AP Women's College Basketball Poll 2021: South Carolina Stays Top After Win vs. UConn

South Carolina is the unanimous No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the third week of the 2021-22 women's basketball season.

The AP delayed the release of the poll to wait on the result of the Gamecocks' matchup with then-No. 2 Connecticut. Dawn Staley's squad was a 73-57 victor on Monday, solidifying its status as the top program in the country.

In addition to the Huskies, South Carolina (6-0) has earned wins over North Carolina State and Oregon, who sit fifth and 15th, respectively in the newest poll.

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AP Top 25

1. 1. South Carolina (6-0)
2. Maryland (6-0)
3. Connecticut (3-1)
4. Indiana (4-0)
5. North Carolina State (4-1)
6. Baylor (3-1)
7. Stanford (3-1)
8. Iowa (4-0)
9. Arizona (4-0)
10. Louisville (3-1)
11. Tennessee (4-0)
12. Michigan (5-0)
13. Iowa State (4-0)
14. Texas (3-1)
15. Oregon (3-2)
16. Oregon State (3-0)
17. Florida State (4-0)
18. South Florida (4-2)
19. UCLA (3-0)
20. Kentucky (3-1)
21. Ohio State (3-0)
22. West Virginia (3-0)
23. Texas A&M (4-0) 
24. Virginia Tech (5-0) 
25. Florida Gulf Coast (5-0)

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With the loss, UConn only slipped to third. However, the result may have exposed some issues within a roster that otherwise has the talent to bring a 12th national championship to Storrs, Connecticut.

Head coach Geno Auriemma offered a withering assessment following Monday's game: 

Maryland, meanwhile, got a statement win over Baylor on Sunday, which helped catapult the Terrapins into second. Prior to that, the Terps rolled through their first five games with an average margin of victory of 34 points.

Two big tests lie ahead for Maryland in the form of the Wolfpack and defending national champion Stanford. Overtaking South Carolina will be tough, but the Terrapins might garner some first-place votes if they start 8-0.

Further down in the poll, Tennessee (No. 11) and South Florida (No. 18) had the biggest jumps at five spots. The AP's Doug Feinberg noted this is the Lady Vols' highest position since December 2018.

Tennessee made seven straight NCAA tournament appearances under Holly Warlick, but that doesn't properly illustrate how the program was backsliding as it got further from the Pat Summitt era.

Head coach Kellie Harper still has plenty of work ahead to get the Lady Vols back to the pinnacle of women's basketball. Wins over USF and Texas will get fans excited that a first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2016 could at least be in store.