Best of the West WBB power rankings: Washington loses but climbs, Oregon stays hot and USC finds a groove
The Best of the West offers fans a candid assessment of the top teams in the western third of the country — a collection that includes the Mountain West and the former Pac-12 schools now scattered across the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and West Coast Conference.
The rankings will be published on the Hotline weekly throughout the regular season.
Results through Monday
1. UCLA (21-1, 11-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 1
Results: won at Illinois 80-67, beat Iowa 88-65
NET ranking: No. 2
Up next: vs. Rutgers (Wednesday)
Comment: The second-ranked Bruins continue to dominate the Big Ten, winning easily Sunday over No. 10 Iowa. Angela Dugalic tied her career high with 22 points in that game, and Kiki Rice surpassed 100 assists for a fourth consecutive season. The Bruins visit No. 8 Michigan, which is one game back, on Sunday.
2. Washington (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten)
Last week: 4
Results: won at Maryland 83-80 (2OT), lost to Illinois 75-66
NET ranking: No. 30
Up next: vs. Ohio State (Thursday)
Comment: Even with a split, No. 24 Washington is atop the middling pack of western teams – none projected higher than a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament – for the second spot in our power rankings. Sayvia Sellers scored a career-high 38 points in the upset of No. 22 Maryland, all but four in the second half or overtime. Illinois ended the Huskies’ five-game winning streak Sunday.
3. Oregon (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten)
Last week: 5
Results: won at Rutgers 74-53 and Maryland 68-61
NET ranking: No. 21
Up next: vs. Illinois (Wednesday)
Comment: Oregon had arguably its best week of the season, capped by a win over No. 22 Maryland. The Ducks trailed by six points after the third quarter, then blitzed the Terps 24-11 in the fourth. Ehis Etute, a sophomore from Luxembourg, had 26 points and 11 rebounds. Oregon is on a three-game winning streak and plays at home for three of its next four games.
4. USC (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten)
Last week: 6
Results: beat Iowa 81-69, won at Rutgers 71-39
NET ranking: No. 20
Up next: at Northwestern (Thursday)
Comment: USC won two in a row for the first time since late December, including an upset of No. 10 Iowa, to boost its NCAA Tournament hopes. Kara Dunn, the Big Ten’s co-Player of the Week, and Jazzy Davidson combined for 46 points against Iowa, which suffered its first Big Ten losses in Los Angeles. The Trojans outscored Rutgers 42-16 in the second half Sunday.
5. Utah (15-7, 6-4 Big 12)
Last week: 4
Results: beat West Virginia 71-64, lost at BYU 77-65
NET ranking: No. 46
Up next: at UCF (Wednesday)
Comment: Utah upset No. 20 West Virginia and led by 10 at halftime against rival BYU before being outscored 52-30 in the second half. The Utes are 2-3 in their last five games but get another crack at the Cougars (at home) on Feb. 21.
6. Stanford (15-8, 4-6 ACC)
Last week: 3
Results: lost to Louisville 84-66 and Notre Dame 78-66
NET ranking: No. 36
Up next: at Pitt (Thursday)
Comment: Stanford has lost four in a row, dropping to 11th in the ACC, for the first time since 1987. What’s more, the Cardinal have lost three straight at home for the first time since the 1986 season. One reason for the struggles: Three freshmen are starting for the first time since 1992.
7. BYU (16-6, 5-5 Big 12)
Last week: 7
Results: lost at Oklahoma State 67-51, beat Utah 77-65
NET ranking: No. 47
Up next: at Kansas (Wednesday)
Comment: Sophomore Brinley Cannon led BYU’s comeback over Utah with 21 points, going 6-of-9 from 3-point range. The Cougars beat their rival for the first time since 2021. In the loss to Oklahoma State, the Cougars shot a season-low 29 percent.
8. Colorado (15-7, 6-4 Big 12)
Last week: 9
Results: won at Kansas State 56-47 and Kansas 69-66 (OT)
NET ranking: No. 45
Up next: vs. West Virginia (Wednesday)
Comment: Colorado has won three straight and four of its last five. Extending that streak required overtime against Kansas and the first road wins of the season. The Buffaloes limited Kansas State to 13 percent shooting (2-of-15) from 3-point range.
9. Arizona State (18-5, 5-5 Big 12)
Last week: 8
Results: beat Arizona 68-61, lost at Kansas State 74-67
NET ranking: No. 51
Up next: vs. Oklahoma State (Wednesday)
Comment: Arizona State beat Arizona for the first time since 2022, ending a seven-game rivalry losing streak. But unlike Colorado, the Sun Devils were hurt by Kansas State’s 3-point shooting (12-of-20) and zone defense in losing at home for the first time in 13 games.
10. San Diego State (17-3, 11-0 Mountain West)
Last week: 10
Results: won at Colorado State 46-44, beat Nevada 67-54
NET ranking: No. 73
Up next: at Grand Canyon (Wednesday)
Comment: San Diego State increased its winning streak to 13 games, edging Colorado State even with 0-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. The Aztecs used a 10-0 run to lead by seven late in the game at CSU, then needed a late stop to avert overtime or a loss. They lead the Mountain West by 1.5 games over UNLV.
11. Oregon State (17-6, 9-1 WCC)
Last week: 11
Results: beat San Diego 61-43 and San Francisco 75-53
NET ranking: No. 81
Up next: at Gonzaga (Thursday)
Comment: Oregon State registered two comfortable wins to improve its winning streak to four games. The Beavers have just one loss since Dec. 19 and are one game ahead of Gonzaga in the WCC with their second meeting this week. The Beavers honored their 2016 Final Four team during the game against San Francisco.
12. Gonzaga (16-7, 8-2 WCC)
Last week: 12
Results: won at San Francisco 74-66 (OT) and Washington State 81-75
NET ranking: No. 71
Up next: vs. Oregon State (Thursday)
Comment: Unlike Oregon State, the Zags survived two close calls and needed a Lauren Whittaker basket with four seconds left to force overtime against San Francisco. They put away Washington State to set up an important rematch against OSU, which won the first meeting 92-87 in overtime.
13. Montana State (16-5, 9-1 Big Sky)
Last week: 13
Results: beat Sacramento State 66-31 and Portland State 91-43
NET ranking: No. 60
Up next: at Idaho (Thursday)
Comment: Montana State maintained a half-game lead over Idaho in the Big Sky with a pair of lopsided wins. Sophomore guard Taylee Chirrick had 31 points, 12 rebounds and 11 steals against Portland State, the fastest (27 minutes) triple-double that includes steals in NCAA history.
14. Cal (13-10, 4-6 ACC)
Last week: not ranked
Results: beat Notre Dame 80-69, lost to Louisville 71-59
NET ranking: No. 53
Up next: at Georgia Tech (Thursday)
Comment: Cal is back in the Hotline rankings for the first time since Jan. 6 thanks to four wins in its last six games, including Stanford and Notre Dame. Mjracle Sheppard, playing for her third school, had 18 points and 10 assists against the Irish, whom the Bears beat for the first time in six meetings.
15. UNLV (15-7, 10-2 Mountain West)
Last week: not ranked
Results: lost at New Mexico 68-57, beat Colorado State 64-51
NET ranking: No. 85
Up next: at Utah State (Saturday)
Comment: UNLV moves into the Hotline rankings for the first time this season. The Rebels struggled in non-conference play (5-5) but are only 1.5 games behind Mountain West leader San Diego State with a rematch against the Aztecs coming up Feb. 18. Four UNLV players are averaging double figures.
Also considered: UC Irvine, Santa Clara, Boise State
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