Gophers ranked No. 23 in latest AP women's basketball poll

It took eight straight wins, but the University of Minnesota finally cracked the AP women's basketball Top 25 poll on Monday.

Minnesota (20-6 ) is ranked No. 23 after defeating Wisconsin Sunday to improve to 11-4 in Big Ten play. It's the first time this season that the Gophers, who haven't dropped a game in nearly a month, have climbed into the top 25. It's also the third consecutive season that they've won 20 or more games.

The Gophers are among seven Big Ten teams in the Top 25, including UCLA, which defeated Minnesota back on Jan. 14 at Williams Arena.

Sophomore Tori McKinney has been one of Minnesota's top players, leading the team with a 13.2 points-per-game average, while also pacing the team in steals (42). Senior Amaya Battle, who had 17 points against the Badgers on Sunday, is looking to finish her collegiate career strong.

Minnesota will host 10th-ranked Ohio State Wednesday at Williams Arena.