# 1988–89 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings

Two human polls comprise the 1988–89 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. The poll produced a list of the top 20 teams from the inception through the 1988–89 season. In 1989–90, the change was made to produce a list of the top 25 teams.

## Legend

| – | Not ranked |
| (#) | Ranking |

## AP Poll

Source
| Team | 21-Nov | 28-Nov | 5-Dec | 12-Dec | 19-Dec | 26-Dec | 2-Jan | 9-Jan | 16-Jan | 23-Jan | 30-Jan | 6-Feb | 13-Feb | 20-Feb | 26-Feb | 6-Mar | 13-Mar |
| Tennessee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Auburn | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Louisiana Tech | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Stanford | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Maryland | 10 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Texas | 3 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Long Beach St. | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Iowa | 5 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Colorado | – | – | T20 | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Georgia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| Stephen F. Austin | – | – | T20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Ole Miss | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| North Carolina St. | 16 | 15 | – | – | – | – | 19 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Ohio St. | 12 | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | 20 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Purdue | – | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 |
| UNLV | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| South Carolina | – | – | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| La Salle | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Western Ky. | 14 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 |
| Old Dominion | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | 19 | 19 | 20 |
| Clemson | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Duke | – | – | – | 20 | 19 | – | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois St. | – | – | T20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| LSU | 19 | – | 16 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 20 | – | – | – | – |
| Rutgers | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | – |
| Saint Joseph’s | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| San Diego St. | 20 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | – | – | – |
| Southern California | 17 | 14 | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Virginia | 11 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 20 | – | – |
| Washington | 13 | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |

## USA Today Coaches poll

Source
| Team | 18-Nov | 6-Dec | 13-Dec | 20-Dec | 27-Dec | 3-Jan | 10-Jan | 17-Jan | 24-Jan | 31-Jan | 7-Feb | 14-Feb | 21-Feb | 28-Feb | 7-Mar | 14-Mar | 19-Mar |
| Tennessee | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Auburn | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Maryland | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Louisiana Tech | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Stanford | 9 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Texas | 4 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Long Beach St. | 2 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Ole Miss | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Ohio St. | 12 | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 9 |
| North Carolina St. | 15 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
| Iowa | 5 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 |
| UNLV | – | – | – | 24 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 12 |
| Clemson | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 13 |
| LSU | 21 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 14 |
| Virginia | 11 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 15 |
| Stephen F. Austin | – | – | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 16 |
| Purdue | – | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 17 |
| Georgia | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 18 |
| Colorado | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | 22 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 19 |
| Rutgers | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 20 |
| Old Dominion | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – | 24 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 21 |
| South Carolina | 23 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 22 |
| Saint Joseph’s | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | 23 |
| Tennessee Tech | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 |
| James Madison | 22 | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 25 |
| Duke | – | – | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois St. | – | 23 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| La Salle | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 23 | 24 | 23 | – | – |
| Middle Tenn. | – | – | – | 25 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nebraska | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| San Diego St. | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 23 | 24 | – | – |
| Southern California | 17 | 18 | 24 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vanderbilt | – | – | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 21 | – |
| Wake Forest | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | – | – | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Washington | 13 | 22 | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Western Ky. | 18 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | – |