For first time in four years, UConn not No. 1 in women's preseason Top 25

The Huskies have won 75 consecutive games and four straight national titles but aren't favored heading into this season.

The Connecticut women's basketball team hasn't lost a game in nearly two years and has won the national championship four years in a row, but the Huskies aren't the pundits' top choice heading into the 2016-17 season.

UConn is ranked third in the Associated Press preseason Top 25, released Tuesday, looking up at top-ranked Notre Dame and No. 2 Baylor. It's the first time since the 2012-13 season that Geno Auriemma's squad began play as anything but the No. 1 team in the country.

The primary reason for the slight drop in expecations in Storrs is the departure of Breanna Stewart, the three-time national player of the year who moved on to play in the Olympics and win WNBA Rookie of the Year honors after leading UConn to another title last spring. As Auriemma looks for players to step up in an attempt to replace the transcendent Stewart, other teams will get their shot.

Notre Dame went 33-2 last season but is ranked No. 1 for the first time since March 2001. Its only regular-season loss last year was to UConn, but the season ended in a disappointing Sweet 16 upset by Stanford.

The Irish return All-American Brianna Turner and have added two freshmen honored as national high school player of the year last season by different outlets, guard Jackie Young and forward Erin Boley. Will it be enough to earn coach Muffet McGraw her first national championship in 16 years? Stay tuned.

 

Here's the entire AP preseason Top 25, with first-place votes in parentheses:

 

1. Notre Dame (14) 793
2. Baylor (12) 789
3. Connecticut (6) 743
4. South Carolina (1) 719
5. Louisville 718
6. Maryland 635
7. Ohio State 632
8. Texas 604
9. UCLA 557
10. Mississippi State 516
11. Stanford 471
12. Florida State 437
13. Tennessee 415
14. Miami 328
14. Syracuse 328
16. Oklahoma 285
17. Washington 259
18. Arizona State 244
19. Kentucky 228
20. Florida 181
21. DePaul 160
22. West Virginia 154
23. Indiana 108
24. Missouri 98
25. Oregon State 95