1. LSU (20-0, 5-0)

While LSU is currently ranked third in the SEC in the AP poll, the Tigers are the only undefeated team left in the conference. This is enough evidence to slide them up to the one-slot. Some could argue that their schedule was a bit easy and that their wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt were a bit too close for comfort, but until they get knocked down, there’s no justification to put them below the No. 1 spot in the conference. The duo of Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow have looked dominant, and their entire supporting cast is some of the best in the country. With a matchup looming against South Carolina on Jan. 23, they have the ability to solidify their status as the top dog — or cat — in the conference.

2. South Carolina (18-1, 6-0)

Ranking the reigning national champions at two may be controversial, but the South Carolina Gamecocks have not dominated opponents to the same degree they did last season. While their only loss is to No. 1 UCLA, they’ve been victims of slow starts and lack the truly dominant post presence they had last season. This issue has only been exacerbated by a recent injury to forward Ashlyn Watkins. Despite this, South Carolina probably has the most guard depth in the country, with star sophomores Tessa Johnson and Milaysia Fulwiley averaging 11 and 9.3 points per game, respectively, off the bench. The No. 2 spot in a conference like the SEC is nothing to be disappointed about. With a coach like Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks can never be counted out of any game and remain National Championship favorites this year. 

3. Texas (17-2, 4-1)

The Texas Longhorns are another team with a dynamic backcourt duo in Rori Harmon and Madison Booker. Add in Kyla Oldacre — who grabbed 16 rebounds off the bench versus South Carolina — along with two more returning starters from their Elite Eight run last season, and this team is poised to make waves in their first SEC season. However, Texas’s success in the biggest games relies on Booker’s efficacy. She scored seven points on 3-19 shooting against South Carolina — eight points lower than her average — and the team’s offense just couldn’t get going because of it. The Longhorns will have many chances to prove themselves as a top team in the SEC and nationwide, with matchups against No. 8 Maryland and No. 15 Tennessee on the horizon. 

4. Kentucky (16-1, 5-0)

The Kentucky Wildcats are a completely new team from last season. The Wildcats added a new head coach in Kenny Brooks from Virginia Tech, and he brought with him star guard Georgia Amoore. Amoore, averaging 18.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, has ignited her team en route to a one-loss record thus far. To put that into perspective, this time last season without Amoore, the Wildcats were 8-8 and ended the season 12-20. However, Kentucky is still looking for a standout win to put a stamp on its current success. With their next two games against Texas A&M and Arkansas, it won’t happen then. But look toward Jan. 30 for the signature game, as the Wildcats will face Alabama and Oklahoma — two ranked teams — in back-to-back games, with a faceoff against Texas coming closely after.

5. Alabama (17-3, 4-2)

The Crimson Tide have notched some key wins so far this season, defeating Michigan State, Ole Miss and Clemson. However, Alabama has felt the recent loss of star senior guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who has missed the last four games due to a leg injury. Barker, a 2024 All-SEC First Team selection, was most notably missed when Alabama suffered double-figure losses to No. 5 Texas and No. 2 South Carolina. Despite Barker’s absence, the Crimson Tide have seen increased contributions from forward Essence Cody and guard Zaay Green (11.2 and 16.6 points per game, respectively). Barker is currently listed as day-to-day, so the Crimson Tide will hope to have her back as soon as possible — and if they don’t, the back half of conference play could be a tough stretch.  

6. Tennessee (15-3, 3-3)

The Tennessee Volunteers ended nonconference play a perfect 12-0, earning national headlines as a team to watch going into conference play. The Lady Vols then further bolstered their narrative with a commanding win against Texas A&M before dropping two straight games to No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 4 LSU, both decided by one possession. As bad as that may look, don’t let those matches fool you — this Tennessee team is legit. The Lady Vols average 95.8 points per game, leading the SEC and the entire country. They also play at the fourth-highest pace in the country while still being in the top 10 in offensive efficiency, according to Torvik. Whether these trends will continue to bode well for Tennessee is unclear (it didn’t against Vanderbilt), but nonetheless, it’s a fun team to watch.

7. Oklahoma (15-4, 3-3)

Despite holding a 3-2 conference record, the Sooners are ranked No. 13 in the AP poll, which places it fourth amongst SEC teams. However, the Sooners have experienced an unpredictable season thus far. The team picked up a trio of ranked wins against then-No. 22 Louisville, then-No. 20 Michigan and No. 15 Tennessee but dropped the ball against Mississippi State. Ultimately, the Sooners had a demanding nonconference schedule that they powered through successfully and now have to adjust to SEC conference play. This won’t be easy, as the team will battle with South Carolina, LSU and Kentucky in three of its next four games.

8. Ole Miss (13-5, 4-2)

Ole Miss gets a lot of credit for doing something not many other SEC teams do: scheduling a tough nonconference slate. Ole Miss dropped three games in its nonconference schedule to No. 3 USC, No. 2 UConn and NC State. Four dominating SEC wins — and a narrow loss to No. 18 Alabama — proves the Rebels are better than their record shows. With a matchup against Texas on Jan. 26, Ole Miss has a chance to rattle the SEC and further prove its legitimacy as a team.

9. Mississippi St. (15-5, 2-4)

Mississippi State fans are probably disappointed to see the Bulldogs ranked below their in-state rival, but Ole Miss earned its ranking after beating the Bulldogs 71-63 on Jan. 19. Given Mississippi State’s schedule, they have performed as they were expected to — winning most of their nonconference games (outside a loss to then-ranked Georgia Tech), and losing conference games to No. 2 South Carolina, No. 15 Tennessee and No. 16 Kentucky. They did defeat No. 11 Oklahoma by a narrow margin, scoring 25 points off turnovers that ultimately decided the contest. 

10. Vanderbilt (15-4, 2-3)

After a promising nonconference season, Vanderbilt has gotten off to a rough start in SEC play. Despite handily beating Georgia 108-82, the Commodores have dropped three in a row to then-No. 16 Kentucky, Ole Miss and No. 4 LSU. Even though their current SEC record isn’t great on paper, losing to the No. 4 team in the nation on their home court — a notoriously hostile environment — and beating No. 15 Tennessee shows the Commodores have what it takes to compete with the best. With an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.33 (top 15) and averaging 16.6 offensive rebounds per game (top 8), the Commodores know how to take care of the basketball and generate second-chance opportunities — both skills that will serve them well as they get deeper into the SEC gauntlet. 

11. Florida (11-9, 2-4)

Florida likely had one of the worst starts of any team in the conference. After opening the season with three wins, the Gators proceeded to drop four straight to Miami, Florida State, Tulane and JMU. Since then, Florida had rode the wave, winning the games it was expected to win and losing the games it wasn’t. If there’s one bright spot on the current Gators team, it’s the pairing of Liv McGill and Ra Shaya Kyle. McGill, the first-year guard, leads the team with 15.8 points while also adding 5.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest. Kyle adds 15.1 points per game herself while also ranking fifth in the conference with 9.7 rebounds per game. Those two together make for great basketball, no matter what the scoreboard reads.

12. Texas A&M (9-8, 2-3)

Texas A&M is a victim of slow starts. It has won the second half in four out of its first five SEC games by an average of 9.5 points, but that has only been enough to cover a massive first-half deficit in their games versus Ole Miss and Georgia. The Aggies are also generally very average in all statistical categories. A 40.8% field goal percentage, 37.1% 3-point percentage and a 0.9 assist-to-turnover ratio is nothing remarkable, and its nonconference losses to A&M-Corpus Christi, Villanova and Ball State certainly didn’t help it. With upcoming games against No. 12 Kentucky and No. 5 LSU, the Aggies have a tough road ahead. 

13. Auburn (10-9, 1-5)

These bottom four teams can truly be ranked anywhere, but we gave the tip of the cap to the Auburn Tigers. Auburn is a team that can’t seem to find consistency or perform in late-game situations. The Tigers are 2-5 in games decided by two or fewer possessions. In its six SEC games, Auburn has turned the ball over 15 or more times each. The Tigers finally snapped their six-game losing streak, beating the Missouri Tigers 75-60 on Jan. 19, but this team still leaves much to be desired. 

14. Missouri (11-10, 0-6)

The Tigers are currently amidst a six-game losing streak, having yet to gain a conference win. The Auburn Tigers, who had also yet to win a conference game, picked up their first conference win over this Missouri team on Jan. 19. One cannot blame the players for this lack of success; in her last 13 seasons at Mizzou, head coach Robin Pingeton has only been 0.500 in conference play four times. There’s nothing Missouri does particularly wrong, yet there’s also nothing they excel at; just being average isn’t good enough for SEC basketball.

15. Georgia (9-11, 1-5)

Georgia is one of two teams in the SEC whose overall record is under .500, including an undesirable 1-5 record in conference play. But hey, they beat Missouri, so it’s not all bad. The Bulldogs rank second to last in the conference in points per game and fourth to last in opponent points per game. They also rank toward the bottom of the conference in offensive field goal percentage and opponent field goal percentage. While the Lady Bulldogs have four scorers in double-figures this season, none have netted above 15 points per game. Currently on a three game losing streak, Georgia is set to face three ranked teams in their next four matches, looking to get an upset and back on track. 

16. Arkansas (8-12, 1-4)

While Arkansas features the fourth leading scorer in the nation in senior guard Izzy Higginbottom (24.5 points per game), its team offense just hasn’t been able to find a rhythm this season. The Razorbacks dropped their second nonconference game of the year to Fairfield and have also dropped contests to Texas Tech, Liberty, Troy and Bowling Green. While the Razorbacks did pull out a one-point win against Auburn, their tendency for slow starts, lack of defensive energy and limited depth does not bode well for the rest of their SEC season.