AP poll Top 25 women's basketball: Caitlin Clark's Iowa takes giant leap as South Carolina secures top spot

The AP poll Top 25 for women's basketball was released on Monday.

The South Carolina Gamecocks remain the top-ranked team with a 21-0 record and an 85-56 victory over Ole Miss. South Carolina will now play unranked Missouri at home on Thursday.

The Gamecocks were a unanimous No. 1, getting all 35 votes from the media panel.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are the second-ranked team, led by Caitlin Clark, who is expected to be the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Iowa is 21-2 and coming off a 93-85 win over Maryland.

In the win over Maryland, Clark recorded 38 points to bring her career total to 3,462 career points, trailing Kelsey Plum's record of 3,527.

With Plum's record likely to be broken, the WNBA star says she's excited Clark will be the one to break it.

"I'm actually very grateful to pass that baton. I'm very happy for her," Plum said on Friday at USA Basketball team camp. "If anything, make sure that we show her love outside of her performance. She'll break it. I'm excited for her."

North Carolina State is ranked third, as the Wolfpack moved up two spots after their 63-69 win over North Carolina. NC State will host Louisville on Monday night and play 16th-ranked Virginia Tech on Thursday.

Fourth in the AP Poll's rankings are the Colorado Buffaloes, who are 19-3 and moved up two spots from last week's poll. Colorado is coming off an 80-57 win over unranked Washington.

Ohio State, 19-3, rounds out the top five after moving up three spots from last week's poll. The Buckeyes defeated Indiana 74-69 last time around.

One notable team that fell out of the ranking was UNC, despite close losses to NC State and Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels have lost eight games this season, with five against ranked teams, and all five have been within 12 points.

AP Poll: Top 25 women's basketball

The full AP Poll Top 25 rankings for Week 14 are as follows:

1. South Carolina (21-0)
2. Iowa (21-2)
3. North Carolina State (19-2)
4. Colorado (19-3)
5. Ohio State (19-3)
6. Stanford (20-3)
7. Texas (21-3)
8. Kansas State (20-3)
9. UCLA (17-4)
10. USC (16-4)
11. UConn (19-4)
12. Notre Dame (17-4)
13. LSU (19-4)
14. Indiana (18-3)
15. Louisville (19-3)
16. Virginia Tech (18-4)
17. Oregon State (17-3)
18. Baylor (17-4)
19. Gonzaga (22-2)
20. Utah (17-6)
21. Creighton (18-3)
22. West Virginia (19-2)
23. Syracuse (18-4)
24. Oklahoma (15-6)
25. Princeton (17-3)