Michael VoepelJan 7, 2026, 08:30 AM ET
- Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women's college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
Thirteen years have passed since Texas Tech last made the women's NCAA tournament and had a winning conference record. The door is open for the Lady Raiders to do both again in 2026.
They are one of four unbeaten teams left in women's Division I, but who really is the best team in the Big 12? So far, there isn't just one.
Texas Tech makes its debut in this week's ESPN women's college basketball Power Rankings, while another Big 12 team, Baylor, returns after dropping out on Dec. 24. The Bears gave Iowa State its first loss of the season Sunday. The day before, TCU and Arizona State lost for the first time. This all left Texas Tech and West Virginia tied atop the league at 3-0, heading into their game Wednesday in Morgantown (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
In the Big 12 coaches' preseason poll, defending champion TCU was predicted to finish first, followed by Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. All remain in the mix to win the regular-season title. But it's going to be a challenge for every contender.
Arizona State, picked 11th in the preseason, is 15-1 and hopes to make its first NCAA appearance since 2019. It's been a longer drought for Texas Tech, which was picked 13th in the 16-team league.
From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Tech made 16 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and won the 1993 NCAA title. But since Marsha Sharp retired from coaching in 2005, it has had four coaches and made the NCAA tournament just twice, both first-round losses (2011 and 2013).
Krista Gerlich, a starting guard on Texas Tech's national championship team, took over the Lady Raiders in August 2020; in 2023, she led the program to its first 20-win campaign since 2013. Last season, Texas Tech won 19 games.
The Lady Raiders didn't play a tough nonconference schedule, but they got two wins against SEC teams (Arkansas and Mississippi State) and one against an ACC foe (SMU). And they started Big 12 play with a victory at Baylor on Dec. 21.
In a parity-filled Big 12 loaded with obstacles, Texas Tech still has much to prove. But for the first time in a while, the Lady Raiders might be in position to do that.
1. UConn Huskies (15-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Next seven days: vs. St. John's (Jan. 7), @ Creighton (Jan. 11)
While other leagues had some upsets and even a little chaos to open the new year, UConn continued to obliterate its Big East foes. The Huskies got their 38th win in a row against Providence (90-53) and their 42nd in a row vs. Seton Hall (84-48). Tune in this week for more of the same.
2. Texas Longhorns (17-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Jan. 8), @ LSU (Jan. 11)
Texas and Vanderbilt are the other unbeaten teams left, along with Texas Tech and UConn. But the Longhorns had a close game for nearly three quarters Thursday at Missouri before pulling away for an 89-71 win. On Sunday, they had an even closer game at home against Ole Miss: up as much as 19 points in the second half, they won by just three, 67-64. Still, Texas is off to its best start since its 1985-86 national championship season.
2:01
Madison Booker highlights key players behind Texas' dominance
After a 67-64 win over Ole Miss, Booker explains how her teammates' contributions free her to score and help the No. 2 Longhorns challenge opponents defensively.
3. UCLA Bruins (14-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Next seven days: @ Nebraska (Jan. 11)
After thumping Penn State 97-61 on the road Wednesday, UCLA came home and clobbered USC 80-46 on Saturday in a battle of Los Angeles that didn't live up to the "battle" part. While the UCLA-USC rivalry has been exciting the past few years in women's hoops, this season it appears to be all Bruins. Center Lauren Betts totaled 43 points and 19 rebounds in UCLA's two wins.
4. South Carolina Gamecocks (15-1)
Previous ranking: 4
Next seven days: @ Arkansas (Jan. 8), vs. Georgia (Jan. 11)
Still without injured guard Ta'Niya Latson (ankle), the Gamecocks beat Alabama 83-57 on Thursday and Florida 74-63 on Sunday. They had a season-high 21 turnovers against the Gators. South Carolina would love to get Latson back soon, but the Gamecocks have some time before they really need her: Jan. 15 vs. Texas.
1:23
Raven Johnson praises Gamecocks fight through adversity vs. UF
Johnson breaks down No. 3 South Carolina's balanced contributions through challenges and explains how she limited Florida's Liv McGill with her defensive approach.
5. Oklahoma Sooners (14-1)
Previous ranking: 6
Next seven days: vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 8), @ Kentucky (Jan. 11)
The Sooners, whose only loss this season was to UCLA on Nov. 10, have won 13 in a row since. Freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez had a combined 37 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists as she got her first taste of SEC action in the Sooners' victories last week: 72-50 over Texas A&M and 95-47 against Mississippi State. But Oklahoma is about to face a gauntlet: four consecutive games vs. ranked SEC teams.
6. Vanderbilt Commodores (15-0)
Previous ranking: 11
Next seven days: vs. Missouri (Jan. 8), @ Texas A&M (Jan. 11)
Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes continues to dazzle: She had a combined 67 points, 12 assists and 6 steals last week as the Commodores stayed perfect by beating Arkansas 88-71 and upsetting then-No. 5 LSU 65-61. The only Vanderbilt team with a better start than this one was the 1992-93 squad, which began its season 17-0 and went to the Final Four.
1:30
No. 12 Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes: 'I'm not gonna fear anybody'
Blakes describes fearlessness as the Commodores mindset and explains why she believes Vanderbilt is among the nation's best teams.
7. Kentucky Wildcats (15-1)
Previous ranking: 12
Next seven days: @ Alabama (Jan. 8), vs. Oklahoma (Jan. 11)
The Wildcats celebrated the new year on Jan. 1 with a huge 80-78 win at LSU on guard Tonie Morgan's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Kentucky didn't let up Sunday, defeating Missouri 74-52. Morgan totaled 42 points on 66.7% shooting, plus had 26 assists in the two wins. She spent her first three years at Georgia Tech and now is having a heck of a senior season at Kentucky.
8. Louisville Cardinals (14-3)
Previous ranking: 13
Next seven days: @ Miami (Jan. 8), vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 11)
The Cardinals' three losses in nonconference play were all against teams currently in the top 10: UConn, South Carolina and Kentucky. They are 4-0 in league play, blowing past SMU 91-58 and Virginia Tech 85-60 last week. For now, Louisville and North Carolina are the only ACC teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.
9. LSU Tigers (14-2)
Previous ranking: 5
Next seven days: @ Georgia (Jan. 8), vs. Texas (Jan. 11)
LSU got the usual grief for its cupcake-filled nonconference schedule, but the real deal started Jan. 1. It looked as if the Tigers might escape with a win in their SEC opener, but Kentucky's Tonie Morgan buried a last-second 3-pointer to upset LSU 80-78. Next was a 65-61 loss at Vanderbilt. Still, it wasn't the worst thing for the Tigers to get two back-to-back wake-up calls to start conference play. They learned their rebounding and offensive decision-making must improve now that their competition is much better.
10. TCU Horned Frogs (14-1)
Previous ranking: 7
Next seven days: vs. Oklahoma State (Jan. 7), vs. Arizona State (Jan. 11)
Guard Olivia Miles had her 10th triple-double of the season last Wednesday in TCU's 72-48 win at BYU. But then Saturday, after not giving up more than 61 points all season, the Frogs fell 87-77 in overtime at Utah. They surrendered 20 points in the extra period alone. TCU has a chance to bounce back with two games at home this week.
11. Maryland Terrapins (15-1)
Previous ranking: 10
Next seven days: @ Rutgers (Jan. 8), vs. Ohio State (Jan. 11)
It remains tough to get a great read on the Terps. They lost for the first time last Thursday, 73-70 at Illinois. It was just their second true road game of the season. In the first, Dec. 7 at Minnesota, they needed double overtime and multiple Gophers mistakes to win 100-99. We'll have a better idea just how good Maryland is when the Terps face five consecutive ranked opponents -- two on the road -- from Jan. 11-28.
12. Michigan Wolverines (12-2)
Previous ranking: 9
Next seven days: @ Penn State (Jan. 8), vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 11)
The Wolverines' double-overtime win at Oregon on Dec. 29 might have taken a lot out of them. Or so it appeared when they lost 64-52 at Washington on Jan. 1. It was by far Michigan's lowest point total of the season, 17 fewer than in its only other loss, 72-69 vs. UConn on Nov. 21. The Wolverines came back Monday with a 70-60 win at home against Minnesota.
13. Iowa State Cyclones (14-1)
Previous ranking: 8
Next seven days: @ Cincinnati (Jan. 7), vs. West Virginia (Jan. 11)
The Cyclones won 80-62 on New Year's Eve at Houston behind Audi Crooks' 35 points and 13 rebounds. Then they suffered their first loss of the season Sunday at home: 72-70 to Baylor, which often triple-teamed Crooks. She still finished with 26 points, but at less than her usual super-efficiency: 11-of-20 from the field. Iowa State took a big drop in the Power Rankings but could climb back up soon. The Cyclones don't face another team that is currently ranked until Jan. 28.
1:19
Baylor Bears vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Game Highlights
Baylor Bears vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Game Highlights
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (11-2)
Previous ranking: 15
Next seven days: @ Indiana (Jan. 11)
On Jan. 1, the Hawkeyes got their second win over a ranked team by beating Nebraska 86-76. Their 67-58 victory Monday at tied-for-last Northwestern was a little too close for comfort against the team with the worst overall record in the Big Ten. Still, center Ava Heiden had two efficient games with a combined 41 points on 17-of-21 shooting.
15. Texas Tech Lady Raiders (16-0)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Next seven days: @ West Virginia (Jan. 7), @ Cincinnati (Jan. 10), vs. Houston (Jan. 13)
The Lady Raiders cruised past UCF 73-55 and Arizona 80-49 last week, with guard Gemma Nuñez having back-to-back 8-assist games. This season, Snudda Collins (14.4 PPG), Bailey Maupin (14.3) and Jalynn Bristow (13.6) are leading the way in scoring. Texas Tech also made headlines by signing a player believed to be the tallest to play in the college women's game: 7-foot-1 center Stephanie Okechukwu of Nigeria. She joins Texas Tech this semester but the school is awaiting an eligibility ruling from the NCAA to determine when she will be able to play.
16. Baylor Bears (13-3)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Next seven days: vs. Colorado (Jan. 8), vs. Kansas (Jan. 11)
The Bears had a tough start to Big 12 play when they lost 61-60 at home to Texas Tech on Dec. 21. They made up for last week with road victories at Oklahoma State (77-68) and Iowa State (72-70). A big part of Baylor's surge is that guard Taliah Scott, who suffered an ankle injury in Baylor's 89-54 loss to Texas on Dec. 14, appears to be healthy again. She had 24 points against the Cowgirls and 21 vs. the Cyclones, playing more than 30 minutes in both games.
Dropped out: North Carolina Tar Heels (No. 14), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 16)
