Geno Auriemma ties Tara VanDerveer
for most AP Top 25 appearances as UConn stays No. 1
[February 17, 2026]
By DOUG FEINBERG
Geno Auriemma tied Tara VanDerveer for most appearances in the AP
women's basketball Top 25 poll when UConn remained No. 1 on Monday.
Auriemma has led the Huskies to 654 appearances in the poll during
his 41-year Hall of Fame career to match VanDerveer, who retired
from Stanford in 2024. UConn has been ranked for the past 621
consecutive weeks, dating to the preseason 1993-94 poll, and once
again was a unanimous choice at No. 1 from the 31-member national
media panel. Monday was the 900th poll in the 50-year history of the
rankings.
UCLA and South Carolina remained second and third behind the
Huskies. Texas and Vanderbilt were next as the top five remained
unchanged from a week earlier. The Commodores beat the Longhorns
last week before losing to Georgia on Sunday.
Michigan, LSU and Louisville were next. Duke moved back into the top
10 at No. 9 as the Blue Devils are riding a 16-game winning streak
after beating rival North Carolina on Sunday.
Ohio State dropped two places to 10th after losing to Maryland on
Sunday. The Terrapins jumped up six spots to 14th.
In and out
Minnesota entered the Top 25 for the first time this season as the
Golden Gophers came in at No. 23. They have an eight-game winning
streak but a difficult week ahead with games against Ohio State and
No. 18 Michigan State. Minnesota was ranked for two weeks last
season. Georgia also came back into the rankings this week,
appearing at No. 24 after its win over Vanderbilt. Princeton and
Washington fell out of the poll.
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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma smiles in the first half of an NCAA
college basketball game against Creighton, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026,
in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Conference supremacy
The SEC remained the top conference with 10 teams in the poll. The
Big Ten is next with seven. The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic
Coast Conference has three and the Big East one.
Games of the week
No. 6 Michigan at No. 13 Iowa, Sunday — A fight for second place in
the Big Ten as the Wolverines and Hawkeyes are a game apart in the
loss column in the conference standings, trailing UCLA. The Hawkeyes
beat Nebraska in a matinee Monday.
No. 7 LSU at No. 17 Mississippi, Thursday — A key SEC matchup with
the Tigers looking to rebound from a loss to South Carolina. The
Rebels have a busy week with games against Tennessee, LSU and South
Carolina this week.
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