South Carolina Tops USA TODAY Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

The Gamecocks lead the rankings with 27 first-place votes, followed by Connecticut and Southern California.

South Carolina, the defending champion, is ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports preseason women's basketball poll.
Connecticut and Southern California hold the second and third spots, respectively, with each receiving at least one first-place vote.
Texas and Notre Dame complete the top five teams in this year's preseason rankings.
The expanded SEC has a strong presence with four teams in the top 10, including Texas and Oklahoma.
Traditional powerhouses like Iowa and Stanford are notably absent from the top 25 rankings this season.