Brittney Griner and Baylor are No. 1 in the Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 for the second straight year.

The Lady Bears return all five starters including Griner, their 6-foot-8 star. Baylor had the top spot for the entire season en route to its second national championship and a 40-0 record.

 

Connecticut, Duke, Stanford and Maryland round out the first five.

Tennessee is No. 20 — the Lady Vols’ lowest ranking in the preseason poll since the first poll ever in 1976-77, when the team wasn’t ranked.

Baylor received all 40 first-place votes Saturday from a national media panel. The Lady Bears joined Texas (1985 and 1986) as the only Big 12 schools to start the season at No. 1 in consecutive years.