Pac-12 women off to 支配するing start; 4 teams in the 最高の，を越す 8
LOS ANGELES (AP) - With the success of Oregon, Oregon 明言する／公表する and Stanford in 最近の seasons, the Pac-12 has been considered one of the most 競争の激しい 会議／協議会s in women´s basketball. But it has made a 抱擁する 衝撃 国家的に as this season 近づくs the 中途の point.
Four teams are 階級d in the 最高の，を越す eight in this week´s Associated 圧力（をかける） 最高の，を越す 25, 場内取引員／株価 the first time that has happened in 会議／協議会 history. The last time it happened 国家的に was Jan. 27, 2014, when the ACC did it for the second straight week.
Oregon, which was the 最高の，を越す-階級d team in the preseason, is No. 2 followed by third-階級d Oregon 明言する／公表する, No. 5 Stanford and No. 8 UCLA.
"It has always been a strong 会議／協議会. I don´t think it is a surprise but a testament to how hard we have worked," UCLA 今後 Michaela Onyenwere said. "We´ve done a good 職業 of 共同製作 with other schools to make sure it happens."
Oregon 明言する／公表する and UCLA are off to the best starts in program history at 14-0 and are two of the four undefeated teams remaining in the country. The Ducks made their first Final Four 外見 last season and made an 即座の 声明 earlier this season when they 敗北・負かすd the U.S. 国家の team.
Stanford coach Tara Vanderveer, whose team was 階級d No. 1 earlier this season, said the 競争 at the 最高の，を越す is 広大な／多数の／重要な for everyone except when it comes to a coach's sanity.
Oregon' s Minyon Moore, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally and Ruthy Hebard, from left, celebrate a play during the third ４半期/4分の1 of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Colorado in Eugene, 鉱石., Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Pietsch)
"It is very, very 競争の激しい but in the long run it gets you 用意が出来ている for tournament basketball, whether it is Pac-12 or NCAA," she said. "To see this is 広大な／多数の／重要な. If you are rolling over teams every night. you are not getting the message of what it takes to compete in March."
Oregon 明言する／公表する coach Scott Rueck said on a Portland 無線で通信する show this week that the 安定 in coaching staffs has been a big factor.
"When you have familiarity の中で staffs that can 原因（となる） problems because of that knowledge," he said. "The 競争 has been as good as it has ever been. The team cultures have been built."
The 会議／協議会 was 均衡を保った for a big season after having five teams 前進する to the 甘い 16 last year. Ten players from last year´s all-会議／協議会 team returned, 含むing Oregon´s Sabrina Ionescu, the 統治するing 国家の player of the year, and Arizona´s Aari McDonald, who was the nation´s 最高の，を越す returning scorer.
"It´s not a 劇の change from what we have been building the past five or six years but I don´t think I have ever seen it this good," UCLA coach Cori の近くに said.
The Pac-12 has seven players on the midseason 木造の Award watch 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）, which is the most of any 会議／協議会. Oregon leads the way with the trio of Ionsecu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally, followed by Oregon 明言する／公表する´s Mikayla Pivec and 運命 Slocum, McDonald and Onyenwere.
Oregon coach Kelly 墓／厳粛／彫る／重大なs said the 二人組 of Ionescu and Hubbard might go 負かす／撃墜する as one of the best ever in the game. Ionsecu has 21 career ３倍になる-（テニスなどの）ダブルス, 含むing three this season, along with 主要な the nation in 補助装置s per game (8.8).
"I don´t mean to be hyperbolic here. They´re as good as any 二人組 that´s ever done it in this game, in college basketball. Enough said," he said. "I mean, nobody has run it better than them that I can remember. We 得点する／非難する／２０d more on the 選ぶ and roll than any team in the country last year, men or women, and it´s usually Sabrina to Ruthy. So I can honestly say they´re two of the best that have ever done it together. They´ll always be linked."
The Ducks (12-1) had a 58-point 勝利，勝つ over 以前 unbeaten Colorado last Sunday but have a 堅い road trip this 週末 with Arizona 明言する／公表する on Friday and No. 18 Arizona on Sunday. McDonald leads the 会議／協議会 in 得点する／非難する／２０ing (20.1 points per game).
While everyone might be looking ahead to the in-明言する／公表する 戦う／戦い between the Ducks and Beavers in two weeks, the 枢機けい／主要な (13-1) 攻撃する，衝突する the road to 直面する both teams next week.
With a 勝利，勝つ over California on Friday or Sunday, VanDerveer would become the first women´s coach to reach 500 victories in a 会議／協議会. She is 499-78 in the Pac-12.
The Bruins could 結局最後にはーなる 存在 a darkhorse for one of the 最高の，を越す two seeds because they 直面する Oregon, Oregon 明言する／公表する and Stanford only once in the 正規の／正選手 season. They will host both Oregon schools in 中央の-February.
UCLA 伸び（る）d some 信用／信任 last Sunday with a 12-point 勝利，勝つ over Arizona but の近くに knows the 火刑／賭けるs continue to be higher going into this week´s road trip to Colorado and Utah.
"If you´re a 最高の，を越す 10 team and someone competing at the 最高の，を越す of the league you have a 的. There has to be an emotional 成熟 to 焦点（を合わせる） and 準備," she said.
At this pace the 会議／協議会 is 推定する／予想するd to have two 最高の，を越す seeds for the NCAA Tournament, but the biggest 競争 will be between the Ducks and Beavers for who gets to remain の近くに to home with the West 地域の in Portland.
Rueck said he told his team to ignore any talk of 最高位のs.
"We cannot listen to anything that is outside our 支配（する）／統制する. Don´t believe the hype and stay 焦点（を合わせる）d on how we are doing," he said.
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Sports Writers Janie McCauley in Stanford, California, and Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Oregon, 与える／捧げるd to this st ory.
Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu, left, 運動s to the basket as Colorado's Aubrey Knight defends during the second ４半期/4分の1 of an NCAA college basketball game in Eugene, 鉱石., Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Pietsch)
Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, 権利, calls guard Hannah Jump (33) into the game during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Oregon 明言する／公表する coach Scott Rueck 会談 with 運命 Slocum (24) during a 解放する／自由な throw in the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Utah in Corvallis, 鉱石., Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. Oregon 明言する／公表する won 77-48. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
