GORHAM, Maine – Heading into its final regular season game of the 2025-2026 season, the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's basketball team is remaining steady at No. 25 in the most recent Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) Division III National Poll. The Huskies are in the "Also Receiving Votes" category of the D3hoops.com Poll, and are ranked 30
th (out of 417) in the most recent NCAA Power Index (NPI).
The NCAA's NPI Power Index lists the University of Southern Maine as 28
th (out of 417). The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is a system that houses the division's statistical data and objectively applies the selection criteria to the data based on the sport committee's established weighted criteria. NPI is a combination of the following: winning percentage; strength of schedule; home-away multiplier; quality win bonus; and overtime results (when relevant).
Winning a pair of Little East Conference (LEC) games during the week, Southern Maine improved to 22-2 overall and 14-1 in conference action. Currently sitting in first place of the LEC regular season standings, the Huskies can claim their 21
st conference regular season championship and top-seed of the LEC Conference Championship Tournament after Saturday, February 21 games are concluded.
Southern Maine defeated Plymouth State 82-36 in a mid-week tilt at home on Wednesday, and then defeated UMass Dartmouth on the road 75-60. The Huskies' 22 wins this season are the most for the program when Southern Maine went 20-8 during 2013-2014 season. Southern Maine is averaging 75.0 points per game while limiting its opponents to 53.0 points per game for a +22.0 point margin. As a team the Huskies are shooting 44.0 percent from the field while holding their opponents to a 35.1 percent clip. Leading the Little East in scoring margin, offense and defense, the Huskies have a LEC-leading assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.17.
A trio of Huskies are averaging double-figures: senior
Jaycie Christopher (Skowhegan, Maine) and sophomores
Lucy Wiles (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) and
Dakota Shipley (Bath, Maine/Brunswick). Christopher is averaging 19.2 points and 8.80 rebounds per game, while Wiles is scoring 17.4 points per game and adding 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Shipley is chipping in at 11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
No.25 Southern Maine (22-2, 14-1 Little East) is at home on Saturday, February 21 (12:00 pm) against VTSU-Castleton.
D3hoops.com women's Top 25, Week 11 – Through February 15 Games
Dropped out: No. 23 Emory; No. 24 Bethel
Others receiving votes: Cortland 35; Carnegie Mellon 32; Saint Mary's (Minn.) 15; Southern Maine 15; Linfield 10; Wartburg 8; Susquehanna 6; Wisconsin Lutheran 6; Bridgewater 5; Bethel 2; Christopher Newport 2; Hardin-Simmons 2; UW-River Falls 2
The
D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis.
WBCA Division III Women's Basketball Top 25 – February 17, 2026
The WBCA NCAA Division III Top 25 women's basketball coaches' poll, with teams' RECORDS THROUGH SUNDAY in parentheses, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last week's poll, and first-place votes received.
| Rank |
School (record) |
Total
Points |
Last Week's Rank |
First-Place Votes |
| 1 |
NYU (22-0) |
250 |
1 |
10 |
| 2 |
Scranton (23-0) |
240 |
2 |
0 |
| 3 |
Johns Hopkins (22-0) |
229 |
3 |
0 |
| 4 |
Washington and Lee (23-0) |
217 |
4 |
0 |
| 5 |
Smith (22-1) |
208 |
6 |
0 |
| 6 |
Bowdoin (22-1) |
199 |
7 |
0 |
| 7 |
UW-Oshkosh (21-2) |
191 |
5 |
0 |
| 8 |
Baldwin-Wallace (21-2) |
174 |
8 |
0 |
| 9 |
Ohio Wesleyan (20-2) |
157 |
11 |
0 |
| 10 |
Denison (22-1) |
152 |
13 |
0 |
| 11 |
Hope (20-3) |
150 |
12 |
0 |
| 12 |
John Carroll (20-3) |
139 |
9 |
0 |
| 13 |
Bates (21-3) |
122 |
10 |
0 |
| 14 |
UW-Whitewater (18-5) |
116 |
14 |
0 |
| 15 |
Ripon (22-2) |
104 |
15 |
0 |
| 16 |
Christopher Newport (19-4) |
84 |
17 |
0 |
| 17 |
Illinois Wesleyan (18-5) |
83 |
19 |
0 |
| 18 |
William Paterson (23-1) |
82 |
18 |
0 |
| 19 |
Chicago (16-5) |
76 |
20 |
0 |
| 20 |
Carroll, WI (20-4) |
63 |
21 |
0 |
| 21 |
Washington-St. Louis (17-5) |
59 |
16 |
0 |
| 22 |
Trine (21-3) |
48 |
22 |
0 |
| 23 |
SUNY-Cortland (20-3) |
33 |
23 |
0 |
| 24 |
Concordia-Moorhead (20-3) |
24 |
RV |
0 |
| 25 |
Southern Maine (22-2) |
14 |
25 |
0 |
Dropped out: No. 24 UW-Platteville (17-6).
Others receiving votes: Carnegie Mellon (13-8) 10; Linfield (20-3) 7; UW-Platteville (17-6) 4; Hardin-Simmons (18-5) 3; SUNY-New Paltz (21-2) 3; Texas Lutheran (16-7) 3; Johnson & Wales, RI (19-4) 2; Brooklyn (21-3) 1; Saint Mary's, MN (19-4) 1; Transylvania (20-4) 1; UW-La Crosse (15-8) 1.
The WBCA NCAA Division III Coaches Poll Committee is composed of one head coach from each of the 10 NCAA Division III regions. The committee for the 2025-26 season: Samantha Crough, Regis (MA); Brad Fischer, UW-Oshkosh; Eric Harrison, Lehman; Jasen Jonus, Oglethorpe; Melissa Kolbe, Wittenberg; Casey Kushiyama, Puget Sound; Bobbi Morgan, Ursinus; Mia Smith, Illinois Wesleyan; Daphne Thompson, SUNY Oneonta; Kelly Thompson, Roger Williams.
2025-2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball NPI – February 17, 2026
| Team |
Conference |
Region |
NPI Rank |
DIIIWL |
| Wis.-Oshkosh |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
1 |
21-2 |
| NYU |
UAA |
REGION IV |
2 |
22-0 |
| Johns Hopkins |
Centennial |
REGION V |
3 |
22-0 |
| Wash. & Lee |
ODAC |
REGION VI |
4 |
23-0 |
| Scranton |
Landmark |
REGION V |
5 |
23-0 |
| Denison |
NCAC |
REGION VII |
6 |
22-1 |
| Wis.-Whitewater |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
7 |
18-5 |
| Bowdoin |
NESCAC |
REGION I |
8 |
22-1 |
| Ohio Wesleyan |
NCAC |
REGION VII |
9 |
20-2 |
| John Carroll |
NCAC |
REGION VII |
10 |
20-3 |
| Hope |
Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn. |
REGION VII |
11 |
20-3 |
| Carroll (WI) |
CCIW |
REGION VIII |
12 |
20-4 |
| Concordia-M'head |
MIAC |
REGION IX |
13 |
20-3 |
| UChicago |
UAA |
REGION VIII |
14 |
16-5 |
| Baldwin Wallace |
OAC |
REGION VII |
15 |
21-2 |
| Smith |
NEWMAC |
REGION II |
16 |
22-1 |
| Wis.-Platteville |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
17 |
17-6 |
| WashU |
UAA |
REGION VIII |
18 |
17-5 |
| Bates |
NESCAC |
REGION I |
19 |
21-3 |
| Ill. Wesleyan |
CCIW |
REGION VIII |
20 |
18-5 |
| Trine |
Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn. |
REGION VII |
21 |
21-3 |
| Ripon |
MWC |
REGION IX |
22 |
22-2 |
| SUNY New Paltz |
SUNYAC |
REGION III |
23 |
21-2 |
| Wm. Paterson |
NJAC |
REGION IV |
24 |
23-1 |
| Wis.-La Crosse |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
25 |
15-8 |
| Bethel (MN) |
MIAC |
REGION IX |
26 |
17-6 |
| Cortland |
SUNYAC |
REGION III |
27 |
20-3 |
| Bridgewater (VA) |
ODAC |
REGION VI |
28 |
19-4 |
| Chris. Newport |
C2C |
REGION VI |
29 |
19-4 |
| Southern Me. |
Little East |
REGION II |
30 |
22-2 |
The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is a system that houses the division's statistical data and objectively applies the selection criteria to the data based on the sport committee's established weighted criteria. NPI is a combination of the following: winning percentage; strength of schedule; home-away multiplier; quality win bonus; and overtime results (when relevant).
-cac-
