Five takeaways from AP Top 25 women's basketball poll

In this week's Associated Press Top 25 women's college basketball poll, released on Monday, the top teams continue to create some separation with conference tournaments taking center stage later this week. Here are five takeaways from the poll.

UConn, UCLA enter postseason with all the momentum

The top-ranked Huskies (31-0, 20-0 Big East) capped off their 11th undefeated regular season with a commanding 85-49 win over St. John's on Sunday. With 47 consecutive wins dating back to last season — tied with their run from 2013-15 for the fifth-longest winning streak in Division I history — this UConn team is poised to run the table and repeat as champions.

The Bruins (28-1, 18-0 Big Ten) are just below UConn at No. 2 after finishing out conference play unblemished on Sunday. With that 73-50 win over in-state rival USC, UCLA became the first team to go undefeated in Big Ten play since Maryland in 2014-15, bringing some momentum of its own into postseason action.

TCU moves into top 10

With most of the top teams taking care of business, there was little movement in this week's top 10. The Horned Frogs (27-4, 15-3 Big 12) surged one spot to No. 10 after clinching the outright conference title in Sunday's 65-53 win over then-No. 18 Baylor.

That was TCU's sixth straight win to close out the regular season, largely due to the continued success of two of its key players. Senior guard Olivia Miles (20.1 PPG) and senior forward Marta Suarez (17.1 PPG) — the team's two leading scorers this season — combined for 40 of TCU's 65 points against Baylor.

North Carolina, Minnesota make big gains

The Tar Heels (25-6, 14-4 ACC), up five spots to No. 16, are this week's biggest mover in the poll following Sunday's 74-69 win over then-No. 12 Duke. Sophomore guard Elina Aarnisalo's career-high 22 points were the most by a North Carolina player in a regulation win over Duke since Diamond DeShields (30) and Allisha Gray (24) in 2014.

The Golden Gophers (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten) rise three spots to No. 19 after finishing out the regular season with 10 wins in their last 11 games. The 13 conference wins are tied for the program's single-season record that was originally set in 1982-83.

Louisville, Michigan State plummet

The Cardinals (25-6, 15-3 ACC) drop two spots to No. 12 after a second loss to an unranked opponent in their last three games. In that most recent loss — a 65-62 setback to Notre Dame on Sunday — Louisville committed 19 turnovers, which is a major area of concern this late in the season when each game carries more significance.

The Spartans (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten) fall three spots to No. 18 after an 87-68 loss to then-No. 13 Ohio State on Sunday. That was Michigan State's fifth loss in its last eight games and dropped its record against AP top-15 opponents to 1-5.

Fairfield joins the poll

The Stags (25-4, 19-1 MAAC) enter the rankings at No. 25 after finishing out the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. Fairfield enters the MAAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed behind Quinnipiac, the only team to defeat it in conference play this season.

The Stags have primarily relied on their efficient defense, which is tied for the 18th-fewest points allowed (56.6 PPG) in the country. If Fairfield can make the NCAA Tournament, it could be a sneaky pick for an upset.