UCLA is the new No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a historic win that lifted the school to its first appearance in the top spot.
The Bruins knocked off South Carolina, the defending national champion that had held the top spot in the previous 23 polls, on Sunday with a dominant 77-62 victory that snapped UCLA’s 0-20 record against No. 1 teams. It came in front of a raucous, star-studded crowd, too.
UCLA, which was No. 5 in the poll last week, earned 20 first-place votes from the 32-member national media panel. UConn remained second, garnering nine first-place votes after a historic week of its own with coach Geno Auriemma setting the NCAA all-time victories record.
Notre Dame, which pulled off its own upset over the weekend in Los Angeles by beating then-No. 3 USC, moved up to third. The Fighting Irish received the other three No. 1 votes in a week that saw only four teams remain in the same spots from last week’s poll.
South Carolina dropped to fourth after its 43-game winning streak came to an end. Texas was fifth.
Kansas remained solidly entrenched at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s poll ahead. The Jayhawks received 51 of 62 first-place votes.
NBA: Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal plan to return for the Suns against the Lakers in Tuesday’s NBA Cup game, ESPN reported. Durant has been sidelined since Nov. 8 with a left calf strain. Beal also has a calf injury and last played Nov. 12.
NFL: Raiders QB Gardner Minshew will miss the rest of the season with a broken collarbone.
Soccer: Democratic senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Dick Durbin of Illinois have urged FIFA not to pick Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host next month over concerns about the country’s “record of upholding human rights.”