Associated Press Women's Poll Preseason No. 1 Year-by Year

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

With Connecticut likely to be No. 1 when the Associated Press preseason women's poll is released Tuesday, it will be the third time that the Huskies and Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma has a three-season streak to begin at No. 1.

The three-peat is matched only one time and by Tennessee coach emeritus Pat Summitt, whose Lady Vols still lead UConn by one 12-11 in all-time No. 1 rankings heading into the competition.

Tennessee has been in every preseason poll except the very first one in Nov. 1976. Of course, UConn didn't come on the scene as a power at the top until almost two decades later.

The first years through 1988-89 the poll was a Top 20 and then in 1989-90 it expanded to a Top 25 as did the AP football and men's basketball polls.

Here is the previous 39 No. 1 teams, their coaches, and the conference they were in at the time of the ranking.

The NCAA sponsorship for women didn't begin until 1981-82 so the years prior refer to the AIAW and what region the team was in. Texas was still in the old Southwest Conference when Jody Conradt had the Longhorns on top at the outset two straight times and Leon Barmore's 1989-90 No. 1 ranking came when the Lady Techsters were in the former American South.

That year also brought a one-time rarity to date with the rivalry of the time Tennessee and Louisiana Tech tied for No. 1 off the vote by coaches. They actually met at the beginning of the season so the tie was broken quickly.

Now here's the list which is cut and pasted off the Guru's Excel poll history index spreadsheet so here's hoping this is readable.

In terms of the count as of last year:

Tennessee 12
Connecticut 10
Louisiana Tech 3
Baylor 2
Duke 2
Southern Cal 2
Stanford 2
Texas 2
Delta State 1
Georgia 1
Maryland 1
Old Dominion 1
Virginia 1

And below the breakdown of those 40 team due to the one-time tie.

	Preseason #1 by year
	Year	Team	Conf.	CoachF	CoachL
	2014-15	Connecticut	AAC	Geno	Auriemma
	2013-14	Connecticut	AAC	Geno	Auriemma
	2012-13	Baylor	B-12	Kim	Mulkey
	2011-12	Baylor	B-12	Kim	Mulkey
	2010-11	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	2009-10	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	2208-09	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	2007-08	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	2006-07	Maryland	ACC	Brenda	Frese
	2005-06	Duke	ACC	Gail	Goestenkors
	2004-05	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	2003-04	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	2002-03	Duke	ACC	Gail	Goestenkors
	2001-02	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	2000-01	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	1999-00	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	1998-99	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1997-98	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1996-97	Stanford	PAC-10	Tara	VanDerveer
	1995-96	Connecticut	BEC	Geno	Auriemma
	1994-95	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1993-94	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1992-93	Stanford	PAC-10	Tara	VanDerveer
	1991-92	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1990-91	Virginia	ACC	Debbie	Ryan
	1989-90	Louisiana Tech	Amer. Sou.	Leon	Barmore
	1989-90	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1988-89	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1987-88	Tennessee	SEC	Pat	Summitt
	1986-87	Texas	SWC	Jody	Conradt
	1985-86	Texas	SWC	Jody	Conradt
	1984-85	Georgia	SEC	Andy	Landers
	1983-84	Southern Cal	PAC-10	Linda	Sharp
	1982-83	Southern Cal	PAC-10	Linda	Sharp
	1981-82	Louisiana Tech	Indp	Sonja	Hogg
	1980-81	Louisiana Tech	AIAW-R4	Sonja	Hogg
	1979-80	Old Dominion	AIAW-R2	Marianne	Stanley
	1978-79	Tennessee	AIAW-R2	Pat	Summitt
	1977-78	Tennessee	AIAW-R2	Pat	Summitt
	1976-77	Delta St.	AIAW-R3	L. Margaret	Wade