Bruins Claim the Throne in Chaos at the Top
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Bruins Claim the Throne in Chaos at the Top

UCLA rises to No. 1 while the Horned Frogs and Fighting Irish surge, reshaping the national picture.

D1Ball StaffSaturday, August 1, 2026

The Bruins (37-1) ascended to No. 1 in the latest women's basketball poll, overtaking the previously top-ranked Huskies (38-1), who dropped to No. 3 despite carrying just one loss all season. The Gamecocks (36-4) climbed two spots to No. 2, and the Longhorns (35-4) held steady at No. 4, giving the sport four teams separated by a single loss and making every late-season possession feel like a referendum on the bracket.

The Horned Frogs (32-6) were the poll's biggest riser, vaulting eight spots from No. 14 to No. 6 — a jump that says everything about how voters reward sustained dominance. The Fighting Irish (25-11) made an even more dramatic climb, surging from No. 22 to No. 9. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes (27-7) took the hardest fall, dropping nine spots from No. 7 to No. 16, and the Tigers (29-6) slipped from No. 5 to No. 8.

Three teams entered the poll fresh — the Cavaliers (22-12), Crimson Tide (24-11), and Huskies (22-11) — proof that the race for the top 25 is every bit as wide-open as the chase for the crown.

Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.

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