The UConn women’s basketball team maintained its second place in the Week 3 AP Top 25 poll after earning its first ranked win of the 2024-25 season over North Carolina on Sunday.

With decisive wins over the Tar Heels and South Florida, the Huskies also secured weekly Big East honors: superstar guard Paige Bueckers earned her first Player of the Week honor of the season, and freshman forward Sarah Strong was named for the second time Newbie of the Week named week in a row. Bueckers scored 29 points to lead the Huskies past the Tar Heels, and against the Bulls she scored 22 points on 90% shooting from the field. Strong, a native of Durham, North Carolina, recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in her home game at North Carolina, while also adding a season-high five blocks. She had 13 points and seven rebounds and shot 5-8 in the USF win.

The Huskies, also ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll, pushed the Tar Heels from No. 14 to No. 16 with their 69-58 win in Greensboro, N.C. South Carolina, the reigning NCAA champions, remains No. 1 The unanimous top team receives all 31 first place votes. UConn is still the only Big East team ranked in the poll, and preseason No. 21 Creighton is no longer receiving votes after a resounding loss to No. 10 Kansas State.

Although there was little movement in the top 10 this week, several surprises caused excitement in the bottom half of the poll. NC State fell seven spots to No. 20 after a 76-73 loss to TCU, and the Horned Frogs made their debut in the rankings at No. 19. Kentucky climbed with a 71-61 overtime win over rival Louisville also ranked No. 15, which UConn will face on Dec. 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Cardinals, now 2-2, fell from No. 18 to No. 25.

UConn’s next game is Wednesday against Fairleigh Dickinson at Gampel Pavilion, but it won’t be long before the Huskies face another ranked opponent. The team faces No. 17 Ole Miss in the Baha Mar Women’s Championship Tournament next week, so they will meet in Nassau, Bahamas on Nov. 27 if both win their respective openers against Oregon State and Boston College. The Rebels opened 2024-25 with an impressive performance in a 68-66 loss to No. 3 USC in Paris.

AP Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll: Week 3

1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. USC
4. Texas
5. UCLA
6. Notre Dame
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. Oklahoma
10. Kansas State
11. Maryland
12. Ohio State
13. West Virginia
14. duke
15. Kentucky
16. North Carolina
17. Ole Miss
18. Baylor
19. TCU
20. NC State
21. Nebraska
22. Illinois
23. Oregon
24. Alabama
25. Louisville

How UConn reporter Emily Adams voted in the third week AP poll

1. South Carolina
2. UConn
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. Texas
6. UCLA
7. LSU
8. Iowa State
9. Ohio State
10. Kansas State
11. Oklahoma
12. Maryland
13. West Virginia
14. Ole Miss
15. Kentucky
16. TCU
17. Oregon
18. NC State
19. duke
20. Illionois
21. Michigan
22. Baylor
23. North Carolina
24. Louisville
25. State of Florida

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Originally published: November 18, 2024 at 12:30 pm EST