The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference both have arguments to be considered the top league in women's basketball.
Each has seven teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll Monday, including four apiece in the first 10. Both leagues have been bolstered this season by conference realignment, with No. 1 UCLA and No. 4 USC joining the Big Ten while No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma are new to the SEC.
UCLA was once again the top choice in the poll after receiving 30 of 32 first-place votes from a national media panel. The Bruins have been the solid No. 1 team since knocking off former top team South Carolina in late November. The Gamecocks, who remained No. 2, host No. 5 Texas on Sunday.
Notre Dame remained third, garnering the other two first place votes, taking one away from the Gamecocks.
LSU and UConn were next after the Longhorns. Undefeated Maryland was eighth with Ohio State moving up one spot to ninth after Oklahoma split a pair of games with Texas and then-No. 15 Tennessee.
Ranked Utes
Utah underwent a coaching change in the first month of the season when Lynne Roberts left to coach in the WNBA. Longtime assistant Gavin Petersen stepped in and now has the Utes ranked for the third consecutive season as they entered the poll at No. 22.
''I don't know if it's ever happened in our game before. leaving a few games in,'' Petersen said in a phone interview. ''Our resilient crew has stepped up and faced the adversity that's in front of them. We got through that feeling-out phase and put to rest all the unknowns.''
