UConn women’s basketball ranked No. 2 in AP Preseason Poll

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 19: Sarah Strong #21 of the Connecticut Huskies reacts during the first half of the NCAA women's exhibition basketball game against the Texas Longhorns at PeoplesBank Arena on October 19, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) | Getty Ima

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UConn women’s basketball will start the 2026-27 season as the No. 2 team in the country. On Tuesday, the Huskies landed second in the AP Preseason Poll, picking up six first-place votes.

South Carolina earned the top spot with 23 first-place votes. USC (two first-place votes), Duke and Michigan rounded out the top five. Texas, who UConn beat 83-61 in an exhibition at PeoplesBank Arena last night, came in at No. 6.

Thanks to a loaded non-conference schedule, the Huskies will play nine teams in the preseason

top 25: No. 1 South Carolina (Nov. 24), No. 4 Duke (Nov. 28), No. 5 Michigan (Nov. 5), No. 7 Louisville (Nov. 15), No. 9 LSU (Dec. 20), No. 10 Iowa (Nov. 8), No. 13 Notre Dame (Dec. 9), No. 18 Ohio State (Nov. 12) and No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 5).

Elsewhere, Shea Ralph’s Vanderbilt squad came in at No. 8. Tennessee, Syracuse, Villanova and Fairfield all received votes but landed outside the poll.

Last year, UConn went 38-1. It entered the Final Four as the nation’s last unbeaten team but ultimately fell to South Carolina in the national semifinal, 62-48. The Huskies lost Azzi Fudd, Serah Williams, Caroline Ducharme, Ayanna Patterson and Ice Brady over the offseason, but brought in a strong freshman class that features Olivia Vukosa (No. 2 in ESPN’s 2026 recruiting rankings), Jovana Popovic and Marine Dursus. Sarah Strong also returns for her junior year after sweeping the National Player of the Year awards in 2025-26.