The best way to follow up a season that got the highest viewing for the women’s college basketball national championship game? How about an opening week where the country’s top two ranked teams were upset?
That’s what happened to start 2023-24. Thus, here in the first ESPN Power Rankings of the season, we have a different No. 1 team than the one atop the preseason poll. And it’s the same team that led the Power Rankings wire-to-wire last season: South Carolina.
The Gamecocks’ only loss of 2022-23 was, of course, in the national semifinals to Iowa, and it came after our final Power Rankings. Losing all five starters from a 36-1 team, South Carolina opened this year at No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press poll.
The Gamecocks tipped off the season last Monday in Paris with a 100-71 victory over No. 10 Notre Dame. On Sunday, the Gamecocks won at home, beating No. 11 Maryland 114-76. Afterward, Terps coach Brenda Frese suggested this South Carolina team might be better than last season’s.
It’s too early to make that proclamation…
