Storm slip in national polls, remain No. 1 in region
INDIANOLA, Iowa – After suffering its first loss of the season last week, the Simpson women's basketball team slipped in the national polls but held steady at No. 1 in the NCAA West Region rankings.
On the heels of a 72-56 loss to Dubuque, the Storm (23-2) dropped to No. 12 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll and to No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Simpson was previously ranked No. 9 and No. 6, respectively.
Despite the dip in the national rankings, Brian Niemuth's squad remained atop the NCAA West Region rankings, the second release of the regional rankings this season. Simpson has a 19-1 record against regional opponents.
After a first-round bye, the Iowa Conference champions begin the league tournament on Friday, Feb. 23 against fourth-seeded Loras at 7 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, but was moved due to a snowstorm that hit much of the state on Thursday.
West Region Rankings
| Rank | School | Region | Overall |
| 1 | Simpson | 19-1 | 23-2 |
| 2 | Lewis & Clark | 19-2 | 23-2 |
| 3 | St. Thomas | 20-4 | 20-5 |
| 4 | Concordia-Moorhead | 20-4 | 20-5 |
| 5 | Cal Lutheran | 18-4 | 21-4 |
| 6 | Whitman | 16-3 | 20-4 |
| 7 | Chapman | 17-4 | 19-5 |
| 8 | Minnesota-Morris | 17-0 | 18-7 |
