UConn Ranked No. 1 in AP Poll for 9th Straight Year After Win vs. South Carolina

Connecticut moved into the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press' Top 25 women's basketball poll on the strength of its 63-59 overtime win over previously top-ranked South Carolina last Monday.

The AP's Doug Feinberg noted the Huskies, who were No. 2, have been ranked first in nine straight seasons. The second-longest active streak is only two years, an achievement shared by South Carolina and Stanford.

"It becomes a little more meaningful or significant when you see some programs and where they were nine years ago and where they are today," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, who has been with the Huskies since 1985. "You appreciate it for sure when you see how hard it is that other really, really good programs [don't do it]. It does bring a sense of, yeah, we're fortunate that we put ourselves in that position every year."

The AP poll was bound to have a new No. 1 team for the third straight week once the Gamecocks suffered their second loss of the year.

Paige Bueckers finished with 31 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds, and the freshman guard confirmed the outcome with a three-pointer as the shot clock expired deep into overtime.

Connecticut hasn't won a national championship since 2016, which feels like an eternity for a program that reeled off four straight titles and six over an eight-year span.

Bueckers has lived up to the hype. Evina Westbrook has made an immediate impact upon being eligible to play following her transfer from Tennessee. Bueckers' success is also overshadowing the fact UConn has another freshman, Aaliyah Edwards, who's averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in just 19.4 minutes per game.

No team in women's basketball looks to be head and shoulders above the pack. This could be the opportunity for the Huskies to once again reign supreme.