Pac-12 Women's Basketball Weekly Rundown - March 20, 2024

COMPLETE RELEASE (PDF)      

STARTING FIVE

>>  The Pac-12 is sending seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, tying the league record for the most teams headed to the Big Dance (set in both the 2016-17 and 2022-23 seasons). 
   >> No. 1 USC, No. 2 Stanford and No. 2 UCLA gives the league three teams seeded one or two, which is a Pac-12-era record. 
   >> At least half of the Pac-12 has earned berths in seven straight NCAA Tournaments, and the 2024 installment marks the 10th consecutive event to feature at least five Pac-12 programs. 
   >> California, Washington and Washington State are among the 32 teams selected to play in the inaugural WBIT, which tips off Thursday, March 21.

>>  Stanford’s Cameron Brink and USC’s JuJu Watkins were named to the Associated Press All-America First Team. Oregon State’s Raegan Beers and Utah’s Alissa Pili earned Third Team recognition, while Colorado’s Jaylyn Sherrod, Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen, and UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Charisma Osborne & Kiki Rice were named Honorable Mention.

>>  The Pac-12 boasts three in the top six of the latest AP Top-25 poll: No. 3 USC, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 UCLA, No. 12 Oregon State, No. 17 Colorado and No. 21 Utah. 
   >> USC’s No. 3 ranking is its best since 1986. 
   >> The Pac-12 leads all conferences with six ranked teams.

>>  USC won its second Pac-12 Tournament title after defeating top-seeded Stanford, 74-61. The Trojans became the third team to win multiple Pac-12 Tournament crowns (also Oregon and Stanford). 
   >> Trojan McKenzie Forbes was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while Oregon State’s Beers, Stanford’s Brink & Iriafen, UCLA’s Osborne and USC’s Watkins were named to the All-Tournament Team.

>>  Stanford’s Brink and USC’s Watkins are semifinalists for the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year. Their head coaches, Tara VanDerveer and Lindsay Gottlieb, are among the 10 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Semifinalists. 
   >> Brink is also a finalist for the 2024 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Full Schedule)

NCAA Tournament - Second Round: March 24 & 25 
WBIT - Second Round: March 24 
* NCAA Tournament Game 
^ WBIT Game

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded Standings)

2023-24 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Performance Awards, presented by Nextiva