Baylor women No. 1 in preseason poll

Defending NCAA champion Baylor was given the top spot in the preseason women's college basketball AP poll for the second straight year.

The Lady Bears, led by 6-foot-8 center Brittney Griner, received all 40 first-place votes. They return their entire starting five, including Griner, after going 40-0 last season.

Baylor was No. 1 for the entire season.

Baylor joins Texas (1985 and 1986) as the only Big 12 schools to start the season in the top spot in consecutive years.

Connecticut, Duke, Stanford and Maryland make up the rest of the top five.

Baylor plays Connecticut on Feb. 18.