UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina, all No. 1 seeds, top final AP Top 25 before March Madness

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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, right, speaks as UConn guards Azzi Fudd, left, Blanca Quinonez, second from left, and associate head coach Chris Dailey, third from left, listen in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens (8) and center Lauren Betts (51 celebrate on the bench in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa in the finals of the Big Ten Conference tournament, Sunday, March 8, 2026 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) — UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, right, speaks as UConn guards Azzi Fudd, left, Blanca Quinonez, second from left, and associate head coach Chris Dailey, third from left, listen in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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8:25 AM on Monday, March 16

By DOUG FEINBERG

UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina were the top four teams in the final regular-season Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 released Monday, matching the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament that begins this week.

The No. 1 Huskies were the overall top seed in the NCAA bracket announced Sunday night. The team that was No. 1 in the poll heading into March Madness has won the NCAA championship 17 times out of 43 early March polls dating to 1982, the first year of the women's tournament.

The AP has done a final poll after the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons so there is one more poll this season on April 6.

The No. 2 Bruins picked up one more first place vote this week, giving them three from the 31-member national media panel. UConn received the other 28. With so few games last week that involved ranked teams — only UConn and Princeton played and both won — the Top 25 didn't change much from the week before.

LSU, Vanderbilt, Iowa and Duke followed No. 3 Texas and No. 4 South Carolina. Michigan and West Virginia rounded out the top 10 teams. All will host NCAA Tournament games this weekend. West Virginia flipped places with Ohio State, moving up to No. 11.

Conference supremacy

The SEC has the most teams in the Top 25 with eight. The Big Ten is next with seven. The Big 12 and ACC each have four. The Ivy League and Big East each have one.

Games of the week

The NCAA Tournament opens with First Four games taking place on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-baseketball