After landing a conference-record 12 NCAA Tournament bids a season ago, Big Ten women’s basketball returns with more quality depth and one clear-cut national title contender.

While the league may not be as top-heavy this season behind preseason favorite UCLA, those in the middle are capable of just about anything night after night. We’ll get another early-December taste of league play before fully jumping in right around New Year’s Day.

With that, here is the USA TODAY Sports Network’s first Big Ten women’s basketball power rankings of the 2025-26 season. Records are reflective of games through Nov. 7.

1. UCLA (2-0)

What to know : Lauren Betts and the Bruins kicked off this much-anticipated season with two easy wins over San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara. However, UCLA has ranked m

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