Iowa State is No. 8 in the Associated Press preseason women’s basketball poll

These are uncommon times at Iowa State.

It’s a top-10 trifecta in Ames... football, men’s basketball and now women’s basketball.

The Cyclones are ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press preseason women’s basketball poll, released Tuesday.

| LINDER’S AP BALLOT |

Defending champion South Carolina is No. 1. The Gamecocks, 38-0 last season, return four starters from that title team and received 27 of 30 first-place votes. No. 2 Connecticut garnered two of them, No. 3 USC the other.

This is the 30th consecutive year that UConn is a preseason top-10 team.

Texas is No. 4, followed by UCLA, then it’s Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa State, North Carolina State and Oklahoma rounding out the top 10.

USC and UCLA are Big Ten newcomers this season.

Iowa State returns standouts Audi Crooks, Addy Brown and Emily Ryan from a team that reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Iowa, which advanced to the national-title game each of the past two years, is the first team among “others receiving votes.” The Hawkeyes were 34-5 last season.

The SEC has seven teams in the top 25. The ACC and Big Ten each have six ranked, the Big 12 four.

2024-25 Associated Press preseason women’s basketball poll

1. South Carolina (27 first place votes)

2. Connecticut (2)

3. USC (1)

4. Texas

5. UCLA

6. Notre Dame

7. LSU

8. Iowa State

9. North Carolina State

10. Oklahoma

11. Duke

12. Baylor

13. Kansas State

14. Ohio State

15. North Carolina

16. West Virginia

17. Louisville

18. Maryland

19. Florida State

20. Mississippi

21. Creighton

22. Kentucky

23. Nebraska

24. Alabama

25. Indiana

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com