In a recent update for the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the USC Trojans have taken over the No. 1 seed from the South Carolina Gamecocks. This decision was announced by ESPN on Thursday.
The UCLA Bruins maintain their spot as the top overall seed. The Texas Longhorns are now at No. 2, followed by USC at No. 3, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 4. Notre Dame remains steady despite suffering their first loss since Thanksgiving in a tough double-overtime game against NC State.
This ranking represents the standings as of February 26, determined by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. The top 16 teams will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.
South Carolina dropped three spots after a disappointing defeat at home to UConn. Both South Carolina and Texas are competing closely for the SEC regular-season title. They might even need a coin flip to decide who gets the top seed in the conference tournament.
USC has been strong, losing only once since late November. They recently gave then-unbeaten UCLA their only loss of the season. A highly anticipated rematch between these two teams is set for Saturday in Westwood.
Current No. 2 seeds include South Carolina, UConn, LSU, and NC State. The No. 3 seeds are TCU, UNC, Duke, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, the No. 4 seeds are Oklahoma, Kentucky, Kansas State, and Ohio State. Notably, six SEC teams are featured in the top 16, with three of them (South Carolina, Tennessee, and Oklahoma) placed in the same region, Birmingham 4.
No new teams have entered the top 16 since the initial reveal on February 16, but several rankings have shifted. Tennessee moved up from a No. 4 to a No. 3 seed, while Kansas State and Ohio State fell to the 15th and 16th positions, putting their chances of hosting at risk.
As we approach Selection Sunday on March 16, fans can expect more changes in the rankings. Power conferences will finish their regular season this week before heading into conference tournaments during the first week of March, setting the stage for an exciting NCAA tournament.
The women’s tournament will feature regionals in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington. The Final Four is scheduled to take place in Tampa, Florida.
