I see it a little differently. Saying that UConn is #1 doesn't sell papers (metaphorically). So my guess is someone asked research to put together a case that ND is number one. To their surprise, it wasn't laughable, so they decide to run with it, because it would create conversation.
Okay we can agree to disagree. There are times when one loses big time credibility just because they want to stir up some controversy. For example last year or year before John Salley came out with comments- he said Jordan wasn't greatest ever. That statement is fine. But then he started saying / implying Jordan was no greater than . . . he rattled off some names and one name was Kevin McHale that stuck in my mind. Forever, you could never take him seriously.
The women's game suffers from not enough fans. Primarily men follow men's game much more. Many of my buddies that are fans of men's hoop/nba too, they will be nice and ask me about the women. In my opinion, they look at the game as inferior. And when they look at things thatway, imo they look at other things within the women's game as well. And they don't live under a rock. But if they were too ever hear an announcer claim ND should be number 1 seed, they'd further scoff at the "incompetence" of it all. And some of them are much bigger gamblers than I, if they'd see UCONN as a dog, if both were undefeated and no further injuries, they'd lay quite a bit of cash on the Huskies. And they barely follow the game. Yet in our game, we have annoucners spewing something that is just wrong - and most of the popualtion knows it. Nothing good comes of that.
Top 50 - men vs women is light years different. IMO to bring it up - top 50- it's insulting to me. UCONN and ND and are on a much "higher plane" than to count a team that is about 42 vs a team that is about 70- and pretend they are "different" in a way that matters when comparing these two great teams.