# 1987–88 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Two human polls comprise the 1987–88 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

| – | Not ranked |
| (#) | Ranking |

## AP Poll

Source
| Team | 23-Nov | 30-Nov | 7-Dec | 14-Dec | 21-Dec | 28-Dec | 4-Jan | 11-Jan | 18-Jan | 25-Jan | 1-Feb | 8-Feb | 15-Feb | 22-Feb | 1-Feb | 7-Mar | 14-Mar |
| Tennessee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Iowa | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Auburn | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Texas | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Louisiana Tech | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Ohio St. | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Long Beach St. | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Rutgers | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| Maryland | – | – | – | 20 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Virginia | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 |
| Washington | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Ole Miss | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
| Stanford | 20 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 13 |
| James Madison | – | – | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| Southern California | 13 | 13 | 18 | – | – | – | – | 18 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
| Montana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
| Georgia | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| New Mexico St. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Stephen F. Austin | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 17 | – | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| La Salle | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | 20 | 20 |
| Clemson | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – |
| DePaul | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – |
| Duke | 19 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Houston | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois | – | – | – | 19 | 20 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Old Dominion | 18 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Penn St. | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Saint Joseph’s | 17 | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Southern Ill. | 16 | 14 | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| UNLV | – | – | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vanderbilt | 14 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wake Forest | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 20 | – | – | – | – |
| Western Ky. | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |

## USA Today Coaches poll

Source
| Team | 23-Nov | 1-Dec | 8-Dec | 15-Dec | 22-Dec | 29-Dec | 5-Jan | 12-Jan | 19-Jan | 26-Jan | 2-Feb | 9-Feb | 16-Feb | 23-Feb | 1-Mar | 8-Mar | 15-Mar | 22-Mar |
| Louisiana Tech | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | T4 | T5 | 5 | 1 |
| Auburn | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Long Beach St. | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| Texas | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | T4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Iowa | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Virginia | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
| Maryland | 23 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | T12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Ohio St. | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | T5 | 6 | 9 |
| Georgia | 8 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 12 | T12 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 10 |
| Rutgers | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 11 |
| Ole Miss | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Southern California | 14 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| Stanford | 22 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
| James Madison | 21 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 14 | T15 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
| Washington | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | T15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 16 |
| Montana | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | T15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Stephen F. Austin | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Western Ky. | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | T15 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | – | – | 20 | 19 |
| Clemson | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
| Saint Joseph’s | 17 | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 21 |
| DePaul | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 24 | – | 22 |
| New Mexico St. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 23 |
| South Carolina | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 |
| Houston | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 |
| Duke | T18 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 17 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois | – | 24 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| LSU | 20 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nebraska | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 25 | – | 24 | – | 24 | – |
| New Orleans | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 21 | – | – |
| Old Dominion | T18 | 21 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Penn St. | 24 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Southern Ill. | 15 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 21 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| UNLV | 25 | – | 21 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 22 | – |
| Vanderbilt | 12 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Wake Forest | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | – |