win

WHY IT MATTERS: Princeton has now appeared in the Top 25 for at least one week in four of the last five seasons, which is almost unheard of for an Ivy League program. Ivy League schools don’t offer athletic scholarships and have strict academic recruiting standards, yet the Tigers keep finding ways to win. They’re also developing pro-level talent, like alum Kaitlyn Chen, now in the WNBA. In a college basketball landscape driven by money and movement, Princeton’s winning ways are starting to stand out.

We see recruiting rankings all the time, but the Naismith Trophy narrows the focus to the very best. The 2026 Naismith Trophy Girls High School Player of the Year Midseason Watchlist is officially out, shortlisting the top prep talent in the country.

👉 Check out the full watchlist

WHY IT MATTERS: This award is often our first real glimpse at the next generation of college stars. Past winners include JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers, so the track record speaks for itself. This year’s list features No. 1 recruit Saniyah Hall, headed to USC, and No. 2 recruit Oliviyah Edwards, committed to Tennessee. These are names we could be hearing about for years to come.

🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked whether UConn will remain undefeated, and the confidence is real. 77% of you believe no one is stopping the Huskies this season.