The Irvine Valley women's basketball team finished ranked No. 22 in the state in the final California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll of the year this past week.
The Lasers went 16-14 on the year, made the So. Cal. Regional Playoffs and won a first-round playoff game at Antelope Valley, 59-57, before falling to state runner-up Orange Coast in the second round under first-year head coach Claire Gocke.
Irvine Valley had an RPI of No. 20 in the state and scored wins over San Diego Mesa Cypress, Santa Ana and Fullerton.
The full rankings can be seen below thanks to a release by Pasadena City College's Robert Lewis.
For the regular season, the coaches correctly identified that an undefeated College of the Sequoias team deserved the #1 ranking in women's basketball throughout the 2024-25 campaign. However, it's the postseason where teams make their everlasting mark.
Mt. San Antonio College proved that by defeating top seeds--North #1 Sequoias and South #1 Orange Coast--and capturing the 2025 3C2A state championship. The Mounties didn't just defeat those two powers but did so by holding both to their season lows in points.
For those reasons, Mt. SAC is the #1 team on the Final CCCWBCA State Top 25 Rankings. Orange Coast is at #2, Sequoias settles for #3, #4 Glendale, #5 Palomar, #6 San Joaquin Delta, #7 Sierra, #8 Folsom Lake, then non-state tourney squads in #9 Moorpark and #10 Cypress.
The Orange Empire Conference placed five teams on the final Top 25.
After the state final four and the quarterfinalists at the 3C2A tourney, the final TSRPI numbers combined with postseason performances and overall quality victories helped determine the final placings for California Community College teams.
FINAL STATE TOP 25
1. MT. SAN ANTONIO, South Coast North, 29-4: The Mounties were ranked #2 in the regular season final coaches poll, so it wasn't a stretch they beat West LA, Grossmont in the regionals, then got past Sierra, Sequoias, and Orange Coast, 52-39, to complete their record ninth state title. WBCA All-American and 2-Time State SoCal Player of the Year Daisia Mitchell was the MVP of the 3C2A tournament while both Taliyah McFerson and Elizabeth Udeze were named All-State Tournament. Head coach Brian Crichlow earned his fifth state crown, but was also an assistant for Mt. SAC's first four championships. The Mounties ascended an all-important one final space to the top. Last Ranking: #2. Final SoCal #1
2. ORANGE COAST, Orange Empire, 27-6: The Pirates fell one win short on their bid to win a third straight state title. OCC earned regional victories over Irvine Valley and Cerro Coso, then made an incredible 22-of-28 shots from 3-point range to beat Folsom Lake before defeating Glendale in the semifinals. Both Hailey Estrada and Myia Collins were named All-State Tournament. Orange Coast moved up a slot. Last Ranking: #3. Final SoCal #2
3. SEQUOIAS, Central Valley, 31-1: The Giants saw their 31-game win streak snapped in the 3C2A semifinals by Mt. SAC. Sequoias picked up regional wins over Cabrillo and Fresno City, then downed Palomar in the quarterfinals. State North Player of the Year Jocelyn Medina was named All-State Tournament. In the end, COS is the North region's top team in 2024-25. Tyler Newton was selected State North Coach of the Year. For the first time all season, Sequoias dropped in the ratings by two. Last Ranking: #1. Final NorCal #1
4. GLENDALE, Western State South, 26-5: The Vaqueros have been impressive the past two seasons, finishing as state runner-up last year and making it to the semis this year. Glendale scored regional wins over two tough teams in San Diego Mesa and Cypress, then got past one of the North's best in San Joaquin Delta in the 3C2A quarterfinals before OCC eliminated them again. For the second straight year, Malia Ulery was named All-State Tournament. Glendale moves up three positions. Last Ranking: #7. Final SoCal #3
5. PALOMAR, Pacific Coast Athletic, 24-7: The Comets accomplished the second biggest upset of the postseason (see #23 ranking for the biggest) when it surprised a formidable Moorpark in the regional finals on a last seconds' 3-pointer by Kylie Trujillo after defeating Santa Barbara City. Palomar had the state's #5 RPI giving it the edge over the other quarterfinalists in this final ranking. While Sequoias ended its season in the quarterfinals, Palomar soars upward seven spots. Last Ranking: #12. Final SoCal #4
6. SAN JOAQUIN DELTA, Big 8, 22-9: The Mustangs made another trip to the Elite Eight and after regional wins San Mateo and CC San Francisco, the Big 8 champions were stopped in the quarterfinals by Glendale. In three postseason games, Fajr Cuthbertson recorded 50 points and 27 rebounds. Last Ranking: #6. Final NorCal #2
7. SIERRA, Big 8, 25-5: The Wolverines collected regional triumphs over Cosumnes River and Laney, then were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Mt. SAC. In three playoff contests, Katie Leeth totaled 49 points, 28 rebounds and blocked 15 shots. Sierra fell a spot. Last Ranking: #8. Final NorCal #3
8. FOLSOM LAKE, Big 8, 25-6: The Falcons won regional contests v. Chabot and San Jose City, then ran into the shooting buzzsaw of Orange Coast in losing in the 3C2A quarterfinals. Athena Brombacher amassed 45 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists in the postseason. The Big 8 sent an impressive three squads to the Big Dance. FLC moved up one position. Last Ranking: #9. Final NorCal #4
9. MOORPARK, Western State North, 25-5: The Raiders defeated Fullerton before falling to Palomar in the regional finals. That ended an 18-game win streak by MC. Despite the state's fourth-best RPI and victories over Glendale, Cypress, and Fresno, Moorpark slips five ratings. Last Ranking:#4. Final SoCal #5
10. CYPRESS, Orange Empire, 21-9: The Chargers had a regional win over East LA before a tough 5-point loss to Glendale in the finals. Directed by State SoCal Coach of the Year Brittany Imaku, Cypress was sixth in state RPI and recorded regular season victories over both 3C2A championship finalists Mt. SAC and Orange Coast. Cypress charged up a slot. Last Ranking: #11. Final SoCal #6
11. LANEY, Bay Valley, 26-4: The Eagles downed Skyline before being tripped up by Sierra in the regional finals. Laney can hang its hat on two victories over Delta and a win over Folsom Lake, but ultimately may have been hurt from not being playoff-tested in BVC play. It dropped six slots. Last Ranking: #5. Final NorCal #5
12. FRESNO CITY, Central Valley, 20-10: The Rams defeated Butte before losing to Sequoias for the third time this season in a hard-fought game in the regional finals. Eleventh in RPI with a win over Folsom Lake and a close 4-point loss to Orange Coast to its credit allows FCC to fly up seven positions. Last Ranking: #19. Final NorCal #6
13. GROSSMONT, Pacific Coast Athletic, 24-6: The Griffins beat LA Trade-Tech, won the mild upset over Mt. San Jacinto before falling to Mt. SAC in the regional finals. With two wins over San Diego Mesa and a #14 in RPI, ultimately its postseason performance jetted them up nine spots. Last Ranking: #22. Final SoCal #7
14. MT. SAN JACINTO, Inland Empire Athletic, 24-5: The Eagles were a one and done in the regionals, but had a solid regular season including an 18-game win streak. With a #12 state RPI, it drops one slot. Last Ranking: #13. Final SoCal #8
15. SAN DIEGO MESA, Pacific Coast Athletic, 19-9: The Olympians defeated Cuesta and held their own a 5-point loss to Glendale in the regionals. With the state's #15 RPI and victories over the Orange Empire Conference trio of Cypress, Santa Ana and Fullerton, Mesa climbs up two rungs on the ladder. Last Ranking: #17. Final SoCal #9
16. SAN JOSE CITY, Coast South, 27-3: The Jaguars beat Santa Rosa before losing to Folsom Lake in the regional finals. That ended a 24-game win streak with their highest quality victories in that stretch over Cypress, San Francisco and SRJC. Finishing 16th in state RPI, San Jose tumbles six positions. Last Ranking: #10. Final NorCal #7
17. LONG BEACH CITY, South Coast South, 21-8: The Vikings were seeded a surprising #18, then lost on the road v. a very underated #15 West LA in overtime in the regionals. They didn't have the best state RPI, hurt by playing in a weak SCC South, but they had the distinction of beating Mt. SAC and had wins v. Cypress and San Francisco while also playing close defeats v. Orange Coast twice (12 total points differential) and Moorpark (four). While some teams moved up due to postseason, the regular season showed LBCC's true standing in the state. It climbs three spots. Last Ranking: #20. Final SoCal #10
18. SANTA BARBARA CITY, Western State North, 22-7: The Vaqueros got past a tough Imperial Valley squad before losing to Palomar in the regionals. SBCC were 17th in state RPI and had wins over Fullerton and Santa Ana plus a 6-point loss to OCC. It slips three spots. Last Ranking: #15. Final SoCal #11
19. CERRO COSO, Inland Empire Athletic, 24-6: The Coyotes downed LA Valley before sufferering a lopsided loss to Orange Coast in the regionals. Cerro Coso was #18 in state RPI and had an impressive win over Mt San Jacinto while also splitting v. Victor Valley in IEAC play. It falls five spots. Last Ranking: #14. Final SoCal #12
20. CC SAN FRANCISCO, Coast North, 19-9: The Rams beat Shasta, then fell v. Delta in the regionals. CCSF played a hard schedule in pre-conference and picked up wins over Fresno and Santa Rosa. At #21 in state RPI, it drops two positions. Last Ranking: #18. Final NorCal #8
21. SANTA ANA, Orange Empire, 20-9: The Dons were a head-scratcher this season. SAC recorded wins over Orange Coast, Grossmont, San Jose, Fullerton, and Irvine Valley, but got upset by the #24 seed LA Valley in the regionals. Even with 3-point losses to Fullerton and Cypress, the state's #22 RPI team ultimately are ranked where it should be. Last Ranking: #21. Final SoCal #13
22. IRVINE VALLEY, Orange Empire, 16-14: The Lasers edged Antelope Valley before losing to Orange Coast in the regionals. At #20 in state RPI, IVC had wins over SD Mesa, Cypress, Santa Ana, and Fullerton plus two close losses to Cypress (two) and Orange Coast (four) in OEC play. This allowed IVC to join the final rankings. Last Ranking: Not Ranked. Final SoCal #14
23. FULLERTON, Orange Empire, 19-11: The Hornets defeated Citrus before losing to Moorpark in the regionals. In OEC play, they scored quality wins over Cypress, Irvine Valley and Santa Ana. FC was 19th in state RPI. Last Ranking: #23. Final SoCal #15
24. VICTOR VALLEY, Inland Empire Athletic, 22-7: The Rams lost to #21 seed East LA in the regionals. VVC's best wins were v. Long Beach and Cerro Coso. Victor Valley held the #23 state RPI. It's a realistic eight-spot drop. Last Ranking: #16
25. WEST LOS ANGELES, Western State South, 19-11: The Wildcats picked up a big win over Long Beach before Mt. SAC beat them in the regionals. WLAC had quality wins over Sierra and San Francisco, a 1-point loss to Glendale, and its state #24 RPI certainly added to why it joins the final rankings. Last Ranking: Not Ranked.
Best of the Rest
Butte, Golden Valley, 19-10: The Roadrunners beat Mission before losing a close one v. Fresno in the regionals. Last State Ranking: 25. Final NorCal #9
East Los Angeles, South Coast North, 16-13: The Huskies upset Victor Valley before losing to Cypress in the regionals.
Santa Rosa JC, Big 8, 17-13: The Bear Cubs defeated Redwoods before losing to San Jose in the regionals. Final NorCal #10
Imperial Valley, Pacific Coast Athletic, 17-12: The Desert Warriors lost to Santa Barbara in the regionals. In the regular season, they recorded wins over Grossmont, SD Mesa, and West LA.
LA Valley, Western State South, 15-15: The Monarchs beat Santa Ana before losing to Cerro Coso in the regionals. They performed the ultimate upset after just sneaking in at the final #24 seed.
Antelope Valley, Western State South, 17-12: The Marauders lost to Irvine Valley in the regionals.
Shasta, Golden Valley, 18-12: The Knights beat Taft before losing to San Francisco in the regionals. Final NorCal #11
Citrus, Western State South, 18-11: The Owls lost to Fullerton in the regionals.
Chaffey, Inland Empire Athletic, 18-10: The Panthers beat Fullerton, Cerro Coso and LA Trade-Tech, lost two close games v. Mt. San Jacinto (total of just 9 points) and yet did not receive a playoff seed.
Chabot, Coast North, 18-12: The Gladiators defeated Napa Valley before losing to Folsom Lake in the regionals. Final NorCal #12
Cuesta, Western State North, 17-11: The Cougars lost to San Diego Mesa in the regionals.
Cosumnes River, Big 8, 16-14: The Hawks beat Siskiyous and then lost to Sierra in the regionals. Final NorCal #13
Cabrillo, Coast South, 19-11: The Seahawks beat Modesto before lsoing to Sequoias in the regionals. Final NorCal #14
San Mateo, Coast North, 17-12: The Bulldogs beat Reedley before losing to Delta in the regionals. Final NorCal #T15
Hartnell, Coast South, 17-12: The Panthers lost to Skyline in the regionals. Final NorCal #T15
LA Trade-Tech, South Coast North, 14-15: The Beavers lost to Grossmont in the regionals.
Siskiyous, Golden Valley, 17-11: The Eagles lost to Cosumnes River in the regionals.
Skyline, Coast North, 11-19: The Trojans upset Hartnell then lost to Laney in the regionals.
Reedley, Central Valley, 16-13: The Tigers lost to San Mateo in the regionals.
Modesto, Big 8, 14-15: The Pirates lost to Cabrillo in the regionals.
Napa Valley, Bay Valley, 17-12: The Storm lost to Chabot in the regionals.
Redwoods, Golden Valley, 11-17: The Corsairs lost to Santa Rosa in the regionals.
Taft, Central Valley, 16-13: The Cougars lost to Shasta in the regionals.
Mission, Coast South, 14-15: The Eagles lost to Butte in the regionals.
Solano, Bay Valley, 17-11: The Falcons did not make the postseason.
Marin, Bay Valley, 16-13: The Mariners did not make the postseason.
