| 2025-2026 | 20 | Connecticut | UCLA (1 poll) | 37 | Oct 14 – Apr 6 |
| 2024-2025 | 21 | South Carolina | Connecticut (1 poll) | 40 | Oct 15 – Apr 7 |
| 2023-2024 | 21 | LSU | South Carolina (20 polls) | 42 | Oct 17 – Apr 8 |
| 2022-2023 | 19 | South Carolina | South Carolina (19 polls) | 43 | Oct 18 – Mar 13 |
| 2021-2022 | 19 | South Carolina | South Carolina (19 polls) | 39 | Oct 19 – Mar 14 |
| 2020-2021 | 17 | South Carolina | Connecticut (5 polls) | 35 | Nov 10 – Mar 15 |
| 2019-2020 | 20 | Oregon | South Carolina (10 polls) | 37 | Oct 30 – Mar 17 |
| 2018-2019 | 20 | Notre Dame | Baylor (8 polls) | 40 | Nov 1 – Mar 18 |
| 2017-2018 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (19 polls) | 38 | Nov 2 – Mar 12 |
| 2016-2017 | 19 | Notre Dame | Connecticut (15 polls) | 42 | Nov 1 – Mar 13 |
| 2015-2016 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (19 polls) | 39 | Nov 3 – Mar 14 |
| 2014-2015 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (7 polls) | 45 | Oct 30 – Mar 16 |
| 2013-2014 | 20 | Connecticut | Connecticut (20 polls) | 40 | Nov 1 – Mar 17 |
| 2012-2013 | 20 | Baylor | Baylor (13 polls) | 43 | Oct 27 – Mar 18 |
| 2011-2012 | 19 | Baylor | Baylor (19 polls) | 40 | Oct 29 – Mar 12 |
| 2010-2011 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (12 polls) | 38 | Oct 29 – Mar 14 |
| 2009-2010 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (19 polls) | 47 | Oct 30 – Mar 15 |
| 2008-2009 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (19 polls) | 37 | Nov 1 – Mar 16 |
| 2007-2008 | 20 | Tennessee | Connecticut (12 polls) | 41 | Nov 3 – Mar 17 |
| 2006-2007 | 19 | Maryland | Duke (9 polls) | 41 | Nov 8 – Mar 12 |
| 2005-2006 | 18 | Duke | North Carolina (5 polls) | 39 | Nov 8 – Mar 13 |
| 2004-2005 | 19 | Tennessee | Stanford (2 polls) | 40 | Nov 8 – Mar 14 |
| 2003-2004 | 19 | Connecticut | Duke (5 polls) | 38 | Nov 10 – Mar 15 |
| 2002-2003 | 19 | Duke | Connecticut (7 polls) | 36 | Nov 4 – Mar 17 |
| 2001-2002 | 18 | Connecticut | Connecticut (18 polls) | 42 | Nov 6 – Mar 11 |
| 2000-2001 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (12 polls) | 40 | Nov 7 – Mar 12 |
| 1999-2000 | 19 | Connecticut | Connecticut (19 polls) | 37 | Nov 9 – Mar 13 |
| 1998-1999 | 18 | Tennessee | Purdue (4 polls) | 41 | Nov 6 – Mar 8 |
| 1997-1998 | 18 | Tennessee | Tennessee (18 polls) | 39 | Nov 7 – Mar 9 |
| 1996-1997 | 18 | Stanford | Connecticut (12 polls) | 34 | Nov 12 – Mar 10 |
| 1995-1996 | 18 | Connecticut | Louisiana Tech (14 polls) | 36 | Nov 14 – Mar 11 |
| 1994-1995 | 18 | Tennessee | Connecticut (9 polls) | 42 | Nov 13 – Mar 14 |
| 1993-1994 | 17 | Tennessee | Tennessee (14 polls) | 41 | Nov 16 – Mar 15 |
| 1992-1993 | 16 | Stanford | Vanderbilt (6 polls) | 43 | Nov 24 – Mar 16 |
| 1991-1992 | 18 | Tennessee | Virginia (10 polls) | 45 | Nov 17 – Mar 15 |
| 1990-1991 | 17 | Virginia | Penn State (3 polls) | 36 | Nov 18 – Mar 11 |
| 1989-1990 | 17 | Louisiana Tech and Tennessee | Louisiana Tech (15 polls) | 36 | Nov 20 – Mar 12 |
| 1988-1989 | 17 | Tennessee | Tennessee (8 polls) | 30 | Nov 21 – Mar 13 |
| 1987-1988 | 17 | Tennessee | Tennessee (4 polls) | 33 | Nov 23 – Mar 14 |
| 1986-1987 | 16 | Texas | Texas (13 polls) | 29 | Nov 18 – Mar 10 |
| 1985-1986 | 16 | Texas | Texas (16 polls) | 33 | Nov 12 – Mar 9 |
| 1984-1985 | 17 | Georgia | Texas (7 polls) | 33 | Nov 18 – Mar 10 |
| 1983-1984 | 17 | USC | Texas (5 polls) | 31 | Nov 18 – Mar 11 |
| 1982-1983 | 17 | USC | Louisiana Tech (8 polls) | 30 | Nov 18 – Mar 13 |
| 1981-1982 | 18 | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech (18 polls) | 31 | Nov 18 – Mar 27 |
| 1980-1981 | 18 | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech (18 polls) | 32 | Nov 25 – Mar 26 |
| 1979-1980 | 17 | Old Dominion | Old Dominion (12 polls) | 35 | Nov 25 – Mar 18 |
| 1978-1979 | 17 | Tennessee | Old Dominion (14 polls) | 31 | Nov 25 – Mar 20 |
| 1977-1978 | 14 | Tennessee | Tennessee (6 polls) | 32 | Nov 25 – Mar 15 |
| 1976-1977 | 10 | Delta State | Delta State (5 polls) | 32 | Nov 25 – Mar 16 |
