Stanford
Stanford, Calif., 29-2.
Nickname: Cardinal. Coach: Tara VanDerveer.
Conference: Pac-10. Bid: Pac-10 champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 1.
Tournament Record: 61-22, 24 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (79.9); Nnemkadi Ogwumike 16.4; Jeanette Pohlen, 15.2; Kayla Pedersen 12.9.
Rebounds: Team (43.7); Kayla Pedersen 7.9; Nnemkadi Ogwumike 7.8; Chiney Ogwumike 7.8.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.7/14.2); Jeanette Pohlen 4.7/2.9; Kayla Pedersen 3.2/1.9.
3-pointers: Team (.353); Jeanette Pohlen 83; Lindy La Rocque 27.
Last Ten: 10-0.
The Skinny: The Cardinal have won 23 in a row since consecutive road losses to DePaul and Tennessee in December. They ended Connecticut’s NCAA-record 90-game winning streak that same month and would like another shot at the Huskies. Jeanette Pohlen was the Pac-10 player of the year.
UC Davis
Davis, Calif., 24-8.
Nickname: Aggies. Coach: Sandy Simpson.
Conference: Big West. Bid: Big West champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: 16.
Tournament Record: 0-0 Last appearance: None
Scoring: Team (68.8); Paige Mintun 14.3; Vicky Deely 11.1; Heidi Heinz 9.5.
Rebounds: Team (34.4); Paige Mintun 5.7; Heidi Heinz 4.9; Vicky Deely 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15/ 16.2); Heidi Heinz 2.6/2; Hana Asano 2.2/1.7.
3-pointers: Team (.333); Vicky Deely 64; Kasey Riecks 51; Hannah Stephens 23.
Last Ten: 7-3
The Skinny: UC Davis beat top-seeded Cal Poly 66-49 to win the program’s first Big West championship and earn its first bid to the NCAA tournament.
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Texas Tech
Lubbock, 22-10.
Nickname: Lady Raiders. Coach: Kristy Curry.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 8.
Tournament Record: 30-17, 18 years. Last appearance: 2005.
Scoring: Team (65.9); Kierra Mallard 12.1; Teena Wickett 9.8.
Rebounds: Team (39.2); Kierra Mallard 7.2; Teena Wickett 6.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.1/16.1); Monique Smalls 3.7/2.3; Teena Wickett 2.8/2.9.
3-pointers: Team (.352); Casey Morris 54.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: A huge win over Baylor and a sixth-place finish in the Big 12 were enough to secure the first NCAA bid since 2005. Kierra Mallard has been the catalyst for coach Kristy Curry.
St. John’s
New York, 21-10.
Nickname: Red Storm. Coach: Kim Barnes Arico.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 9.
Tournament Record: 3-5, 5 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (63.3); Shenneika Smith 12.8; Da’Shena Stevens 12.1.
Rebounds: Team (37.5); Da’Shena Stevens 6.5; Shenneika Smith 6.1; Centhya Hart 5.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.5/15.7); Nadirah McKenith 3/9/3.4.
3-pointers: Team (.346); Amanda Burakoski 47.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: Coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, the Red Storm struggled at times for consistency. Sophomore point guard Nadirah McKenith battled through injuries all season. This is only the second time in school history that St. John’s has gone to the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. The last time was the 1982-83 season and 1983-84 season, under coach Don Perrelli.
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North Carolina
Chapel Hill, 26-8.
Nickname: Tar Heels. Coach: Sylvia Hatchell.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 5.
Tournament Record: 39-21, 22 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (77.3); Italee Lucas 15.8; Jessica Breland 12.6.
Rebounds: Team (46.9); Jessica Breland 6.9; Tierra Ruffin-Pratt 6.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.3/17.5); Cetera DeGraffenreid 4.9/2.1; Italee Lucas 2.6/2.8.
3-pointers: Team (.286); Italee Lucas 70.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: After a strong start with the return of Jessica Breland from a bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the Tar Heels struggled down the stretch. North Carolina dropped four straight before making a run to the championship game of the ACC tournament. They have the athleticism to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, but have been inconsistent all season.
Fresno State
Fresno, Calif., 25-7.
Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Adrian Wiggins.
Conference: Western Athletic. Bid: WAC champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 12.
Tournament Record: 0-3, 3 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (76.1); Jaleesa Ross 16.4; Hayley Munro 12.7; Rosie Moult 12.2.
Rebounds: Team (39.2); Rosie Moult 6.2; Jaleesa Ross 5.9; Taja Edwards 5.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.7/16.6); Jaleesa Ross 3.9/2.2; Taylor Thompson 2.5/1.9.
3-pointers: Team (.342); Jaleesa Ross 98; Rosie Moult 94; Hayley Munro 39.
Last Ten: 10-0.
The Skinny: After losing three straight games to Louisiana Tech, including last year’s WAC title game, the Bulldogs pulled one out at the biggest moment, winning the conference title on freshman Bree Farley’s last-second shot. Ross has 285 career 3-pointers, seven behind the all-time NCAA record set by Kansas State’s Laurie Koehn. She also became the first player to earn WAC tournament MVP honors three times, getting it again this year.
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Kentucky
Lexington, 24-8.
Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Matthew Mitchell.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 4.
Tournament Record: 7-7, 7 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (71.0); Victoria Dunlap 17.0; A’dia Mathies 13.0.
Rebounds: Team (38.6); Victoria Dunlap 8.8; Brittany Henderson 5.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.1/16.8); A’dia Mathies 2.7/2.5.
3-pointers: Team (.305); Keyla Snowden 59.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Wildcats have compiled an outstanding resume again this year which includes their second straight 20-win season, a school record-tying 11 wins in the SEC and a second-place finish in the league for the second consecutive year.
Hampton
Hampton, Va., 25-6.
Nickname: Lady Pirates. Coach: David Six.
Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Bid: MEAC champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 13.
Tournament Record: 0-4, 4 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (63.5); Jerika Jenkins 13.3; Quanneisha Perry 12.7.
Rebounds: Team (38.7); Quanneisha Perry 8.9; Melanie Warner 6.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.8/15.0); Jerika Jenkins 7.3/2.5; Choicetta McMillian 1.3/1.8.
3-pointers: Team (.327); Choicetta McMillian 73; Jerika Jenkins 27.
Last Ten: 10-0.
The Skinny: Allowing just 51.3 points a game and with an imposing presence inside with Quanneisha Perry, the Lady Pirates are riding a 13-game winning streak and determined to put in a better showing than last season’s 72-37 loss to Duke in the first round.
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Iowa
Iowa City, 22-8.
Nickname: Hawkeyes. Coach: Lisa Bluder.
Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 6.
Tournament Record: 17-19, 19 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (70.5); Jaime Printy 16.5; Kachine Alexander 14.3; Kamille Wahlin 12.1.
Rebounds: Team (40.0); Kachine Alexander 9.5; Morgan Johnson 6.6; Kelly Krei 5.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.2/14.5); Kamille Wahlin 3.7/2.8; Jaime Printy 3.6/2.8.
3-pointers: Team (.369); Jaime Printy 65; Kamille Wahlin 53; Kelly Krei 50.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Hawkeyes feature an extremely talented backcourt led by Kachine Alexander and Kamille Wahlin.
Gonzaga
Spokane, Wash., 28-4.
Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Kelly Graves.
Conference: West Coast. Bid: West Coast champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 3-3, 3 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (86.1); Courtney Vandersloot 18.6; Katelan Redmon 17.2; Kayla Standish 16.6.
Rebounds: Team (42.2); Kayla Standish 8.7; Katelan Redmon 6.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (20.5/13.4); Courtney Vandersloot 10.2/3.1; Katelan Redmon 2.2/2.0.
3-pointers: Team (.317); Janelle Bekkering 48.
Last Ten: 10-0.
The Skinny: The Zags have been unstoppable since losing at Notre Dame in late December. Gonzaga, which has won 18 straight, is led by senior guard Courtney Vandersloot. She leads the nation in assists.
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UCLA
Los Angeles, 27-4.
Nickname: Bruins. Coach: Nikki Caldwell.
Conference: Pac-10. Bid: At-large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 3.
Tournament Record: 9-10, 10 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (65.7); Darxia Morris, 12.3; Jasmine Dixon 11.8; Doreena Campbell, 9.2; Atonye Nyingifa, 9.0.
Rebounds: Team (37.5); Jasmine Dixon 7.2; Markel Walker 5.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.9/16.9); Markel Walker 3.1/3.3; Doreena Campbell 3.0/2.7.
3-pointers: Team (.274); Darxia Morris 27.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Nikki Caldwell has led the Bruins to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year with the school’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1997-98 and 1998-99. Their 27 wins are tied for the second-most in school history.
Montana
Missoula, 18-14.
Nickname: Grizzlies. Coach: Robin Selvig.
Conference: Big Sky. Bid: Big Sky champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 14.
Tournament Record: 6-18, 18 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (62); Katie Baker 11.9; Sarah Ena 8.9; Kenzie De Boer 8.1.
Rebounds: Team (38.9); Katie Baker 7.4 Sarah Ena 4.8.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12/16.3); Kenzie De Boer 1.9/2.3; Alyssa Smith 1.5/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.337); Torry Hill 39; Stephanie Stender 30; Alyssa Smith 26.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Montana upset top-seeded Portland State 62-58 to win the Big Sky’s automatic berth.
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Louisville
Louisville, 20-12.
Nickname: Cardinals. Coach: Jeff Walz.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 7.
Tournament Record: 11-13, 13 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (70.5); Monique Reid 15.8; Shoni Schimmel 14.3.
Rebounds: Team (36.2); Monique Reid 6.3; Keisha Hines 6.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.9/17.7); Shoni Schimmel 5.1/4.1; Dara Taylor 2.2/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.351); Shoni Schimmel 86; Becky Burke 56.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: Jeff Walz has turned the Cardinals into a very tough team to beat at their new home. The Cardinals knocked off four Top 25 teams there. Monique Reid and Shoni Schimmel are a tough 1-2 punch.
Vanderbilt
Nashville, Tenn., 20-11.
Nickname: Commodores. Coach: Melanie Balcomb.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At-Large.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 10.
Tournament Record: 37-23, 23 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (71.6); Jence Rhoads 11.9; Jasmine Lister 11.7; Hannah Tuomi 11.5.
Rebounds: Team (38.9); Hannah Tuomi 6.2; Stephanie Holzer 6.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.3/16.9); Jence Rhoads 4.8/2.9; Jasmine Lister 3.3/2.7.
3-pointers: Team (.347); Jasmine Lister 62; Christine Foggie 41; Angela Puleo 40.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Commodores love to shoot the 3 and don’t have much in the way of an inside threat. Still if they can get hot from the outside, look out.
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Xavier
Cincinnati, 28-2.
Nickname: Musketeers. Coach: Kevin McGuff.
Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: Atlantic 10 champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 2.
Tournament Record: 7-9, 9 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (74.3); Amber Harris 18.8; Ta’Shia Phillips 15.9; Tyeasha Moss 10.1.
Rebounds: Team (44.0); Ta’Shia Phillips 12.4; Amber Harris 10.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.7/14.9); Special Jennings 5.1/2.2; Tyeasha Moss 3.3/2.3.
3-pointers: Team (.330); Tyeasha Moss 57; Katie Rutan 48.
Last Ten: 10-0.
The Skinny: The Musketeers have had one goal since falling to Stanford in the last second of the regional final last season _ getting to the Final Four in Indianapolis, which just happens to be the hometown of Amber Harris. They have one of the most talented frontcourts with Harris and Phillips. The play of guards Special Jennings and Katie Rutan will probably determine how far they go.
South Dakota State
Brookings, 19-13.
Nickname: Jackrabbits. Coach: Aaron Johnston.
Conference: Summit. Bid: Summit League champion.
Region: Spokane. Seed: No. 15.
Tournament Record: 0-2, 2 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (67.5); Kristin Rotert 13.3; Jenny Sunnarborg 13.2; Jill Young 10.4.
Rebounds: Team (36.0); Kristin Rotert 4.8; Katie Lingle 4.8.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.7/17.7); Macie Michelson 2.9/2.1; Jill Young 2.2/1.8.
3-pointers: Team (.368); Jill Young 75; Kristin Rotert 59.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: The Jackrabbits peaked at the right time to win their third straight Summit tournament.
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