The NCAA women’s college basketball season is in full swing and has already been defined by numerous upsets, rattling the rankings and displaying the vulnerabilities of top teams. These shocking games have also highlighted the hidden strength of overlooked teams that are now on the rise.
The string of upsets began at the opening of the season with a top ten upset when No. 16 Baylor defeated No. 7 Duke in Paris. Duke had a breakout 2024-25 season and a strong performance in March aftermaking it to the elite eight, giving them a top 10 ranking going into this season. The ranking came with high expectations for the team to bring the same dominance to the 2025-26 season. The game remained close going into the fourth quarter with a tied 43-43 score as Baylor kept showing determination after ending the first quarter down by four points. Redshirt sophomore guard Taliah Scott started the quarter off hot for Baylor with an immediate 6-0 run. Duke struggled to go on their own run, eventually ending the quarter with only nine points. Scott took advantage of this to close the win for Baylor with a pair of free throws, ending with a score of 58-52.
Duke continued to struggle for the rest of the early season with a 3-6 start, falling out of the Associated Press top 25 rankings. However, Duke has had a turnaround in the midseason with a current 11-game winning streak and a 9-0 record in the ACC, putting them at No. 20 in the rankings.
The upsets have continued into the midseason with No. 16 Oklahoma upsetting No. 2 South Carolina in an overtime thriller, marking the programs’ third win in 35 all-time games against AP top two teams. Oklahoma had a rough start to SEC play with three losses in a row to Ole Miss, Kentucky, and LSU, dropping from No. 5 to No. 16 in AP rankings.
Oklahoma freshman Aaliyah Chavez led the team’s win overtime. Chavez scored 15 of her 26 points in overtime, cementing herself as a front runner in the race for national freshman of the year. Chavez also recorded 8 assists in the game, cementing the completeness of her game. Oklahoma senior center Regan Beer also aided in the win with 18 points and 14 rebounds. South Carolina’s star junior guard Tessa Johnson kept the game close, scoring 19 points, but ultimately was no match for Oklahoma who won 94-82. Oklahoma’s 94-point win marked the most points the Gamecocks have allowed since losing 95-89 to Arkansas in the 2019 SEC tournament quarterfinals. The 12-point win also tied for the second largest overtime win against an AP top two opponent, just behind Utah that beat No.2 UCLA in 2024, and tied with Virginia Tech, that beat No. 2 NC State by 12 points.
Notre Dame, usually at the top of the rankings in women’s basketball and often notable rival for the Huskies, has also experienced its fair share of upsets this season. The Fighting Irish started the season off ranked No. 6 but have since fluctuated in and out of the top 25 rankings. Their fall out of the rankings followed back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Duke, marking the first time unranked since 2021.
The first loss occurred on New Years Day when unranked Georgia Tech defeated No. 18 Notre Dame in a 95-90 overtime win. Notre Dame suffered a poor defensive performance and was unable to overcome a 9-0 run by the Yellow Jackets, despite strong performances from Hannah Hidalgo with 26 points and Cassandre Prosper with 19 points.
Notre Dame’s second loss, which brought the team outside of the top 25 rankings, occurred just three days later. Notre Dame struggled to force turnovers and score in transition, which are two areas the program has excelled in in previous seasons. Hidalgo also struggled in the game shooting at a lower percentage than normal, despite putting up 22 points. Duke took an 82-68 win through a combined effort with all five starters scoring in double-digits and out-rebounding Notre Dame 39-31. The loss brought the team out of the rankings, making it the first time since 2019 the UConn v. Notre Dame rival game was an unranked matchup.
Ultimately, these upsets have captured the flaws in teams once viewed as unbeatable and highlighted the talent of programs that have long been overlooked. As the season continues and the rankings continue to shift, one thing has become definite: no team is guaranteed a spot at the top of the rankings.