Nebraska Women's Basketball Receives Votes in Top 25 After Absence Last Week

After a one week sabbatical from the Associated Press Top 25 rankings last week, the Husker women's basketball team received votes behind four other teams in this week's rankings.
Nebraska center/forward Alexis Markowski shoots the ball against Michigan State at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 8, 2025.
Nebraska center/forward Alexis Markowski shoots the ball against Michigan State at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 8, 2025. / Nebraska Athletics
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After a brief break from receiving votes in the Associated Press top 25 rankings, the Nebraska women's basketball team jumped back into national recognition this week.

The Huskers (13-4, 4-2 B1G) received votes in this week's poll for the first time since the Dec. 30 polls, placing behind four other programs. Nebraska dropped out of the rankings last week following two road losses to two of the top programs in the country, including a 91-54 road beatdown at No. 1 UCLA and a 75-55 defeat at No. 4 USC.

The Huskers then rattled off three straight victories, handling back-to-back home wins in a 72-61 victory over Penn State on Jan. 5 and an 85-80 win over then-rated No. 20 Michigan State. Nebraska then handled its road woes, overcoming Rutgers 69-62 on Sunday.

Nebraska guard Britt Prince shoots against Tarleton State.
Nebraska guard Britt Prince shoots against Tarleton State. / Nebraska Athletics

The Huskers were inching up the Top 25 after the start of the season, beginning the year in the rankings but remaining in the lower portion. Prior to their loss to Georgia Tech, the Huskers were No. 24 in the Dec. 8 edition of the poll. Nebraska was No. 23 to begin the season and peaked at No. 21 prior to the Huskers' non-conference 80-74 loss at Creighton on Nov. 22.

The Big Ten Conference remained strong at the top of the rankings, including No. 1 UCLA (16-0), and No. 4 USC (16-1). Joining them in the top ten included No. 8 Maryland (15-1) and No. 9 Ohio State (16-0). Despite their loss to the Cornhuskers, Michigan State (13-3) remained in the top 25 at No. 22 while No. 24 Minnesota (16-1) wrapped the conference's ranked teams. Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa all received votes.

The Big 12 Conference included five programs with No. 10 TCU (17-1), No. 11 Kansas State (17-1), No. 20 West Virginia (13-3), No. 23 Utah (13-3), No. 24 Oklahoma State (14-2). The Southeastern Conference included No. 2 South Carolina (16-1), No. 5 LSU (18-0), and No. 7 Texas (16-2) in the top ten. The SEC also featured No. 12 Kentucky (15-1), No. 13 Oklahoma (14-3), No. 15 Tennessee (14-2), and No. 19 Alabama (16-2).

Notre Dame guard Cassandre Prosper (8) drives the ball past Wake Forest guard Madisyn Jordan (22)
Notre Dame guard Cassandre Prosper (8) drives the ball past Wake Forest guard Madisyn Jordan (22) during a NCAA women's basketball game between No. 3 Notre Dame and Wake Forest at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Atlantic Coast Conference had No. 3 Notre Dame (14-2) leading the pack while No. 14 North Carolina (15-3), No. 16 Duke (13-4), No. 17 Georgia Tech (15-2), No. 18 California (16-2), and No. 21 North Carolina State (12-4). The Big East Conference only had one team featured with No. 6 UConn (15-2).

Other teams receiving votes included Michigan, Mississippi, Indiana, Creighton, Nebraska, Baylor, Louisville, Harvard, Mississippi, Florida State, Iowa, and Vanderbilt.

The Huskers next top 25 matchup includes a home tilt against No. 9 Ohio State on Jan. 26. Nebraska visits Iowa on Thursday then welcomes Wisconsin on Jan. 20.

Associated Press Top 25

  1. UCLA
  2. South Carolina
  3. Notre Dame
  4. USC
  5. LSU
  6. Uconn
  7. Texas
  8. Maryland
  9. Ohio State
  10. TCU
  11. Kansas State
  12. Kentucky
  13. Oklahoma
  14. North Carolina
  15. Tennessee
  16. Duke
  17. Georgia Tech
  18. California
  19. Alabama
  20. West Virginia
  21. North Carolina State
  22. Michigan State
  23. Utah
  24. Minnesota
  25. Oklahoma State

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Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.