RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — After making the NCAA Tournament last season, all three of the Triangle’s Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball teams are all ranked nationally going into the regular season.
The Associated Press released the women’s basketball preseason Top 25 poll Tuesday and NC State, Duke, and UNC are all among the country’s top teams.
Fresh off an appearance in the Final Four and with the return of the dynamic backcourt duo of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, NC State is ranked No. 9 in the poll.
Just outside the top 10 is Duke at No. 11. Kara Lawson’s squad finished last year with a loss to UConn—ranked No. 2 in this year’s preseason poll—in the Sweet Sixteen.
The Tar Heels, who bowed out in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, aren’t far behind. Despite losing star Deja Kelly to the transfer portal, UNC lands at No. 15 to start the season.
Defending champions South Carolina are ranked No. 1 in the poll, with UConn, USC, Texas, and UCLA rounding out the top five.
Other ACC teams in the poll include Notre Dame at No. 6, Louisville at No. 17, and Florida State at No. 19.
The ACC also released preseason favorites on Tuesday.
The Wolfpack are predicted to finish second in the newly-expanded league behind Notre Dame and preseason ACC Player of the Year pick Hannah Hidalgo. Rivers and James are on the preseason All-ACC Team and freshman guard Zamareya Jones is on the Newcomer Watch List.
Right behind NC State is Duke, who is picked to finish third in the conference. Senior guard Reigan Richardson is also on the preseason All-ACC Team and the Blue Devils have a player of their own on the Newcomer Watch List in freshman forward Toby Fournier.
UNC also has a representative on the preseason All-ACC Team in guard/forward Alyssa Ustby. The Tar Heels are picked to finish sixth in the ACC.