Utah Women’s Basketball Finally Ranked, Preparing For Top 25 Showdown

SALT LAKE CITY—After a big road win in Ames, IA, the Utah women’s basketball program has finally cracked the AP Top 25. The Utes are now ranked No. 22 in the latest poll after starting 11-2 overall and 3-0 in conference play. 

How about them Utes⁉️#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/b8KMZodbxT

— Utah Women’s Basketball (@UTAHWBB) January 6, 2025

Utah has won seven straight games, which included a 78-67 win over No. 3 Notre Dame to kick off the winning streak. They’ve also notched wins over Washington, Arizona State, Arizona, and Iowa State, where only the win over the Sun Devils came at home.

Utah’s big road win over Iowa State

Utah’s road win at Iowa State was significant, as the Cyclones were named the preseason No. 2 team in the Big 12. Alongside Kansas State and TCU, Utah is one of three teams that have started 3-0 in Big 12 play.

Maye Toure was particularly good in a rather tough matchup against Audi Crooks. She finished the game with 24 points and 9 rebounds, while dishing out 4 assists as well. Crooks finished the game with 29 points and 8 rebounds, but also 5 turnovers, including a crucial one in the contest’s final seconds.

Kennady McQueen also contributed significantly to the win, tallying 15 points and 6 rebounds. Unfortunately, her night was cut short by a potentially serious lower-leg injury. Utah also got productive minutes from Gianna Kneepknes, Ines Vieira, and Matyson Wilke.

Up next, No. 12 Kansas State vs No. 22 Utah

Up next for Utah are the No. 12 ranked Kansas State Wildcats. The Utes will welcome them to the Huntsman Center Wednesday night for a 7:00 pm MST tip-off.

The Wildcats have a 15-1 record and have started Big 12 play with a 3-0 record. Their one loss so far this season came against the only ranked opponent they’ve faced, No. 13 Duke.

The Wildcats are led by Ayoka Lee, who averages 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Four other players also average double figures for Kansas State, which is No. 11 in points per game at 84.8.

Utah is not far behind, No. 22 with 81.5 points, but with the availability of McQueen in question, others will need to step up significantly.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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