EUGENE -- A year ago, the Oregon women opened their Pac-12 Conference schedule with starting guards Sabrina Ionescu and Maite Cazorla, and promptly lost their first two games against Washington and Washington State.
This weekend, Pac-12 play opens at UO against the Washington schools, again, beginning with Friday's 3 p.m. tipoff at Matthew Knight Arena against Washington State.
But this time, Ionescu and Cazorla are healthy and the Ducks know they can't afford such a slow start.
With an 11-2 record and No. 10 ranking, Oregon's preseason expectations to contend for a Pac-12 title weren't dimmed a bit by their performances against nonconference opponents.