How to watch the 2022 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Stanford is the team to beat in Sin City.
The defending national champions enter the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament after going 16-0 in conference play and 25-3 overall. Even though they were perfect against Pac-12 opponents in the regular season, their final three wins were all by single digits, signaling a competitive tournament ahead.
Among the teams taking aim at an upset is Arizona, which fell to Stanford by a single point in last season’s national title game. The Wildcats are the No. 4 seed in this year’s conference tourney, trailing the second-seeded Oregon Ducks and third-seeded Washington State Cougars.
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Can anyone get past Stanford, or will the defending champs complete an undefeated conference slate?
Here’s everything you need to know for the 2022 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
When is the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament?
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The 2022 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament begins with the first round on Wednesday, March 2. Quarterfinal matchups will take place on March 3, semifinal matchups will take place on March 4 and the championship game will take place on Sunday, March 6.
Where is the 2022 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament?
All games for the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament will be played at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The venue, formerly known as the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is hosting the tournament for the third straight season.
Here’s the 2022 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket
First round, March 2
Game 1: No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 12 Washington, 12 p.m. PT
Game 2: No. 8 Oregon State vs. No. 9 Arizona State, 2:30 p.m. PT
Game 3: No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 USC, 6 p.m. PT
Game 4: No. 6 Utah vs. No. 11 California, 8:30 p.m. PT
Quarterfinals, March 3
Game 5: No. 4 Arizona vs. Game 1 winner, 12 p.m. PT
Game 6: No. 1 Stanford vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30 p.m. PT
Game 7: No. 2 Oregon vs. Game 3 winner, 6 p.m. PT
Game 8: No. 3 Washington State vs. Game 4 winner, 8:30 p.m. PT
Semifinals, March 4
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6 p.m. PT
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m. PT
Championship, March 6
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 3 p.m. PT
Here’s how to watch and stream the 2022 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament
Pac-12 Networks and ESPN2 will broadcast Pac-12 Tournament games.
Pac-12 Networks will carry all first-round, quarterfinal and semifinal contests. ESPN2 will broadcast the Pac-12 Tournament title game.
Who are the best players in the Pac-12?
Haley Jones, Stanford: The 2021 Final Four Most Outstanding Player is on her way to winning Pac-12 Player of the Year this season. Jones has been spectacular for the undefeated Cardinal, averaging 12.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. With a lights-out performance in last year’s national championship game, Jones is a proven star on the big stage.
Cameron Brink, Stanford: If anyone can edge out Jones for Pac-12 Player of the Year, it’s Cardinal teammate Cameron Brink. The sophomore forward leads the team with 13.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, not to mention her four Pac-12 Player of the Week Awards. After winning a national title her freshman season, Brink is looking to go 2-for-2 to start her collegiate career.
Cate Reese, Arizona: Reese has been a reliable scorer (14.6 points per game) and rebounder (6.2 boards per game) for the Wildcats this season, leading the team in both categories. As one of the returning players from last season’s championship-runner-up squad, Reese will be an even more important player for Arizona in March.
Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State: Leger-Walker was far and away the leading scorer (16.3 points per game) for the Cougars during the regular season. The sophomore guard has helped Washington State play its best basketball of the season heading into the conference tournament. The team jumped up to third in the conference standings after winning nine of their final 12 Pac-12 games.
Gianna Kneepkens, Utah: Gianna Kneepkens has played an integral role in Utah’s turnaround this season. After going 5-16 in 2020-21, the Utes enter the conference tournament with a 17-10 record as Kneepkens was second on the team with 11.7 points per game during the regular season. Kneepkens’ contributions were recognized throughout the season, too. She picked up five Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Awards, tied for the most in the conference.
Jayda Curry, California: The conference’s leading scorer is a first-year player. Jayda Curry is averaging 18.7 points per game this season, has posted double-digit points in 21 of her 22 appearances and tied Kneepkens with five Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors. Curry’s play has not translated into wins since the calendar flipped to 2022, though. The Bears went 3-7 in February with one of their wins coming via a forfeit against Arizona State.
