Kentucky women’s basketball (5-0) earned the No. 15 slot in the AP Top 25 poll for week 3, moving up five spots and making the biggest leap out of any ranked team.
The undefeated Cats received their highest ranking since the 2021-22 preseason and joined the men’s basketball team as one of four schools who feature both teams in the top 15 of the AP Poll.
The Wildcats are coming off of their first ranked win of the season against the Louisville Cardinals, where they won 71-61 in an overtime thriller. Louisville, which had been ranked No. 18 before it faced the Wildcats, fell to the No. 25 spot.
Georgia Amoore, who is tied for third in the nation for assists per game, played the entire 45 minutes against the Cardinals, picking up 19 points and nine assists.
Forward Teonni Key also remained a force for the Wildcats, bullying her way to 17 points and five blocks.
The Kentucky bigs have also continued to dominate, featuring the three top shot blockers in the SEC. Clara Silva and Clara Strack both average over three blocks a game, while Key bats away 2.8 blocks per game.
The Wildcats now rank as the fifth highest SEC team, trailing No. 1 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 7 LSU and No. 9 Oklahoma. Thanks to No. 17 Ole Miss and No. 24 Alabama, the SEC remained tied with the Big 10 for the most ranked teams per conference.
As the defense continues to swarm any opponent it faces, Kentucky will be tested with No. 22 Illinois on Wednesday, Nov. 27, as part of the Music City Classic. The game will be tipped off at 8 p.m. and streamed on BallerTV.
The Fighting Illini started the season with a nine-point win against No. 19 Florida State, which became unranked despite its experienced roster.
Before they take on their next ranked opponent, the Wildcats will have to take care of Purdue Fort Wayne on Monday, Nov. 18, inside of Historic Memorial Coliseum, which airs on the SEC Network+ and will tip-off at 6 p.m.
They will also face Arizona State on Tuesday, Nov. 26, as part of the Music City Classic. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and will be streamed on BallerTV.
A full list of the rankings can be found below:
- South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0)
- UConn Huskies (3-0)
- USC Trojans (4-0)
- Texas Longhorns (3-0)
- UCLA Bruins (4-0)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0)
- LSU Tigers (4-0)
- Iowa State Cyclones (4-0)
- Oklahoma Sooners (3-0)
- Kansas State Wildcats (3-0)
- Maryland Terrapins (5-0)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (4-0)
- Duke Blue Devils (4-1)
- Kentucky Wildcats (4-0)
- North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1)
- Ole Miss Rebels (2-1)
- Baylor Bears (3-1)
- TCU Horned Frogs (4-0)
- NC State Wolfpack (2-2)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0)
- Oregon Ducks (4-0)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0)
- Louisville Cardinals (2-2)
Receiving votes: Iowa (88), Michigan (38), Michigan State (15), Vanderbilt (14), Stanford (9), Florida State (5), Miami (FL) (4), South Dakota State (3), Tennessee (3), Richmond (2).
