1996–97 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings
# 1996–97 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Two human polls comprise the 1996–97 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. The AP poll is currently a poll of sportswriters, while the USA Today Coaches' Poll is a poll of college coaches. The AP conducts polls weekly through the end of the regular season and conference play, while the Coaches poll conducts a final, post-NCAA tournament poll as well.

## Legend

| – | No votes |
| - | - |
| (#) | Ranking |

## AP Poll

Sources

| Team | 12-Nov | 18-Nov | 25-Nov | 2-Dec | 9-Dec | 16-Dec | 23-Dec | 30-Dec | 6-Jan | 13-Jan | 20-Jan | 27-Jan | 3-Feb | 10-Feb | 17-Feb | 24-Feb | 3-Mar | 10-Mar |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| UConn | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Old Dominion | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Stanford | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Georgia | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| North Carolina | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Louisiana Tech | 14 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Alabama | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 |
| LSU | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 22 | 17 | 18 | T14 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Florida | 21 | 20 | 19 | 24 | – | – | – | – | 25 | 24 | T19 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Kansas | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 |
| Texas | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
| Virginia | 10 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| Notre Dame | 20 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 21 | T19 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 |
| Texas Tech | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 24 | 24 | T24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 |
| Vanderbilt | 9 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 11 | T14 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 20 |
| Illinois | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
| George Washington | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 22 |
| Michigan St. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 24 |
| Clemson | – | 25 | T24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
| Arkansas | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 23 | – | – |
| Western Ky. | 8 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 22 | – | 25 | 21 | 22 | 25 |
| Duke | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 25 | – |
| Wisconsin | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 23 | – | – | – | – | – |
| North Carolina St. | 13 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Auburn | 25 | – | – | – | 25 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 21 | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 13 |
| Colorado | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 |
| Penn St. | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | T12 | 9 | 15 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| DePaul | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Iowa | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | T12 | 21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nebraska | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | – | – | – | – |
| Tulane | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 24 | – | 24 | 23 |
| Purdue | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | – |

## USA Today Coaches poll

Source

| Team | PS | 19-Nov | 26-Nov | 3-Dec | 10-Dec | 17-Dec | 24-Dec | 31-Dec | 7-Jan | 14-Jan | 21-Jan | 28-Jan | 4-Feb | 11-Feb | 18-Feb | 25-Feb | 4-Mar | 11-Mar | 1-Apr |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Tennessee | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 1 |
| Old Dominion | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Stanford | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| UConn | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Notre Dame | 25 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 15 | T15 | 14 | 5 |
| Florida | 21 | 22 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| Georgia | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Louisiana Tech | 11 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| North Carolina | – | – | – | 25 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 9 |
| George Washington | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 10 |
| Alabama | 2 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
| LSU | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 23 | 17 | 12 | 13 | T13 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 |
| Illinois | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 13 |
| Virginia | 9 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | T10 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
| Colorado | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 15 |
| Kansas | 13 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| Vanderbilt | 8 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 10 | T13 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
| Texas | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 18 |
| Texas Tech | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | T15 | 18 | 19 |
| Auburn | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 14 | T10 | 18 | 21 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 15 | 20 |
| Michigan St. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 21 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 22 |
| Purdue | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | – | 23 |
| Tulane | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | – | 23 | 24 |
| Clemson | 23 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 22 | 25 |
| Arkansas | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 25 | – | 24 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 23 | – | – | – |
| DePaul | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Duke | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 22 | T24 | – | – |
| Iowa | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nebraska | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| North Carolina St. | 16 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Penn St. | 14 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Portland | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 21 | 23 | 25 | – |
| San Francisco | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 22 | 25 | 25 | – | – | – | – | T24 | – | – |
| Western Ky. | 10 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wisconsin | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – |
