Stanford Cardinal Coach: Tara VanDerveer, 731-191 career (30th season), 579-140 at Stanford (23rd season).
Last year: 35-4 overall, 16-2 Pac-10 (first). Lost in NCAA tournament championship game.
Key players: F/C Jayne Appel, 6-4, Jr.; F Kayla Pedersen, 6-4, So.; G Jeanette Pohlen, 6-0, So.
Impact newcomer: F Nnemkadi Ogwumike, 6-2, Fr.
Outlook: Stanford has won at least a share of the past eight Pac-10 titles, but No. 9 will be tough now that All-American Candice Wiggins has graduated. Things got even tougher for last year's NCAA runner-up when guard JJ Hones was lost for the season with a torn knee ligament. The front-court duo of Appel and Pedersen will be tough to stop, but if Stanford can't find replacements for Wiggins and Hones, Cal will be waiting to snare the conference crown.
California Golden Bears Coach: Joanne Boyle, 144-59 career (seventh season), 77-30 at Cal (fourth season).
Last year: 27-7 overall, 15-3 Pac-10 (second). Lost in second round of NCAA tournament.
Outlook: The trio of Walker, Hampton and Gray-Lawson might be the most talented threesome on any team in the Pac-10, and they might be enough to lift the Bears to a conference title. Cal went 10-2 in nonconference play, but lost a shot to take down a ranked team when its game against Baylor was canceled because of inclement weather. A road swing at the two Arizona schools will be a tough test for the Bears to start conference play.
Arizona State Sun Devils Coach: Charli Turner Thorne, 273-189 career (16th season), 233-147 at ASU (13th season).
Last year: 22-11 overall, 14-4 Pac-10 (third). Lost in second round of NCAA tournament.
Key players: G Briann January, 5-8, Sr.; G Dymond Simon, 5-5, Jr.; C Sybil Dosty, 6-3, Sr.
Impact newcomer: G Jazlyn Davis, 5-9, Jr.
Outlook: The Sun Devils have one of the Pac-10's best guards in January, and ASU should be good enough to get back to the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year under Turner Thorne. Whether the Sun Devils can compete for Pac-10 supremacy with the Bay Area schools may be determined this week as ASU hosts Stanford and Cal.
UCLA Bruins Coach: Nikki Caldwell, 9-2 career and at UCLA (first season).
Last year: 16-15 overall, 10-8 Pac-10 (tied for fourth).
Key players: F Chinyere Ibekwe, 6-4, Sr.; G Doreena Campbell, 5-10, So.; F Nina Earl, 6-1, So.; F Christina Nzekwe, 6-4, So.
Impact newcomers: none.
Outlook: The Bruins are off to a good start under first-year coach Caldwell, but lost at Texas Tech to end the nonconference portion of their season. With the size of Ibekwe and Nzekwe, a graduate of Seattle's Chief Sealth High School, the Bruins should be one of the best rebounding teams in the Pac-10.
USC Trojans Coach: Mark Trakh, 278-177 career (16th season), 79-54 at USC (fifth season). Last year: 17-13 overall, 10-8 Pac-10 (tied for fourth).
Key players: C Nadia Parker, 6-3, Sr.; G Camille LeNoir, 5-6, Sr.; G Brynn Cameron, 5-10, Sr.
Impact newcomers: G Ashley Corral, 5-9, Fr.; G Briana Gilbreath, 6-1, Fr.
Outlook: The Trojans are loaded with talent, but already injuries are a problem. Jacki Gemelos, the nation's No. 1-ranked recruit coming out of high school in 2006, will miss a third straight season at USC with a knee injury. Stefanie Gilbreath, herself a high school All-American, will miss a second straight year with a knee injury. There's still enough talent for the Trojans to finish in the top half of the Pac-10, but it won't be easy.
Oregon State Beavers Coach: Lavonda Wagner, 46-54 career and at OSU (fourth season).
Last year: 12-19 overall, 4-14 Pac-10 (tied for eighth).
Key players: G Talisa Rhea, 5-11, So.; G Mercedes Fox-Griffin, 5-7, Sr.; G Brittney Davis, 5-10, Sr.; C Alex Mitchell, 6-4, So.
Impact newcomer: G Brittany Kennedy, 5-7, Fr.
Outlook: The Beavers head into Pac-10 play looking like the surprise team of the conference, losing only a close game to second-ranked North Carolina. A trip to L.A. this weekend could either cement OSU's case as a Pac-10 contender, or expose flaws that haven't shown up yet. Rhea looks like a potential breakout star this season.
Washington Huskies Coach: Tia Jackson, 17-25 career and at Washington (second season). Last year: 13-18 overall, 8-10 Pac-10 (sixth).
Key players: G/F Sami Whitcomb, 5-10, Jr.; F/C Laura McLellan, 6-2, Jr.; G/F Michelle Augustavo, 6-0, Sr.
Impact newcomers: G/F Kristi Kingma, 5-10, Fr.; F Liz Lay, 6-1, Fr.; G Christina Rozier, 5-8, Jr.
Outlook: The Huskies have shown flashes of good play in Jackson's second year, but also suffered some bad losses. A recent lineup change put Lay and Rozier in the starting five in place of Heidi McNeil and Sarah Morton, a sign Jackson wants to try something new to get the season back on track. With just seven returning players and eight new faces on the roster, how well the Huskies come together as a team will determine if they can avoid back-to-back losing records for the first time since women's basketball became an intercollegiate sport in 1974.
Arizona Wildcats Coach: Niya Butts, 7-4 career and at Arizona (first season).
Last year: 10-20 overall, 4-14 Pac-10 (tied for eighth).
Key players: F Ify Ibekwe, 6-1, So.; F Amina Njonkou, 6-1, Sr.
Impact newcomers: G Reiko Thomas, 5-8, Fr.; G Courtney Clements, 6-0, Fr.
Outlook: The young Wildcats had a good start to the season, but it remains to be seen how much they can improve from last year's 4-14 conference record. Ibekwe is emerging as one of the conference's top post players. Opening against Cal and Stanford will show Arizona just how far it's come or how far it still has to go.
Oregon Ducks Coach: Bev Smith, 117-111 career and at Oregon (eighth season).
Last year: 14-17 overall, 7-11 Pac-10 (seventh)
Key players: G Taylor Lilley, 5-6, Jr.; G Micaela Cocks, 5-8, Jr.; F Ellie Manou, 6-3, So. Impact newcomers: F Jasmin Holliday, 6-0, Fr.
Outlook: Lilley, the Ducks' leading scorer last year, missed much of the nonconference schedule with an injury, as did several other key players, so Oregon's 3-7 record may be misleading. But it still appears the Ducks have a lot of work to do in order to compete in the Pac-10. Oregon has nine underclassmen on its roster and just one senior.
Washington State Cougars Coach: June Daugherty, 326-241 career (20th season), 12-28 at WSU (second season).
