The Pac-12 was again rated the toughest conference in women's basketball according to RPI in 2016-17. And those teams will converge for the Pac-12 Tournament this week in Seattle to battle for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
There's plenty of stake for both Oregon State and Oregon. The top-seeded Beavers, who are coming off their third consecutive regular-season conference championship, are in the mix for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they repeat as Pac-12 Tournament champions. The sixth-seeded Ducks, meanwhile, could need at least one more victory to solidify their first March Madness invitation since 2005.