Arizona (6-3)

Star Player: Junior guard Candace Warthen

Warthen is the Wildcats’ leading scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game so far this season. Warthen is also second on the team in rebounding with 6.1 rebounds per game.

Strengths: The Wildcats average 37.5 team rebounds per game, which ranks them 30th in all of college basketball. Redshirt senior forward Alli Gloyd and sophomore forward LaBritteny Jones consistently get the rebounds that matter most in late-game situations.

Weaknesses: The team also lacks an interior presence offensively, and all their players are six feet one inch or shorter. Against other Pac-12 schools like Stanford and California, the Wildcats could have a lot of problems with post defense.

 

Arizona State (7-1)

Star Player: Sophomore forward Sophie Brunner

Brunner leads the team in both points per game (11.5) and rebounds per game (7.4). Brunner was a PAC-12 freshman honorable mention last season.

Strengths:  The Sun Devils make and take good shots. The team converts on 45 percent of their field goal attempts, which ranks 23rd in the NCAA and towards the top of the Pac-12 conference. The team also has three different players that average double-digit point totals this season.

Weaknesses:  The team lacks overall in-game experience compared to other schools. The Sun Devils only have two seniors on the active roster, and only one plays in their starting five.

California (7-2)

Star Player: Senior forward Reshanda Gray

Gray leads the way for the Golden Bears, averaging 19.2 points per game. Gray is also a force on the defensive end with 12 blocks and nine steals this season.

Strengths: The Golden Bears share the basketball very well. The team averages 20.3 assists per game, good for third in the NCAA. Senior guard Brittany Boyd is the orchestrator for the team, leading the team with 80 assists on the season.

Weaknesses: The Golden Bears struggle at the free-throw line, with just three players converting on more than 68 percent of their free throws. If they hope to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, they need to make their free throws especially late in games.

 

Colorado (6-3)

Star Player: Junior forward Jamee Swan

Swan is the team’s impact player on both ends of the floor. Swan is second on the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game, and leads the team in blocks with 19 blocks and second on the team with 11 steals.

Strengths: The Buffalos dominate the boards in most games that they play. The team ranks fourth in the NCAA with 44 rebounds per game. Though the team lacks overall size, they make up for it with great effort on the glass.

Weaknesses: The team ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing 70.4 points per game this season. The Pac-12 conference has a lot of high-quality scorers, and the Buffaloes may continue to struggle if things don’t change fast.

 

Oregon (5-3)

Star Player: Junior forward Jillian Alleyne

Alleyne is the best all-around scorer for the Ducks, leading the team with 17.4 points per game this season. Alleyne is also the best on the team at creating second chances offensively, with 5.1 offensive rebounds per game.

Strengths: Defense is the key for the Ducks. The team allows just 64.2 points per game, which ranks sixth in the Pac-12. The Ducks also don’t allow many second-chance opportunities, ranking fifth in the Pac-12 and allowing just 36.1 rebounds per game.

Weaknesses:  The team lacks overall depth, especially on the offensive end. The Ducks average just 69.5 points per game, which ranks the team 10th in the Pac-12 conference. The team also has just three players that average double-digit point totals, with eight different players averaging 6.8 points per game or less on a nightly basis.

 

Oregon State (7-0)

Star Player: Junior center Ruth Hamblin

Hamblin is a force in the paint, leading the Beavers with 14.4 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game, and a .712 field goal percentage. At 6’6”, Hamblin made the Pac-12 All-Defensive team in her sophomore season in 2013.

Strengths: The Beavers are tough to deal with defensively. The team ranks fifth in the NCAA with 86.3 points per game, third with 45.3 rebounds per game, first with 25.1 assists per game, and second with a .498 field goal percentage.

Weaknesses: The team lost a lot of their talent after last season, and only has one senior on their roster. As the season progresses, experience might be an issue against some of the more experienced teams in the conference.

Stanford (5-2)

Star Player: Sophomore guard Lili Thompson

Thompson has made a great impact early in her college basketball career, and is the leading scorer for the Cardinal with 21.8 points per game. Thompson is also second on the team with a .533 three-point percentage this season.

Strengths: The Cardinal take advantage of their opportunities on the offensive end. The team ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with 80.4 points per game, and second in the conference with a .474 field goal percentage.

Weaknesses: The Cardinal have problems defending from beyond the three-point line this season. The team ranks last in the Pac-12 conference, allowing their opponents to convert on 34.7 percent of their three-point shot attempts.

 

UCLA (3-4)

Star Player: Junior guard Nirra Fields

Fields leads the team on both ends of the floor, averaging 16.2 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. Fields also leads the team defensively, averaging 1.2 blocks and 2.3 steals per game for the Bruins.

Strengths: The Bruins are good at limiting second chance opportunities defensively. The team ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with 43.4 total rebounds per game, and fourth in the conference with 30.9 rebounds per game.

Weaknesses: The Bruins have problems taking care of the basketball on the offensive end. The Bruins rank 10th in the Pac-12 with a .8 assist/turnover ratio and struggle with spreading the ball around to keep defenses on their heels.

 

USC (7-2)

Star Player: Senior forward Alexyz Vaioletama

Vaioletama leads the team with 13.0 points per game and shoots an impressive 57 percent from the floor. Vaioletama also leads the team with .9 blocks and 5.6 field goals made per game.

Strengths: The Trojans shoot very well from beyond the arc, ranking third in the Pac-12 with a .405 three-point shot percentage. The team also is very good at forcing turnovers, and leads the conference with 12.0 steals per game.

Weaknesses: The team has had problems this season defending dynamic scorers, and ranks last in the PAC-12 in allowing opponents to convert on 42.2 percent of their shots. The Trojans also have problems defending the post, ranking 11th in the Pac-12, averaging just 24.5 defensive rebounds per game.

 

Utah (4-5)

Star Player: Senior forward Taryn Wicijowski

Wicijowski is the biggest playmaker for the Utes, averaging a double-double with 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this season. After being sidelined with an ACL injury last season, Wicijowski has rebounded in a big way in 2014.

Strengths: The Utes play very well defensively, and rank fourth in the Pac-12 in allowing just 59.2 points per game this season. The team also capitalizes on their free throw opportunities, with a team free throw percentage of 73 percent.

Weaknesses: The team always seems to be on the losing end of things when the game gets close. The Utes have a scoring margin of -0.7, which ranks last in the Pac-12 conference.

 

Washington (8-1)

Star Player: Sophomore guard Kelsey Plum

Plum is one of the best scorers in women’s college basketball so far this season. Plum ranks second in the NCAA with 26.3 points per game, and scored a career-high 45 points against Oklahoma earlier this season.

Strengths: The Huskies can flat-out score. The team ranks fourth in the NCAA with 87.6 points per game, and 16th with a 46.4 percent field goal percentage.

Weaknesses: The Huskies have had problems on defense this season during their non-conference schedule. The team ranks 10th in the Pac-12, allowing 40.5 rebounds per game, and ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in allowing 68.0 points per game.