South Carolina started the new year where it finished off 2023 — atop The Associated Press women’s basketball poll.
The Gamecocks received 34 of the 35 first-place votes from a national media panel Monday. They had been unanimous the previous six weeks.
UCLA got the other No. 1 vote after beating then-No. 6 USC in a Los Angeles showdown Saturday. The No. 2 Bruins have now defeated four top-25 teams, with two wins coming at neutral sites and one on the road.
Syracuse entered the poll at No. 25, marking its first appearance since Jan. 18, 2021. The Orange beat then-No. 13 Notre Dame on Sunday. The Irish fell to 16th. The Orange (11-1) have lost only to Maryland and will next play at North Carolina on Thursday. Syracuse is off to its best start since 2017-18, and the Orange hope to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.
The Tar Heels fell out of…
