Louisville Women's Basketball Ranked No. 20 in 2025-26 Preseason AP Top 25

The Cardinals are ranked in the preseason for the 15th consecutive year.

Louisville Cardinals forward Mackenly Randolph (4) celebrates as the Cards increase their lead over Southern Indiana University Friday night at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Nov. 8, 2024. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One day removed from the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll for men's basketball getting released, their women's basketball counterpart has finally dropped as well. Once again, Louisville will start the new season with a number next to their name.

The Cardinals garnered 228 votes in the preseason edition of the AP Top 25, landing at No. 20 in the poll. It marks the 15th straight year that Louisville has landed in the preseason AP Top 25.

Louisville is one of five ACC teams to crack the AP Poll, joining Duke at No. 7, NC State at No. 9, North Carolina at No. 11 and Notre Dame at No. 15. UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, Texas and LSU round out the top five, while arch rival Kentucky comes in tied at No. 24.

Last season, Louisville posted a 22-11 campaign in year 18 under head coach Jeff Walz, which saw the Cardinals bounce back from falling in the first round in the NCAA Tournament However, they did still lose in the second round to Hailey Van Lith and TCU.

Full Associated Press Top 25 Poll (2025-26 Preseason)

*Points in parenthesis - first place votes

1. UConn (771 - 27)
2. South Carolina (740 - 4)
3. UCLA (705)
4. Texas (672)
5. LSU (647)
6. Oklahoma (593)
7. Duke (578)
8. Tennessee (559)
9. NC State (510)
10. Maryland (461)
11. North Carolina (440)
12. Ole Miss (382)
13. Michigan (375)
14. Iowa State (363)
15. Notre Dame (289)
16. Baylor (280)
17. TCU (263)
18. USC (235)
19. Vanderbilt (229)
20. Louisville (228)
21. Iowa (130)
22. Oklahoma State (128)
23. Michigan State (103)
24. Kentucky (93)
24. Richmond (93)

Others receiving votes:

Washington 79, Ohio St. 46, West Virginia 17, Princeton 17, Minnesota 15, Kansas St 15, Kansas 7, Stanford 3, South Dakota St. 3, Illinois 2, Nebraska 2, Columbia 2.

(Photo of Mackenly Randolph: Matt Stone - Courier Journal/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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