COLLEGE STATION -- The Big 12 champion Texas A&M women’s basketball team achieved its highest final national ranking in school history with a No. 16 ranking in the final Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

The Aggies also appeared at No. 21 in the final USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released Wednesday, a day after the national championship game was decided at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Cleveland. It marked A&M’s first-ever appearance in the final Coaches Poll in the 33-year history of the program. The Aggies were one of only three Big 12 Conference teams to earn a spot in the final national polls and made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Led by Big 12 Coach of the Year and Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist Gary Blair, the Aggies were ranked in both national polls a school-record 18 consecutive weeks including a program-best No. 10 national ranking on Nov. 28, 2006. A&M previously spent 12 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll during the 1994-95 season. The Aggies have been ranked in the AP Poll a program-best 24-straight weeks since the 2005-06 season. They ended the 2005-06 campaign with a No. 20 ranking in the final AP Poll.

A&M (24-7) also finished out the 2006-07 season as one of the top 8 defenses in the country holding opponents to 53.6 points per game. The Aggies finished seventh nationally behind top defensive leaders LSU (49.0) and Duke (51.4).

TEXAS A&M WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-TIME FINAL NATIONAL RANKINGS

1995-96 Season - No. 25 (AP) / None (Coaches)

2005-06 Season - No. 20 (AP) / None (Coaches)

2006-07 Season - No. 16 (AP) / No. 21 (Coaches)