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Notre Dame women’s basketball reaches No. 1 in Associated Press Poll for first time in six years

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•02/17/25•

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Notre Dame's bench reacts to a made three point shot during a NCAA women's basketball game between Notre Dame and Stanford at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, in South Bend. (Photo by MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

There’s a new No. 1 in women’s college basketball. It’s the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame is at the top of the Associated Press Poll for the first time since January 2019. The program went to the national championship game that season on the heels of winning it all in 2018.

A change of power at head coach from Muffet McGraw to Niele Ivey and a rash of injuries have prevented the Irish from going any further than the Sweet 16 in the last five seasons, but this particular Notre Dame team, one that takes a 17-game winning streak into tonight’s top-15 showdown against Duke, seems destined and poised to make another run to the Final Four.

If the season ended this past weekend, Notre Dame would be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament per the official March Madness Top 16 reveal Sunday. Interestingly, though, the Irish came in at No. 4 in those rankings despite their No. 1 standing in the AP Top 25. The March Madness rankings are what fuels the tournament bracket, not the AP Poll, so Notre Dame would be the lowest-ranked No. 1 seed.

Obviously, there is time yet for Notre Dame to keep proving itself to the tournament committee in a what it has already proved itself to the media. The top 16 came out before South Carolina was drubbed by 29 points at home against UConn on Sunday, too. The Gamecocks were No. 2 in the reveal prior to their first home loss in 72 games.

The Irish have won six ranked games by an average margin of roughly 15 points per game. The opportunity for a seventh such decisive ranked win is there against the Blue Devils in Purcell Pavilion. The nation will be watching; tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Week 16 Women’s Basketball AP Top 25: Notre Dame No. 1

1. Notre Dame
2. Texas
3. UCLA
4. USC

5. UConn
6. South Carolina
7. LSU
8. Ohio State

9. North Carolina
10. TCU
11. Duke
12. Kansas State

13. NC State
14. Kentucky
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma

17. West Virginia
18. Alabama
19. Baylor
20. Georgia Tech

21. Maryland
22. Michigan State
23. Creighton
24. Oklahoma State
25. Illinois

NCAA Women’s Basketball Top 16 (per the tournament committee)

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame

5. USC
6. LSU
7. UConn
8. NC State

9. TCU
10. Duke
11. North Carolina
12. Kansas State

13. Kentucky
14. Ohio State
15. Oklahoma
16. Tennessee

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