The UCLA Bruins are someplace they've never been before this season -- and we don't just mean their membership in the Big Ten. They are 20-0 for the first time in program history, and this is their 10th week atop ESPN's women's college basketball Power Rankings. They are the only unbeaten team left in Division I women's or men's hoops.
The Bruins are one game away from matching their program's longest winning streak; they had 21 consecutive victories in 1977-78, when they won the AIAW national championship and finished 27-3.
UCLA has never been to the women's Final Four in the NCAA tournament, which began with the 1981-82 season. But the way the Bruins have been playing in 2024-25, they appear to have a good chance to end the season in Tampa.
UCLA won its season opener 66-59 over Louisville at the Aflac Oui-Play doubleheader Nov. 4 in Paris. Since, the Bruins have won all 19 games by double digits, another program-best streak. What's working? Everything. UCLA ranks first in Division I in rebounding margin (16.3), third in field goal percentage defense (33.5), fourth in assists per game (21.2) and fifth in field goal percentage (49.54).
Junior center Lauren Betts, a candidate for National Player of the Year, averages 21.0 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. Like No. 2 South Carolina, which suffered its only loss this season to UCLA, the Bruins' depth is one of their strengths. Guards Kiki Rice (13.1 PPG) and Gabriela Jaquez (10.2) join Betts averaging in double figures, while five players average between 8.7-6.2 PPG.
UCLA is coming off an 82-67 victory at Maryland on Sunday in which Betts had a career-high 33 points on 14 of 15 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks.
In UCLA's past four victories, Betts totaled 104 points, 25 blocks and shot 72% from the field. According to ESPN Research, she is the only D-I women's player with 100/25/70% in a four-game span over the past 25 seasons.
Three of those victories were on the East Coast. Now, for nearly the next month, the Bruins can stay in Pacific time, with four games at home, one crosstown at USC and one at Oregon.
UCLA has just one game during a current nine-day stretch. The Bruins have time to rest and work in practice. They're ready to take on February and beyond.
1. UCLA Bruins (20-0)
Previous ranking: 1
The Bruins followed their victory over Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey, on Jan. 20 with wins at Rutgers and Maryland. Rice has hit double figures in scoring in all but one game since Nov. 30, and she also had two 10-assist games in January.
Next seven days: vs. Minnesota (Feb. 2)
2. South Carolina Gamecocks (20-1)
Previous ranking: 2
The Gamecocks just finished a stretch of defeating five ranked teams in a row, including LSU and Tennessee most recently. Joyce Edwards led South Carolina in points scored in four of the five games. It's not too early to start thinking about how fun her matchup with fellow freshman Sarah Strong of UConn will be when the teams meet Feb. 16.
Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Feb. 2)
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-2)
Previous ranking: 3
The Irish cruised past Boston College with guard Hannah Hidalgo scoring 23 points. The closest any ACC foe has come to the Irish is Clemson on Jan. 12. The Tigers lost by nine, but Hidalgo missed that game with an ankle injury. Perhaps the two upcoming road games could challenge Notre Dame.
Next seven days: @ Virginia Tech (Jan. 30), @ Louisville (Feb. 2)
4. USC Trojans (18-1)
Previous ranking: 4
The Trojans followed one of their closer games -- a seven-point win at Indiana on Jan. 19 -- with a 79-37 blowout of Purdue last Wednesday. That game included a 31-0 run by USC. For just the second time this season, JuJu Watkins (16 points) did not lead the Trojans in scoring. Freshman Avery Howell did, with 18. Two supreme scorers will be in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this Sunday when USC visits: Watkins and Caitlin Clark, whose jersey is being retired by Iowa.
Next seven days: vs. Minnesota (Jan. 30), @ Iowa (Feb. 2)
5. LSU Tigers (21-1)
Previous ranking: 5
The Tigers lost their first game of this season -- and 17th in a row to South Carolina -- last Friday. The game was delayed a day by bad weather, but the outcome was the same as it has been the past decade-plus. In front of a loud and energetic home crowd, the Gamecocks limited LSU to eight points in the second quarter and won 66-56. The Tigers bounced back from that by beating Texas A&M on Sunday behind Flau'Jae Johnson's 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
Next seven days: vs. Oklahoma (Jan. 30), vs. Mississippi State (Feb. 2)
6. UConn Huskies (19-2)
Previous ranking: 6
The Huskies clobbered Villanova for the second time this season -- this one was 100-57 -- but then had an actual semi-close game at Creighton before prevailing 72-61. Sarah Strong had a combined 48 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals and 5 blocks despite playing just 22 and 26 minutes in the two games.
Next seven days: @ DePaul (Jan. 29), vs. Butler (Feb. 2)
7. Texas Longhorns (20-2)
Previous ranking: 7
The Longhorns had two big battles last week and came out on top both times. They beat Tennessee 80-76 behind Madison Booker's 26 points, then held on 61-58 at Ole Miss behind 24 points from Taylor Jones. Texas is part of a three-way tie with LSU and Kentucky behind South Carolina in the SEC. Those could be the top four seeds at the SEC tournament, but we'll see how the next month goes.
Next seven days: vs. Missouri (Jan. 30), at Texas A&M (Feb. 2)
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (19-1)
Previous ranking: 12
The Buckeyes have kind of been on a yo-yo recently in Power Rankings, falling out of the top 10 last week after a surprising loss at Penn State, then jumping back in after victories over Maryland and Nebraska. Freshman Jaloni Cambridge, who missed the Penn State game with an injury, returned with 20 points and 8 rebounds against the Terps. Senior Taylor Thierry led the way with 23 points against the Huskers.
Next seven days: vs. Washington (Feb. 2)
9. Duke Blue Devils (17-4)
Previous ranking: 14
The biggest Power Rankings jump of the week belongs to the Blue Devils, who moved up five spots. Part of that is the victories they got at SMU and Georgia Tech. Another part is losses by some other teams helped create a ladder for Duke to climb. The Blue Devils won seven of their eight games in January and held all those opponents (even in the loss) to fewer than 60 points.
Next seven days: @ NC State (Feb. 3)
10. TCU Horned Frogs (20-2)
Previous ranking: 8
Last week, we tagged the Frogs' trip to Oklahoma State as potentially tricky, and it was: They lost 60-59 in Stillwater, which helped the Cowgirls return to the AP Top 25. But TCU followed that disappointment with a historic win: its first over Baylor since February 1990, when both teams were still in the old Southwest Conference. Baylor was part of the launch of the Big 12 in 1996-97, and TCU joined in 2012-13.
Next seven days: @ Iowa State (Feb. 2)
11. Kentucky Wildcats (17-2)
Previous ranking: 9
The Wildcats' shooting was way off the mark against Texas A&M, and they lost their first SEC game and just their second overall. But after going 1 of 18 from behind the arc Thursday in College Station, the Wildcats came home to Lexington and beat Arkansas 89-69 on Sunday on 13 of 28 shooting from long range. The toughest part of Kentucky's schedule starts this week, with six of its nine remaining regular-season games against ranked foes.
Next seven days: vs. Alabama (Jan. 30), @ Oklahoma (Feb. 2)
12. Kansas State Wildcats (19-2)
Previous ranking: 10
The loss of star center Ayoka Lee, who is out indefinitely after breaking a bone in her foot on Jan. 19 against Arizona State, impacted the Wildcats right away. They lost their next game, 63-53 on Saturday at Colorado. That ended K-State's 14-game winning streak and was the Wildcats' lowest point total of the season. The Wildcats will have to regroup as a team, which won't be easy.
Next seven days: vs. Iowa State (Jan. 30), @ Kansas (Feb. 2)
13. Oklahoma Sooners (16-4)
Previous ranking: 15
The Sooners were one of the teams that needed a bounce-back victory, and they got it. After a 41-point loss at South Carolina on Jan. 19, they used a week of practice to work on themselves. Then Sunday, they defeated Georgia 86-55. This week will be challenging again, with two ranked opponents.
Next seven days: @ LSU (Jan. 30), vs. Kentucky (Feb. 2)
14. Maryland Terrapins (16-4)
Previous ranking: 11
Last week was as difficult as expected for injury-depleted Maryland, with losses at Ohio State and at home to top-ranked UCLA. Bri McDaniel is out for the season (knee) and Shyanne Sellers (knee) is out indefinitely. At least there's this: After facing ranked foes in seven of their last nine games, the Terps have only one currently ranked opponent in their remaining nine regular-season games (March 2, a rematch with the Buckeyes). But that doesn't mean the unranked Big Ten opponents are pushovers.
Next seven days: @ Penn State (Jan. 29), vs. Illinois (Feb. 2)
15. NC State Wolfpack (16-4)
Previous ranking: NR
The Wolfpack started the season at No. 9 in the Power Rankings in mid-November, then fell out the next week. Two and a half months later, they are back. NC State, coming off victories over Syracuse and Virginia Tech, is 8-1 in the ACC, tied with Duke for second place. Those longtime Triangle rivals meet Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Next seven days: @ Wake Forest (Jan. 30), vs. Duke (Feb. 3)
16 Michigan State Spartans (17-3)
Previous ranking: NR
Another team that spent one previous week in the Power Rankings -- in December -- is back. The Spartans have won five in a row, including a 30-point blowout of rival Michigan on the Wolverines' home court last Saturday. Guard Theryn Hallock has led Michigan State in scoring the last three games.
Next seven days: vs. Oregon (Jan. 30), @ Northwestern (Feb. 2)
Fell out: North Carolina Tar Heels, Tennessee Lady Volunteers