rewrite this title Five takeaways from AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll

This week’s Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll, released on Monday, features two powerhouse programs swapping spots near the top after a colossal showdown on Saturday.

Here are five takeaways from the poll.

USC, UConn swap spots after head-to-head matchup

It was an impressive showing for the USC Trojans in a 72-70 win over the UConn Huskies on Saturday night. USC rises to No. 4 after the performance — its first-ever win over the Huskies — while UConn falls to No. 7. 

Trojans star JuJu Watkins put up 25 points, which marked the 11th time in 12 games that Watkins has scored 20 or more points this season. A major area of success for the team was its three-point shooting (56.3 percent). 

Watkins (24.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.4 SPG) and Kiki Iriafen (18.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG) continue to lead the Trojans in production. In the win over UConn, Watkins became the only player in the last 15 seasons with 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks at an AP top-five opponent. 

If USC (11-1) can get some additional help from its supporting cast, the Trojans could be even more dangerous.

Three-point woes continued for UConn (10-2) in the loss. In its only prior loss to then-No. 8 Notre Dame, UConn shot an abysmal 18.8 percent from behind the arc. The loss to the Trojans was not much better (26.1 percent).

Although Sarah Strong and Paige Bueckers each scored 22 points against USC, only Ashlynn Shade scored more than nine. To win these close games, UConn needs improved three-point shooting and more balanced production.

Georgia Tech continues its climb up the rankings

After taking down No. 23 Nebraska, 72-61, on Saturday, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (13-0) climbed four more spots to No. 13 in the poll.

Georgia Tech forced Nebraska to shoot 34.3 percent from the floor and had four players in double figures, including two off the bench.

If the Yellow Jackets continue to play defense at that level and take care of the ball after only nine turnovers against the Cornhuskers, Georgia Tech could be a difficult opponent in the ACC.

Duke drops five spots after shocking loss to South Florida

Before Saturday’s surprising loss to the South Florida Bulls, Duke (10-3) had won all eight of its games against unranked opponents by an average of 26.6 points. Duke goes from No. 9 down to No. 14 in the latest poll.

A slow start made it difficult for the Blue Devils to recover. After the opening frame, South Florida led 20-6 and by as many as 23. Duke’s only double-figure scorer was Toby Fournier (11 points) off the bench.

Those two areas are a recipe for disaster for any team, especially as conference play looms and the opponents get tougher.

West Virginia, Michigan State fall four spots 

The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-2) did not have a good start to Big 12 play after their 65-60 loss to Colorado. As a result, West Virginia dropped to No. 18 in the poll.

It is still difficult to assess this team’s performance since it lost its only game against a ranked opponent, 78-73, to then-No. 5 Texas on Dec. 1. While the Mountaineers were competitive against Texas, they were dominated on the glass, 37-23, and committed 20 turnovers.

The same was true against Colorado after getting outrebounded 33-22 and committing 15 turnovers. As the competition ramps up, West Virginia has to find a way to compete on the glass and take better care of the ball.

After a disappointing 82-67 loss to Alabama on Friday, the Michigan State Spartans (11-1) lost for the first time this season and dropped to the No. 19 ranking.

Although both sides were sloppy in the contest with 54 turnovers and 45 fouls, Michigan State could not take advantage of Alabama’s 29 turnovers with 25. The Spartans have been their best when Julia Ayrault (16.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Grace VanSlooten (14.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG) knocked down their shots.

While Ayrault led the team in scoring in the loss with 18 points, VanSlooten was held to 10 points (4-for-11 FG). For Michigan State to excel, those two must be efficient, and turnovers must be minimized.

Alabama is the only addition to the poll

Despite all the turnovers in Alabama’s upset win over then-No. 15 Michigan State, the Crimson Tide (12-1) inherited the No. 20 ranking.

A large part of Alabama’s success has been its balanced production, with four players averaging double-digit scoring. Sarah Ashlee Barker (16.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG) leads the way, followed by Zaay Green (15.8 PPG), Aaliyah Nye (13.7 PPG), and Essence Cody (11.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG). 

That type of production is critical for Alabama’s success as it heads into its SEC slate.