South Carolina, Iowa, UConn top final AP Top 25 women's basketball poll to cap extraordinary season

South Carolina can add another first to its perfect season: The national champion Gamecocks finished atop the first Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll to be released after the NCAA Tournament.

The Gamecocks, who won their second title in three years Sunday with an 87-75 victory over Iowa, received all 35 first-place votes from a national media panel Monday. South Carolina was No. 1 for every week this season except for the preseason poll, when the team was sixth, and at 38-0 became just the 10th team to finish a season undefeated.

It is the first time in the 47-year history of the women's Top 25 that the AP has released its final poll after the NCAA Tournament. Until this year, the final poll had been released after Selection Sunday, on the eve of the tournament.

Iowa was a unanimous choice at No. 2, the Hawkeyes' best finish since they were also second in the final poll of 1988. Final Four participants UConn and N.C. State were third and fourth, respectively. The Huskies have been in the top 10 in the final poll every year since 1994. They've been within the top six every season since 2007.