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Geno Auriemma ties a Tara Vanderveer record as UConn women basketball remains No. 7 in AP Top 25

The UConn women’s basketball team came in at No. 7 for the second straight week in the AP Top 25, and the ranking tied Huskies coach Geno Auriemma with legendary former Stanford coach Tara Vanderveer for most career appearances in the poll at a single program.

The Huskies have now been ranked 627 times during Auriemma’s 40-year tenure in Storrs, and they have spent 593 consecutive weeks in the Top 25 dating back to 1994. Vanderveer retired at the end of the 2023-24 season with 627 ranked weeks at Stanford, and she also led Ohio State to 27 Top 25 appearances as head coach from 1980-85. Auriemma also broke Vanderveer’s record for career wins earlier in November, and he reached 1,224 victories with UConn’s 67-41 rout of Providence on Sunday.

Fifth-year superstar Paige Bueckers was named to the Big East weekly honor roll after logging 23 points, four rebounds, four assists in UConn’s win over the Friars, also shooting 66.7% from the field and going 6-for-6 at the free throw line. The Huskies are the only Big East team even receiving votes in the top 25 as conference play begins in earnest, and UConn heads next to Milwaukee to face a rebuilding Marquette squad on New Year’s Day.

There was little movement in the AP poll entering Week 9 thanks to a light slate of games during the holiday week. The entire top 18 remained the same as Week 8 with Michigan State taking the largest drop from No. 19 to No. 21 after a loss to No. 8 Maryland. The Huskies don’t have another ranked opponent on the schedule until No. 15 Tennessee on Feb. 6 in Knoxville, but they are entering a challenging stretch of conference games with four of their next five on the road.

Paige Bueckers’ star power draws fans from Stockholm to CT to watch UConn women’s basketball rout Providence

AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll: Week 9

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. Texas
6. LSU
7. UConn
8. Maryland
9. Oklahoma
10. Ohio State
11. TCU
12. Kansas State
13. Georgia Tech
14. Duke
15. Tennessee
16. Kentucky
17. North Carolina
18. West Virginia
19. Alabama
20. California
21. Michigan State
22. NC State
23. Iowa
24. Michigan
25. Ole Miss

How UConn reporter Emily Adams voted in Week 9 AP poll

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. Texas
6. UConn
7. Maryland
8. LSU
9. Oklahoma
10. TCU
11. Ohio State
12. Georgia Tech
13. Duke
14. Kansas State
15. Tennessee
16. North Carolina
17. Kentucky
18. NC State
19. Ole Miss
20. West Virginia
21. California
22. Alabama
23. Michigan
24. Michigan State
25. Iowa