Women's basketball rankings: Texas A&M breaks into NCAA Power 10

There's a new team that breaks into my NCAA Power 10 rankings for women's college basketball. 

First, here are my rankings with last week's rank in parentheses:

1. Stanford (1) 
2. UConn (2)
3. South Carolina (3)
4. Louisville (4)
5. NC State (5)
6. Baylor (6)
7. Oregon (7)
8. Arizona (8)
9. Kentucky (9)
10. Texas A&M (UR)

* () are Week 3 rankings

Texas A&M breaks into Power 10 

Unbeaten Texas A&M joins my NCAA Power 10 after a 6-0 start to the season — which knocked Mississippi State out of my rankings Last week, the Aggies defeated Little Rock and Abilene Christian and held both under 60 points. Texas A&M dealt Abilene Christian their first loss of the season this past Sunday, 77-59.

Four Aggies scored in double digits. Aaliyah Wilson led the way with 15 points and five rebounds. Wilson also had a huge defensive presence against the Wildcats with four steals and three blocks. Alexis Morris followed behind her, chipping in 14 points.

Texas A&M shoots 48 percent from the floor and they share the ball well, averaging 14.3 assists per game. They out-rebound their opponents by 9.2 boards per game mainly off of the defensive glass.

This week, the Aggies will take on Sam Houston St. and Rice. 

MEET THE HUSKIES: 5 things UConn and Geno can look forward to in the 2020-21 season

Welcome back, UConn! 

The Huskies took the court after being delayed four games due to Covid-19 protocols. They solidified the No. 2 ranking in my Power 10 behind No. 1 Stanford.

No. 1 recruit Paige Bueckers created a lot of noise ahead of the Huskies’ first match up against UMass Lowell. She delivered, leading her team with 17 points in her rookie debut. This makes Bueckers' second behind Breanna Stewart for most scored points by a freshman in a season opener. Bueckers found multiple ways to attack open holes in the River Hawks' defense to get to the basket, plus she scored in transition. She also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists in her team’s 72-23 win.

They’re just so fun to watch pic.twitter.com/AzjhmSBS2R

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 13, 2020

The Huskies shared the ball well with 22 assists and converted 15 steals into 28 points off turnovers. UConn shot 55 percent from the floor. They are scheduled to play Seton Hall, Creighton, Xavier and Villanova before the end of the year.

Top matchups for Power 10 in Week 5 

Here is a quick look at some of the top upcoming games for Power 10 teams:

• No. 1 Stanford battles Pacific at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 15. A win against the Tigers would make Stanford's head coach Tara VanDerveer the winningest head coach in women's basketball history, passing Pat Summitt (1,099 wins). Stanford will end its week taking on USC at 5 p.m. on Dec. 19.
• No. 4 Louisville won't see action until Dec. 20 against Miami at 1 p.m. Games against North Carolina and Florida State have been postponed. 
• No. 5 NC State faces off against Duke in an ACC battle at 4 p.m. on Dec. 20.
• No. 6 Baylor will host Texas Tech in its Big 12 season opener at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14. The Bears have a 22-game winning streak against Texas Tech. 
• No. 9 Kentucky will battle No. 24 DePaul at 3 p.m. on Dec. 16. This is the only ranked matchup this week for women's college basketball.