After the best NCAA Tournament run in team history last season, Indiana women’s basketball will start the 2021-22 season ranked No. 8 in the nation, according to the preseason AP Poll.
No. 8 is the highest AP Poll ranking in program history, usurping the team’s previous high ranking of No. 9, which came last season. The team is also ranked for a 38th consecutive week, besting another program record.
The ranking marks a fourth consecutive season in which the Hoosiers have been ranked in the preseason AP Poll. They are ranked eight spots higher than the team’s No. 16 ranking to start the 2020-21 season.
Indiana returns all five starters from last year, when it reached the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.
Other ranked Big Ten teams include No. 4 Maryland, No. 9 Iowa, No. 11 Michigan and No. 17 Ohio State. Indiana will also face No. 3 Stanford University, No. 5 North Carolina State University and No. 13 University of Kentucky this season.
Indiana’s first game of the 2021-22 season will be Nov. 5 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against the University of Indianapolis.
