Coaches Say It’s Anyone’s Tournament

Pacific 10 coaches were queried this week on what changes they would make, if they could, to the women’s conference tournament.

Suggestions included rotating the venue from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, where the conference is contractually obligated to play through 2008, reducing the number of teams from 10 to eight, rewarding the first- and second-place teams with byes, and scheduling the tournament the same week as the men’s instead of the week before.

However, having a truly competitive tournament may be all that’s needed. And they could have that beginning tonight.

Top seed Stanford has won or shared five consecutive regular-season titles, and has won three of the four tournaments. But this season’s young Cardinal team has been far from invincible away from its home court (8-5). San Jose is only about 45 minutes south of Palo Alto, but HP Pavilion is not Maples Pavilion, where Stanford is 12-1.

That’s why teams such as Arizona State, UCLA and Washington, which all beat Stanford on their home courts, can feel a little more confident.

Especially second seed Arizona State, which won more games (23) than any other Pac-10 team and, like Stanford, has been a fixture in the top 25 all season.

“I believe we’re at a point where we match up with anybody,” Arizona State Coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “In my early years, that was never the case. But I don’t feel we’re lacking in talent or have any glaring weaknesses offensively or defensively.”

Coach Kathy Olivier of third-seeded UCLA said any of the top six seeds could win this year. Coach June Daugherty of fourth-seeded Washington hopes that will translate into more fans in the stands. Total attendance has never surpassed the 27,415 that watched the inaugural tournament in 2002.

Daugherty said the message is out that the men’s tournament is wide open. “On the women’s side I don’t feel it’s been that clear a message,” she said.

Should Stanford not win (which happened in 2002), it won’t cost the Cardinal an upcoming NCAA bid or the joy Coach Tara VanDerveer has gotten from this year’s team.

“For us to go through the regular season and come out a clear-cut winner surprises me,” VanDerveer said. “I’m really proud of the team and coaches. But this tournament is wide open.”

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Nikki Blue, Noelle Quinn and Lisa Willis of UCLA, and Eshaya Murphy of USC were named to the All Pac-10 women’s basketball team Thursday. Blue became one of five players to be selected four times. It was the first selection for Murphy, the second for Quinn and Willis.

USC’s Meghan Gnekow and Camille LeNoir received honorable mention.

Stanford’s Candice Wiggins and VanDerveer were the player and coach of the year, respectively. California’s Alexis Gray-Lawson was freshman of the year.