Pac-12 women’s basketball power rankings — Week 8

1. No. 6 Oregon (Last: 1)

The Ducks (25-3, 14-2) finally showed they can lose a conference game, as they lost not one, but two games this past week. The first loss came at the hands of the at-the-time No. 12 Oregon State and the second was to a then-unranked UCLA team. Despite that, they are still the best team in the Pac-12.

2. No. 7 Stanford (Last: 2)

The Cardinal (23-4, 13-3) have won four consecutive games, putting themselves back in the position to win the conference if they have a miraculous final week in conference play. They travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Washington schools this week.

3. No. 9 Oregon State (Last: 3)

The Beavers (23-5, 13-3) had the best game of their season when they got a big win over rival Oregon last Monday to end the Ducks’ undefeated season in conference play. They continued their strong week by sweeping both of the Los Angeles schools. The Beavers also still have a chance to be the first seed in the conference tournament.

4. No. 25 UCLA (Last: 5)

The Bruins (17-11, 10-6) went 1-1 this past week, but that sole victory came against Oregon in dramatic fashion, earning them a spot in this week’s AP Top-25 rankings. The team’s one loss came to Oregon State on Sunday, which is another great opponent. The Bruins host Utah and Colorado this week.

5. Utah (Last: 6)

The Utes (20-7, 9-7) were finally able to escape their six-game losing streak by sweeping the Washington schools at home. After winning both games in dominant fashion, they look to keep their momentum as the regular season winds down.

6. No. 21 Arizona State (Last: 4)

The Sun Devils (18-8, 9-6) had a rough trip to the Bay Area, losing to Cal by nine points before getting dominated by Stanford in a 21-point loss. They have a tough road ahead as they finish out conference play against the tough Oregon schools.

7. Cal (Last: 9)

The Golden Bears (16-11, 7-9) continue their sneaky run in conference play after sweeping the Arizona schools at home. Cal is a dangerous team that is in contention to win any game despite their record, and no one would want to face them in the Pac-12 Tournament.

8. Arizona (Last: 7)

The Wildcats (17-10, 7-9) were unable to get a win this week despite being within a few plays of getting two big victories. The first loss was to Stanford by two points on the road and the second was a tough overtime loss at the hands of Cal.

9. USC (Last: 8)

The Trojans (15-12, 5-11) are in the middle of a tough stretch after losing four of their last five games and three in a row as they try and navigate a tough portion of their conference schedule.

10. WSU (Last: 10)

The Cougars (9-18, 4-12) were swept on the road as they fell to Colorado and Utah. Head Coach Kamie Ethridge needs to make some adjustments soon if the Cougs want to win some basketball games late in the season, especially after an 11-point loss to lowly Colorado.

11. Washington (Last: 11)

The Huskies (9-18, 2-13) were able to get their second win of conference play against the same team they got their first Pac-12 victory against this season — Colorado. They look to get their third conference win against Stanford and Cal this week.

12. Colorado (Last: 12)

The Buffaloes (12-15, 2-14) gave their fans something to cheer about as they got their second conference win of the season at home against WSU. This was a bright spot in the season for Colorado, as it seems they will have a quick stay in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament.