The opening week of women’s college basketball was a wild one that challenged our preseason expectations. It’s clear now that some teams have adjustments to make, while others have adapted quickly to offseason changes.
In the preseason poll, LSU was nearly the unanimous No. 1, garnering 35 of 36 first-place votes. A lot of us thought that the Tigers would start the season off strong and keep rolling. But the reigning national champs are grappling with the losses of Alexis Morris and LaDazhia Williams, while also trying to build chemistry with star-studded additions like Hailey Van Lith, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams. LSU was exposed in a season-opening loss to Colorado, which reminded us all how good the Buffs were a year ago.
UConn, it seems, is still finding its footing too as it welcomes injured stars back into the lineup. Defense and rebounding – and an inability to stop Saniya Rivers – were a concern as the Huskies fell at previously unranked N.C. State on Sunday.
Iowa looks the most equipped to make it back to the Final Four after topping Virginia Tech in an incredible atmosphere in Charlotte. And it’s fair to say that many of us underestimated South Carolina, who looked like a juggernaut in wins over Notre Dame and Maryland despite replacing its entire starting lineup from last season.
Below is a breakdown of how – and why – I voted in the AP Top 25 Poll ahead of Week 2…