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Notre Dame women's basketball in final AP Top 25, way-too-early 2025-26 rankings

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•04/07/25•

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Notre Dame huddles up before a NCAA women's basketball game between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 11 Duke at Purcell Pavilion on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in South Bend. (Photo by MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The final Associated Press Poll of the 2024-25 women’s basketball season came out Monday following UConn’s national championship game victory over South Carolina on Sunday. Notre Dame checked in at No. 10.

The Irish spent most of the season ranked inside the top 10, including a one-week stint at No. 1. They ended up as the third-highest ranked team from the ACC behind Duke and NC State. Notre Dame lost to both of those teams down the stretch run of the season before bowing out of the NCAA Tournament with a Sweet 16 loss to TCU.

Here’s a look at the entire poll.

Final 2024-25 NCAA Women’s Basketball Associated Press Poll

1. UConn (37-3)
2. South Carolina (35-4)
3. UCLA (34-3)
4. Texas (35-4)

5. USC (31-4)
6. TCU (34-4)
7. Duke (29-8)
8. LSU (31-6)

9. NC State (28-7)
10. Notre Dame (28-6)
11. Oklahoma (27-8)
12. Maryland (25-8)

13. Kansas State (28-8)
14. North Carolina (29-8)
15. Tennessee (24-10)
16. Kentucky (23-8)

17. Ole Miss (22-11)
18. Baylor (28-8)
19. Ohio State (26-7)
20. Alabama (24-9)

21. West Virginia (25-8)
22. Florida State (24-9)
23. South Dakota State (30-4)
24. Oklahoma State (25-7)
25. Michigan (23-11)

Notre Dame was a mixed bag against teams ranked in the final poll of the season. The Irish finished with a 5-5 mark. Ironically, though, they were 3-0 against teams ranked in the top five, including a victory over eventual national champion UConn.

ESPN came out with a way-too-early set of rankings for the 2025-26 season. The Irish are No. 17. The author of the rankings, Charlie Creme, came right out and addressed the elephant in the room as to why he does not expect Notre Dame to be as good next season as it was last season — a currently depleted roster.

“With graduations and a rash of unexpected portal departures, Niele Ivey has significant roster spots to fill,” Creme wrote. “But she still has Hannah Hidalgo. Adding a couple of reinforcements to play with her star would help Ivey get her Irish back near the top 10.”

Here is Creme’s full way-too-early top 25 for 2025-26.

ESPN’s way-too-early 2025-26 NCAA women’s basketball rankings

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. UConn
4. Texas
5. Duke

6. LSU
7. Oklahoma
8. Tennessee
9. Baylor
10. NC State

11. Vanderbilt
12. USC
13. Iowa State
14. North Carolina
15. Louisville

16. Michigan
17. Notre Dame
18. Iowa
19. Michigan State
20. Richmond

21. Maryland
22. Oklahoma
23. Princeton
24. Washington
25. Ohio State

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