Oct. 21, 2005
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.-- Four Pac-10 women's basketball teams -- STANFORD, UCLA, ARIZONA STATE and ARIZONA -- are ranked among the Top-25 teams in the nation, according to the 2005-06 Women's Basketball News Service and CBS Sportsline preseason polls.
Stanford, the five-time defending Pac-10 Champion, is ranked 12th and 13th by WBNS and CBS Sportsline, respectively. UCLA was tabbed to finish 22nd nationally by WBNS, while Arizona State, which made its first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 22 years in 2004-05, was picked 16th by CBS Sportsline. Rounding out the four teams is Arizona, who picked up the 21st spot in the CBS Sportsline publication. The Wildcats are coming off their third consecutive 20-win season and eighth in the last 10 years.
WBNS named three Pac-10 players to its 2005-06 Preseason College All-America Teams. Defending Pac-10 Player of the Year Candice Wiggins of Stanford was selected to the first team along with three-time All-Pac-10 selection Nikki Blue of UCLA. Fellow Bruin Noelle Quinn was a third team selection.
Just a sophomore, Wiggins was a 2004-05 Kodak/WBCA All-American and is a preseason candidate for the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy. The Most Outstanding Player at the 2005 Pac-10 Tournament, her 17.5 ppg last season ranked 14th in Stanford history.
Blue was an honorable mention AP and Kodak/WBCA All-American last season after leading UCLA in scoring and assists. In Pac-10 play, she led the Conference with a scoring average of 18.8 ppg and also posted averages of 6.7 apg, 5.6 rpg and 3.6 steals per game.
Quinn, who was in the middle of an All-American season until she suffered a knee injury that kept her out the rest of the year, was named a 2004-05 midseason Wooden Award and Naismith Award nominee. She also earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors three times and had 15 double-figure scoring games.
Pac-10 women's basketball officially tips-off on Mon., Oct. 31 as USC, OREGON and WASHINGTON STATE each have exhibition contests scheduled.
2005-06 WBNS Preseason Top-25
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Tennessee |
| 2 | Rutgers |
| 3 | Ohio State |
| 4 | Maryland |
| 5 | Duke |
| 6 | LSU |
| 7 | Georgia |
| 8 | North Carolina |
| 9 | Texas |
| 10 | Texas Tech |
| 11 | DePaul |
| 12 | STANFORD |
| 13 | Connecticut |
| 14 | Baylor |
| 15 | Notre Dame |
| 16 | Temple |
| 17 | Oklahoma |
| 18 | Louisville |
| 19 | Michigan State |
| 20 | Purdue |
| 21 | Florida State |
| 22 | UCLA |
| 23 | Minnesota |
| 24 | Boston College |
| 25 | Utah |
2005-06 CBS Sportsline Preseason Top-25:
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Baylor |
| 2 | LSU |
| 3 | Duke |
| 4 | North Carolina |
| 5 | Michigan State |
| 6 | Tennessee |
| 7 | Connecticut |
| 8 | Texas Tech |
| 9 | Georgia |
| 10 | Ohio State |
| 11 | DePaul |
| 12 | Minnesota |
| 13 | STANFORD |
| 14 | Vanderbilt |
| 15 | Rutgers |
| 16 | ARIZONA STATE |
| 17 | Purdue |
| 18 | Villanova |
| 19 | Notre Dame |
| 20 | Temple |
| 21 | ARIZONA |
| 22 | Boston College |
| 23 | Maryland |
| 24 | Texas |
| 25 | Florida State |
2005-06 WBNS Preseason College All-America Team
First Team
Seimone Augustus, LSU
Nikki Blue, UCLA
Jessica Davenport, Ohio State
Candice Dupree, Temple
Megan Duffy, Notre Dame
Erin Grant, Texas Tech
Tiffany Jackson, Texas
Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
Khara Smith, DePaul
Candice Wiggins, Stanford
Second Team
Tara Boothe, Xavier
Monique Currie, Duke
Shay Doron, Maryland
Sylvia Fowles, LSU
Katie Geralds, Purdue
Tasha Humphrey, Georgia
Ivory Latta, North Carolina
Lyndsey Medders, Iowa State
Kim Smith, Utah
Sophia Young, Baylor
Third Team
Nicky Anosike, Tennessee
Meg Bulger, West Virginia
Holly Johnson, Florida State
Erlana Larkins, North Carolina
Noelle Quinn, UCLA
Alesha Robertson, Texas Tech
Leah Rush, Oklahoma
Liz Shimek, Michigan State
Ann Strother, Connecticut
Shanna Zolman, Tennessee
