DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — After two big wins last week over opponents then ranked in the top 10, Duke women’s basketball has itself climbed into one of the top spots in the latest Associated Press rankings.
The Blue Devils knocked off then-No. 9 Kansas State and then-No. 8 Oklahoma to win the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week, launching them into the No. 8 spot in the newest AP Top 25 poll.
Duke’s jump sets up a top 10 matchup this week as the Blue Devils are set to visit No. 3 South Carolina Thursday night in the 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge. The teams also faced off last December in Durham, with the Gamecocks winning 77-61 en route to their undefeated championship season.
The North Carolina State women, on the other hand, dropped out of the rankings after going 1-1 in the Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas, losing on Wednesday to then-No. 7 LSU. The Wolfpack is unranked for the first time in 24 weeks. Their 2024 SEC/ACC matchup is against No. 18 Ole Miss on Thursday night at Reynolds Coliseum.
Like the Blue Devils, the North Carolina women also won their holiday tournament — the 2024 Battle4Atlantis in the Bahamas. The Tar Heels defeated Indiana for that title, then came home and routed North Carolina Central the day after Thanksgiving. UNC maintained their No. 16 ranking and will face No. 14 Kentucky Thursday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
AP TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLL — WEEK 5
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | MOVEMENT |
| 1. | UCLA Bruins | 8-0 | — |
| 2. | UConn Huskies | 6-0 | — |
| 3. | South Carolina Gamecocks | 7-1 | +1 |
| 4. | Texas Longhorns | 7-0 | +1 |
| 5. | LSU Tigers | 9-0 | +2 |
| 6. | USC Trojans | 6-1 | — |
| 7. | Maryland Terrapins | 8-0 | +3 |
| 8. | Duke Blue Devils | 8-1 | +5 |
| 9. | TCU Horned Frogs | 8-0 | +8 |
| 10. | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 5-2 | -7 |
| 11. | Oklahoma Sooners | 6-1 | -3 |
| 12. | Ohio State Buckeyes | 7-0 | -1 |
| 13. | Kansas State Wildcats | 7-1 | -4 |
| 14. | Kentucky Wildcats | 7-0 | — |
| 15. | West Virginia Mountaineers | 8-1 | -3 |
| 16. | North Carolina Tar Heels | 7-1 | — |
| 17. | Iowa Hawkeyes | 8-0 | +5 |
| 18. | Ole Miss Rebels | 5-2 | — |
| 19. | Alabama Crimson Tide | 8-0 | +4 |
| 20. | Iowa State Cyclones | 6-2 | -5 |
| 21. | Illinois Fighting Illini | 6-1 | -2 |
| 22. | Louisville Cardinals | 5-2 | +2 |
| 23. | Michigan Wolverines | 7-1 | NR |
| 24. | Michigan State Spartans | 8-0 | NR |
| 25. | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 6-1 | — |