USC on Sunday became the first conference foe to topple the Cardinal since UCLA on Jan. 22, 2021. The stunner was the culmination of another tumultuous weekend.

The only teams to win twice were USC and Washington State, both of which were unranked.

Three ranked teams (No. 2 Stanford, No. 8 UCLA and No. 21 Oregon) all lost one of their two games.

And 14th-ranked Arizona lost twice on the road, against Colorado and No. 10 Utah. Clearly, the Mountain schools benefited — and the Wildcats suffered — from Arizona State having to forfeit its games against the teams because of a lack of healthy players.

As a result, Stanford, Utah and Colorado are tied for first at 5-1 in conference play, with UCLA one game behind and six weeks remaining in the regular season.

And guess what? The Mountain schools visit Stanford this week.

Eight teams have at least 13 overall wins, and everyone but ASU (7-9) has reached the double-digit victory mark.

Colorado is pushing to join the AP top-25 poll, while Oregon’s AP slot is looking tentative.

“The conference is fantastic,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “I think it’s the No. 1 conference in the country.”

That evaluation came before the loss to USC 55-46 — the Trojans’ first win over a team ranked as high as Stanford since 2008, when they also toppled the Cardinal.

USC defense brings down Stanford

The Trojans (13-4) won without their leading scorer, Kadi Sissoko, with their second-leading scorer (and top rebounder) Rayah Marshall in foul trouble, with a seven-player rotation and with paltry 27.3 percent shooting from the field.

It was a testament to their defense — and to Stanford’s recent shooting woes, particularly from 3-point range — finally catching up to the Cardinal.

Stanford (17-2) took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter Friday at UCLA, then pulled away down the stretch thanks to the Brink truck.

Pac-12 Player of the Week Cameron Brink had six blocks, seven rebounds and six points during a dominant fourth quarter as the Cardinal secured a 72-59 win that seemed like it would be the toughest test of the weekend.

Instead, Stanford fell behind by nine points at USC and never led; it shot 19 percent from 3-point range (4-of-21) and 30.9 percent overall. Only Brink had decent numbers (11 points and 14 rebounds).

“I don’t know that we can do anything any worse,” VanDerveer said. “This has to be rock bottom in terms of execution offensively, lack of screening.”

“We were connected on all levels,” said Destiny Littleton, USC’s transfer from that other USC (top-ranked South Carolina). “I was guarding (Brink). I just stepped up and did what I needed to do. At the end of the day, we came together as a whole, and our defense is what won the game.”

A 7-0 surge put the Trojans up by 10 points going into the fourth quarter. From 8:04 in the fourth until there were 28 seconds left, Stanford made just one field goal.

The point total was Stanford’s lowest since January 2016, when it scored 36 against UCLA. The Cardinal’s only previous loss this season was to South Carolina, 76-71 (in overtime) in November. Its 51-game winning streak against unranked opponents ended.

“I just thought we really took care of business this weekend, which is the understatement of the century,” said USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb, whose team beat Cal by 20 points on Friday.

Arizona, Oregon, wins snatched away

While nothing can eclipse Stanford’s loss as the top story in the Pac-12, two other games on Sunday featured one-point finishes that the losing teams appeared to have won.

Arizona freshman Paris Clark scored twice in the final eight seconds – first off her rebound, then off a steal – for a 79-78 Wildcat lead at Utah with 1.6 seconds remaining.

But Gina Kneepkens heaved a long inbounds pass to Alissa Pili, who was fouled with 0.3 seconds remaining and made both free throws for a Utes win.

Pili scored 27 points with Kneepkens added 20 in a riveting game that had 17 lead changes and 14 ties.

“I just love that we didn’t panic,” Utes coach Lynne Roberts said. “We work on end-of-game situations all the time. We’ve run that before in practice. Alissa just made a heck of a play … just a great, great college basketball game.”

In Eugene, Oregon appeared to escape a five-point hole against Washington State with eight seconds left thanks to a 3-pointer by Endyia Rogers, then another by Ahlise Hurst, but Hurst’s basket was negated by a clock issue.

The Ducks still forced overtime on a pair of Grace VanSlooten free throws and had the last shot in the extra period — a difficult runner by Te-Hina Paopao that didn’t find the bottom of the net in an 85-84 loss to the Cougars.

“As poorly as we played at times, we had a chance to win the game,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “That’s all you can ask for. It’s disappointing, but we just didn’t have enough players have good games.”

“We kind of showed the rest of America we are good,” said WSU junior Jessica Clarke, who scored four of her career-high 14 points in overtime.

It was Washington State’s first road win over a ranked Pac-12 opponent since 1998.

“I can’t even express how happy and excited I am for this team,” Cougars coach Kami Ethridge said. “I told the team before the game that it feels different with our team, with how they respond to adversity this season.”

Impact of ASU forfeits

ASU’s forfeits clearly were an advantage for Colorado and Utah, which played only one game for the second consecutive week following their rivalry meeting on Jan. 6.

Under first-year coach Natasha Adair, the Sun Devils have been shorthanded since November, with three players – Maggie Besselink, Morasha Wiggins and Jaylah Robinson – out for the year.

They had nine players available against Oregon State on Jan. 8 and, apparently, even fewer last week when the decision was made to forfeit two games.

“The reality is there was no decision to be made,” Adair said in a statement. “With few healthy scholarship players, time to heal is our only option. Our plan is to get our team healthy over the course of this week and be ready when we host Arizona (on Sunday).”

VanDerveer, the Pac-12 career wins leader,  was only somewhat sympathetic when asked Friday about ASU forfeiting.

“It’s a responsibility of the coaches to have a full roster,” she said. “It’s challenging when you have a new coach, the portal and people leave.

“Part of it is keeping people healthy. That’s a big part of the job. You have to weather that storm.”

ASU also forfeited a game at Cal last season because of travel complications.

Per NCAA rules, ASU’s losses and the wins for Utah and Colorado are counted only in Pac-12 standings and not in the overall record.

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After a jumble of losses and near-losses last week for ranked teams, three of the top five teams are in new positions in the Hotline power ratings. Arizona was the prime mover, leaping three places to occupy the No. 2 spot for the first time this season.

The Wildcats’ only Pac-12 loss is to second-ranked Stanford, on the road in their third game in five days. They earned hard-fought wins last week over Oregon State and Oregon to warrant a promotion of unprecedented magnitude.

Utah, which has yet to play one of the Pac-12’s other ranked teams, fell two spots, to No. 4, while Oregon is down one place, to No. 5.

Here are the Hotline’s 10th power ratings of the season.

(NET rankings through Monday.)

1. Stanford (16-1/4-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 1Results: beat California 60-56Next up: at UCLA (Friday)NET ranking: No. 4Comment: Stanford’s narrow win Sunday was similar to its 63-56 escape against Washington in the 2021-22 regular-season finale. The Cardinal is 9-of-45 (20 percent) from 3-point range in its last two games, a red flag clearly on coach Tara VanDerveer’s radar going into one of the featured Pac-12 games this week. Cameron Brink is the Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time this season and sixth in her career.

2. Arizona (14-2/4-1)

Last week: 5Results: beat Oregon State 72-69 and Oregon 79-71Next up: at Colorado (Friday)NET ranking: No. 25Comment: With their sweep last week, the Wildcats have been bumped up to a No. 4 seed in ESPN’s latest Bracketology predictions for the NCAAs, which would equate to being at home in the first and second rounds. Sophomore guard Madison Conner is averaging 11.3 points over the last three games, an important scoring boost off the bench.

3. UCLA (13-2/2-1)

Last week: 3Results: beat USC 61-60Next up: vs. Stanford (Friday)NET ranking: No. 26Comment: Charisma Osborne was just 2-of-16 in her return from injury but still scored nine points and added seven rebounds and four assists in the Bruins’ second straight rivalry nail-biter. Freshman Londynn Jones scored a season-high 22 points, continuing her recent scoring roll of four double-digit games out of the last five (13.2 points per game over that stretch).

4. Utah (14-1/3-1)

Last week: 2Results: lost to Colorado 77-67Next up: vs. Arizona State (Friday)NET ranking: No. 6Comment: Opponents have limited the Utes to 71 points or less in their last three games, bringing their season scoring average down from 92.5 ppg (pre-Christmas) to 87.3 currently. Colorado held Utah to 18 fewer points than in the first meeting, on Dec. 14, an 85-58 Utes win. The matchup Sunday with Arizona will be Utah’s first against a ranked Pac-12 opponent.

5. Oregon (12-4/3-2)

Last week: 4Results: beat ASU 82-62, lost to Arizona 79-71Next up: vs. Washington (Friday)NET ranking: No. 10Comment: Freshman Grace VanSlooten was injured against Arizona but still finished with a team-high 18 points in the Ducks’ second loss to a ranked Pac-12 team. She also missed practice last week due to illness but scored 16 points in the second half against ASU. Phillipina Kyei is averaging 12.1 rebounds per game, fifth nationally.

6. Colorado (13-3/3-1)

Last week: 6Results: beat Utah 77-67Next up: vs. Arizona (Friday)NET ranking: No. 22Comment: Aaronette Vonleh, a transfer from Arizona, has 11 consecutive double-digit scoring games, raising her average from 7.2 to 11.5. Frida Formann went 4-of-6 from 3-point range and scored 20 against Utah. The Buffaloes are on a five-game winning streak and have improved to a No. 8 seed in ESPN’s bracket predictions.

7. Oregon State (10-6/2-3)

Last week: 7Results: lost to Arizona 72-69, beat ASU 69-59Next up: vs. Washington State (Friday)NET ranking: No. 55Comment: Five of the Beavers’ six losses are to AP top-25 teams, with one win (over UCLA) in that category. Raegan Beers is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for a second straight time and third overall. Coach Scott Rueck expects to have 6-foot-3 freshman Timea Gardiner available soon. It adds up to a team on the NCAA bubble but trending in the right direction.

8. Washington State (11-4/1-3)

Last week: 8Results: beat Washington 66-52Next up: at Oregon State (Friday)NET ranking: No. 46Comment: The Cougars naturally improved with star Charlisse Leger-Walker’s return from New Zealand and also were more sound defensively in their second rivalry meeting. They held Washington to 30 points less than the Huskies scored in an 82-66 win on Dec. 11 and allowed just one double-figure scorer (instead of five).

9. USC (11-4/1-3)

Last week: 9Results: lost to UCLA 61-60Next up: vs. California (Friday)NET ranking: No. 40Comment: Even without Kadi Sissoko, the Trojans arguably should have beaten UCLA, carrying a 52-40 lead into the fourth quarter. But the Bruins scored the first 10 points in the fourth and made just enough plays late to clinch a rivalry sweep by just four combined points. Still, USC remains on the ESPN postseason bubble.

10. California (10-5/1-3)

Last week: 10Results: lost to Stanford 60-56Next up: at USC (Friday)NET ranking: No. 74Comment: The Bears played Stanford closer than anyone this season except No. 1 South Carolina, which beat the Cardinal in overtime. Cal’s improvement from a 21-point loss in the first meeting to four in the second validates the progress coach Charmin Smith is making in her fourth season.

11. Washington (9-5/1-3)

Last week: 11Results: lost to Washington State 66-52Next up: at Oregon (Friday)NET ranking: No. 101Comment: The Huskies have lost four of their last five games, averaging just 53.7 points in the defeats. Points won’t be any easier to come by for the rest of the season, so any wins largely hinge on defense.

12. Arizona State (7-9/0-5)

Last week: 12Results: lost to Oregon 82-62 and Oregon State 69-59Next up: at Utah (Friday)NET ranking: No. 120Comment: ASU lost seven straight games, including a forfeit, at the end of last season and needs a win at one of the Mountain schools to avert matching that streak. Tyi Skinner had two more 20-point games last week, playing 40 minutes in both. The Delaware transfer has 10 games with at least 20 points in her first ASU season and double figures in every game.

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No. 8 Utah suffered its first loss overall Friday, falling 77-67 at Colorado just over three weeks after the Utes dominated the Buffs on Dec. 14.

Washington State also made up for a pre-Christmas loss to Washington with a 66-52 win Sunday, led by 26 points from Charlisse Leger-Walker in her return from her native New Zealand.

No. 2 Stanford and No. 12 UCLA also were on the ropes in their rivalry rematches but pulled through with 60-56 (over Cal) and 61-60 (over USC) wins.

Stanford trailed by three points with 4:08 remaining, then finished with a 7-0 run that included Haley Jones scoring on an off-balance drive at 1:17 to put the Cardinal ahead for good. Jones was just 3-of-14 overall as the heavy lifting was done by Cameron Brink with a 25-point, 17-rebound double-double.

Stanford’s Pac-12 winning streak continues, now at 38 games.

USC was even at 58 against UCLA with 1:18 left after leading for most of the game at Pauley Pavilion.

Lina Sontag made two free throws and grabbed a key rebound down the stretch as the Bruins completed a rivalry sweep by a combined four points. The Trojans led 52-40 through the third quarter but were outscored 21-8 in the fourth.

Charisma Osborne returned from injury for UCLA, but USC still was without Kadi Sissoko.

Leger-Walker missed two games while out of the country for a family issue. She returned Friday, then put up 22 of her 26 points in the second half. She scored 40 against Washington on Dec. 11 but in a loss.

Here is the final scorecard for the eight teams that have completed their rivalries in the regular season:

• Stanford vs. Cal: 90-69 Stanford win, 60-56 Stanford win
• Utah vs. Colorado: 85-58 Utah win, 77-67 Colorado win
• UCLA vs. USC: 59-56 UCLA win, 61-60 UCLA win
• WSU vs. Washington: 82-66 UW win, 66-52 WSU win

Arizona outlasts Oregon schools at home

While Stanford-Cal was tight in the closing seconds, so was No. 18 Oregon at No. 15 Arizona — the only game of the week between ranked opponents.

There were 21 lead changes before more than 7,963 in Tucson, along with nine ties, the last with 3:03 remaining. The Wildcats closed with a 12-4 run that included 8-of-8 free throws. The final score: 79-71.

Madison Conner did not play in the first half for the Wildcats but scored a game-high 16 in 16 second-half minutes.

Arizona needed a 19-4 fourth-quarter run Friday to rally past Oregon State 72-69. The Beavers led 65-53 with 3:57 left but couldn’t complete what would have been a second straight nationally ranked upset.

Instead, Colorado was the only team to beat a ranked Pac-12 opponent this week, earning the Buffs their fifth consecutive win since an earlier loss to Utah.

Intra-conference transfers coming up big

Familiarity is breeding success in Pac-12 women’s basketball.

Of the 10 intra-conference transfers this season, seven are full-time starters and others are making significant contributions.

Utah is benefiting most in the conference swap as forward Alissa Pili, formerly at USC, is third in the Pac-12 in scoring (19.3 ppg) and top 20 in rebounding. Her 63.7 field goal percentage is top 10 nationally and best in the conference.

Other starters on their second Pac-12 team are California’s Kemery Martin (from Utah) and Peanut Tuitele (Colorado), Arizona’s Jade Loville (ASU), Colorado’s Aaronette Vonleh (Arizona), Oregon State’s Bendu Yeaney (Arizona) and Washington’s Dalayah Daniels (Washington).

Taylor Bigby (formerly Oregon) has started some games for USC, and Oregon’s Taya Hanson (ASU) is a super-sub of sorts for Oregon. Koi Love (Arizona) averages double-digit minutes for USC.

Reasons for the movement vary from playing time to coaching changes to postseason goals given a fifth year of eligibility (for COVID). Only the SEC, with 11 transfers, had more intra-conference movement.

“I’m a huge believer in the four-year experience,” Oregon State coach Scott Rueck said. “It’s sad to me we’re seeing that become less because I believe that process is magic and life-changing. There’s no substitute for what happens to you your senior year.

“The reality is, though, things are changing so you have to adapt. So we’re open to it and accept it. When people need to go, they need to go then we need to go find new people.”

OSU’s Yeaney started her career at Indiana for two seasons, then played two at Arizona before returning to her native Oregon, where she is a fifth-year starter playing point guard for the Beavers.

“I’ve been a big fan of Oregon State for a long time growing up there (in Portland),” Yeaney said. “It’s a dream come true. I never knew if I was going to play in an Oregon State jersey and the fact I had a chance to is fun. My dad is a graduate from Oregon State, so this is a present to him.”

Hanson intended to stay for a fifth year at ASU until coach Charli Turner Thorne retired. That triggered an exodus that also included Loville going to Arizona among other departures.

“(Turner Thorne’s) decision to leave really opened the door for me,” Hanson said. “I was wanting to trust God with whatever decision I made and felt peace about Oregon. Kelly (Graves) called me up and he showed up at my house right away. He wanted me for my leadership and toughness and ability to score and shoot.”

Ducks coach Graves said Hanson, who scored 17 points against USC on New Year’s Day and 13 in her return to ASU on Friday, hasn’t complained about not starting, even though it means playing behind freshmen Chance Gray and Grace VanSlooten.

”She hasn’t made coming off the bench an issue,” Graves said. “She’s a great team player, and I knew that after having talked to her coaches before she transferred to us. She’s all about the team, and I love that. It’s great to have that kind of firepower come in.”

Hanson said, “I love my teammates and I’ve always tried to be a selfless player. I’m going to bring the passion and joy for the game any time I can because that’s who I am. I can’t say coming off the bench as a fifth year is an easy thing to do, but it’s the cards I’ve been dealt right now and I’m going to do whatever I can to do my job the best way that is possible.”

Vonleh had 15 points in Colorado’s win over Utah, one of four Buffs who scored in double figures.

Loville, Hanson, Martin and Bigby are among the Pac-12’s 3-point percentage leaders.

Weekly honors nominees

Player of the Week: Raegan Beers, Oregon State; Cameron Brink, Stanford; Frida Formann, Colorado; Londynn Jones, UCLA; Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State; Lelani McIntosh, California; Shaina Pellington, Arizona; Endyia Rogers, Oregon; Tyi Skinner, Arizona State; Kayla Williams, USC.

Freshman of the Week: Raegan Beers, Oregon State; Kailyn Gilbert, Arizona, Londynn Jones, UCLA; Grace VanSlooten, Oregon.

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The second-ranked Cardinal pummeled Arizona State 101-69, then took down No. 15 Arizona 73-57 to increase its Pac-12 winning streak to 37 games.

Cameron Brink had a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double against ASU — on her 21st birthday, no less — and followed that up with 12 points against Arizona. Her 48 blocks are the most through 15 games by a Cardinal player since at least 1999, and the 6-foot-4 junior is second nationally in total blocks.

Stanford shook off five early turnovers with a 17-5 first-quarter run against Arizona, which was playing for the third time in five days. The Cardinal led 36-22 at halftime and was not threatened in the second half.

“We looked like we were down 40,” Wildcats coach Adia Barnes said. “Not a lot of fight. I think we were really fatigued. Not ideal. Tough situation.”

Senior Haley Jones had 18 points and a season-high 16 rebounds (her career high is 19) while Cardinal teammate Fran Belibi also had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds; both season highs) in only 17 minutes.

Osborne, Leger-Walker absences costly

The upset of the week came Sunday in Corvallis, where Oregon State held off No. 10 UCLA.

The Bruins, playing without senior star Charisma Osborne, rallied from eight down early in the fourth quarter to lead 64-63 with 3:37 left. Oregon State scored the next eight points and iced the 77-72 victory by hitting 12-of-12 free throws over the final 3:15. (Talia von Oelhoffen made eight of them.)

The Beavers were coming off a 69-58 loss to USC on Friday but averted an 0-3 start in league play with the upset.

“We didn’t have many lost possessions,” OSU coach Scott Rueck said (per Oregonlive). “The way we executed, you’re going to get wide-open looks. We’re becoming a much better team, and that’s why we earned a win.”

Osborne had suffered a shoulder injury Friday in UCLA’s 82-74 win at Oregon after colliding with Ducks guard Taya Hanson. She leads the Bruins in scoring and rebounding and is projected as a first-round draft pick in the WNBA, so clearly her absence was significant.

So, too, was that of Charlisse Leger-Walker for Washington State. The Pac-12 scoring leader (21.1 points per game) returned to her native New Zealand to attend to a family matter, and the Cougars lost twice at home, to No. 11 Utah and Colorado.

Washington State came back from a 20-point deficit late in the second quarter to tie Utah in the final minute. But the Utes escaped on free throws and a couple of Cougars 3-point misses.

WSU coach Kami Ethridge was less pleased with the performance against Colorado, which used a late 8-0 run to complete a weekend sweep.

“It felt like from the beginning of the game that we were playing in mud,” Ethridge said. “It was concerning coming back after a hard-fought game against a team like Utah.

“We have a young team. We didn’t have some of our leadership around and didn’t reproduce that energy from the other night. It was a sluggish, undisciplined performance, and we got beat by a more disciplined, physical team.”

Utah cracks AP top 10 for first time

Utah (14-0) moved up three places to No. 8 in the AP rankings — that’s a school record — and remains one of five unbeaten teams in Division I. But neither game on the Washington trip was easy as the Utes averaged 66 points after beginning the weekend with a scoring average of 92.5.

“We didn’t have a great scoring weekend, but we found a way,” coach Lynne Roberts said. “This is going to be a great learning weekend for us. Now we know how teams are going to come after us and the mentality it takes to be successful.”

Both Mountain schools and Stanford went 2-0 on the week, while the Washington schools and ASU (0-3) were winless.

The Sun Devils, like Arizona, wore down in their third game when Cal broke open a close affair with a 12-0, fourth-quarter run to secure a 74-61 victory.

The Arizona schools were the only ones not to play their first rivalry game before Christmas, leading to the arduous stretch.

ASU coach Natasha Adair said the first in-state duel will be played Dec. 17 next season.

“With the schedule pretty much done when I took over here, there was no space,” she said. “Adia and I were on the phone night in and night out trying to figure out how we could do it because neither one of us wanted three games back-to-back-to-back.”

Beers, Marshall: Dueling double-doubles

— Oregon State’s Raegan Beers led the country with three double-doubles in a single week: 27 points and 10 rebounds against North Carolina Central; 19 and 14 against USC; and 22 and 15 against UCLA.

That seemingly would have been enough for her to sweep the Pac-12 Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week awards — something Oregon’s Grace VanSlooten accomplished a week earlier.

Instead, USC’s Rayah Marshall earned Player of the Week honors after producing 33 points and 16 rebounds against  Oregon State, followed by her fifth consecutive double-double (14 and 11) against Oregon.

She and Beers lead the Pac-12 with eight double-doubles and are tied for seventh in the nation in that category.

— UCLA is No. 12 (down two places) in the latest AP poll, which came out before Monday’s games. Arizona is up three to No. 15, and Oregon is down one to No. 18.

— This week includes the second rivalry games in the Utah-Colorado, UCLA-USC and Stanford-Cal series, plus Oregon’s showdown at Arizona.

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The Hotline puts the chance of someone blocking Stanford from a third consecutive conference title at 10 percent, and that might be generous.

Whether the Cardinal can extend its 35-game conference winning streak through another full regular season is the more interesting debate, along with questions of who will finish second and whether one of the seven unranked Pac-12 teams can finish in the top five.

Odds favor Stanford tripping up at least once in 18 games, particularly since seven are against UCLA, Utah, Oregon and Arizona — each of which carries a top-20 ranking. We’ll put those chances at 55 percent while owning up to being wrong last season on this very topic.

As for the eventual Pac-12 runner-up, we like Utah with its 92.5-point scoring average to prevail. But don’t bet the house on our 51-percent confidence in that pick.

We have less than 50 percent confidence that a currently unranked Pac-12 team will be a top-five finisher and only give a 60 percent chance that a sixth Pac-12 team will make the NCAA Tournament field.

But the WNIT could be stuffed with Pac-12 teams since the seven currently unranked are between three and eight games over .500 in non-conference play.

Here are Hotline predictions for the Pac-12 season:

1. Stanford (13-1/1-0 Pac-12)

Coach: Tara VanDerveer (36th season)NET ranking: No. 3 (through Dec. 23).Outlook: Freshman guard Talana Lepolo is No. 21 nationally in assists and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.16, answering the biggest question coming into the season given the losses of the Hull sisters and Anna Wilson. Yes, Cameron Brink still gets into foul trouble, but she’s better playing through it and is the favorite for Pac-12 Player of the Year over teammate Haley Jones at this point. The depth is impressive, and 6-foot-7 freshman Lauren Betts is developing into what could be a postseason difference-maker.

2. Utah (12-0/1-0)

Coach: Lynne Roberts (8th season)NET ranking: No. 6Outlook: Of the six undefeated teams in Division I, Utah is the only Pac-12 representative and has tied the best start in school history ahead of Friday’s game at Washington State. The Utes’ No. 11 AP ranking this week also is tied for their highest ever (last time: January ’98). Alissa Pili was good when healthy during her USC career, and the 6-foot-2 forward is even better in Utah’s system, averaging 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. Mississippi is the only team to hold the Utes under 70 to date.

3. UCLA (12-1/1-0)

Coach: Cori Close (12th season)NET ranking: No. 25Outlook: Remember that the 10th-ranked Bruins’ only loss, as is the case for Stanford, came against defending national champion and unanimous No. 1 South Carolina. But they also won by a modest three points at USC on Dec. 15 and periodically must lean heavily on defense to prevail. Charisma Osborne (18.1 points per game/6.5 rebounds per game) is another Player of the Year contender, and Kiki Rice is vying for Freshman of the Year. Ten players are averaging double-figure minutes, a big change from an injury-plagued 2021-22.

4. Oregon (10-2/1-0)

Coach: Kelly Graves (9th season)NET ranking: No. 10Outlook: Oregon’s lopsided loss to No. 3 Ohio State before Christmas took some luster off the preceding day’s 85-78 win over Arkansas. “We’ve got to get better and got to get organized defensively,” coach Kelly Graves said. Grace VanSlooten has scored 26 or more in three of the last four games and is the current Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Week. The Ducks play Stanford and Utah only once in the regular season.

5. Arizona (10-1)

Coach: Adia Barnes (7th season)NET ranking: No. 29Outlook: As the final two teams to open Pac-12 play, Arizona and Arizona State face three games in five days this week, including against each other and at Stanford. The No. 18-ranked Wildcats need to go at least 2-1 in that stretch to keep from falling behind their stiff upper-level competition. Cate Reese is beginning to assert herself, with four straight double-digit scoring games that include a combined 39 rebounds.

6. Washington State (10-2/0-1)

Coach: Kamie Ethridge (5th season)NET ranking: No. 50Outlook: There appear to be four viable candidates for sixth place in the Pac-12. We’re going with Washington State primarily based on a veteran starting lineup that’s made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. But the Cougars are short on depth and would greatly suffer from the loss of any of their top five. Charlisse Leger-Walker (21.1 points per game) is central to WSU securing a school-record, third consecutive NCAA berth.

7. Colorado (10-3/0-1)

Coach: JR Payne (7th season)NET ranking: No. 35Outlook: A strong finish to the non-conference season, with a 71-48 win at Marquette, gives more credence to the Buffs’ NET ranking — the sixth highest in the Pac-12. “That’s the best basketball we’ve played in a while,” coach JR Payne said. A tighter rotation worked in that game, and Payne might lean more heavily on her starters going forward. ESPN’s  Bracketology currently has Colorado among the final four teams making the NCAA Tournament field.

8. Oregon State (8-4/0-1)

Coach: Scott Rueck (13th season)NET ranking: No. 62Outlook: A 32-point loss to ninth-ranked LSU (12-0) leaves the Beavers with a bad taste going into full Pac-12 play, a time when they typically improve. McDonald’s All-American Timea Gardiner, a 6-foot-3 forward, has yet to play, and there still is no clarity on her availability. All of Oregon State’s losses are to NET/RPI Quadrant I (Iowa, Duke, Oregon, LSU), which could skew what the Beavers are capable of overall. Raegan Beers is among the Pac-12’s top freshmen.

9. USC (10-2/0-1)

Coach: Lindsay Gottlieb (2nd season)NET ranking: No. 44Outlook: The Trojans lost their only two games against Power Five opponents (UCLA and Texas) but played the Bruins close and look the part of a middle-of-the-Pac challenger. Rayah Marshall is on a three-game double-double streak and averaging 10.3 rebounds per game (No. 19 nationally). The Trojans are another team receiving postseason bubble recognition in ESPN’s bracket projections.

10. Arizona State (7-4)

Coach: Natasha Adair (1st season)NET ranking: No. 120Outlook: ASU is the only Pac-12 team with a three-game losing streak in non-conference action, a skid due partly to injuries that reduced the depth to seven scholarship players. Journey Thompson returned, and Meg Newman had her best game (12 points and 18 rebounds) against Prairie View to end the streak and create some momentum for Pac-12 play. Adair is the only new coach in the conference this season, coming from Delaware after consecutive postseason (WNIT/NCAA) appearances. Tyi Skinner, who transferred from Delaware, is No. 15 nationally in scoring (20.6 points per game).

11. Washington (9-2/1-0)

Coach: Tina Langley (2nd season)NET ranking: No. 115Outlook: The Huskies offered a glimpse of their full potential in an 82-66 win over Washington State on Dec. 11 but sustaining that offensively remains a question. They average 67 points while scoring fewer than 60 in four games. Dalayah Daniels is the only double-figure scorer (11.8 points per game), and the 6-foot-4 Cal transfer will need the kind of help she received against WSU, when five players were in double figures with Lauren Schwartz scoring 21.

12. California (9-3/0-1)

Coach: Charmin Smith (4th season)NET ranking: No. 78Outlook: The Bears’ strength-of-schedule (No. 240, one place ahead of Washington) is last in the Pac-12, so it’s hard to put great faith in the nine wins. That said, Cal had the toughest Pac-12 opener, losing 90-69 to Stanford, which is capable of repeatedly winning by that margin. Jayda Curry is the returning Pac-12 scoring leader, although her average is down from 18.6 to 15.8 points per game. Utah transfer guard Kemery Martin has made a difference for a team that needs collective rebounding.

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— Stanford led the way with victories over Tennessee, which played one of its better games within a disappointing season, and No. 21 Creighton.

— Arizona rebounded from its only loss (to Kansas) with a decisive win over No. 24 Baylor.

— And Oregon dealt No. 17 Arkansas its first loss.

On the other side of the ledger, Oregon State wasn’t competitive against No. 10 LSU, and USC lost by double digits to Texas.

As a result, the Pac-12 improved to 5-8 against teams in the current Associated Press top-25 poll. That’s not world beating, but two of the losses are to unanimous No. 1 South Carolina.

Combine its five ranked teams with an 85.1 winning percentage in non-conference games — the best in the nation —  and the Pac-12 is well positioned going into Christmas break and the full-fledged start of conference play next week.

Here are the Hotline’s seventh power ratings of the 2022-23 season.

(NET rankings through Monday)

1. Stanford (12-1)

Last week: 1Results: beat Tennessee 77-70 and Creighton 72-59Next up: vs. Cal (Friday)NET ranking: 3Comment: Haley Jones, Hannah Jump and Cameron Brink combined for 23 of 24 fourth-quarter points as Stanford overcame a five-point deficit to beat Tennessee. Brink finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds and a career-tying six blocks — the best in the Pac-12 in those combined categories since Stanford’s Jayne Appel in 2007. Brink is the Pac-12 Player of the Week, tacking on a 14-point, 16-rebound performance against Creighton.

2. Utah (11-0/1-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 3Results: beat Colorado 85-58, UC Riverside 92-45 and Weber State 88-52Next up: vs. Southern Utah (Thursday)NET ranking: 6Comment: The Hotline has had UCLA at No. 2 since Thanksgiving week, but now the No. 12-ranked Utes climb one place following their dominant conference-opening win over Colorado — they are the lone remaining Pac-12 unbeaten. Utah outscored the Buffs by a combined 47-19 in the second and fourth quarters, led again by Alissa Pili (25 points in 28 minutes). Forward Peyton McFarland returned against UC Riverside in her first game since an ACL tear in the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament. The 11-0 start is one win shy of tying the best in school history.

3. UCLA (12-1/1-0)

Last week: 2Results: beat USC 59-56, Cal State Bakersfield 75-47 and Fresno State 82-48Next up: at Oregon (Dec. 30)NET ranking: 25Comment: UCLA shot 32.9 percent, including 3-of-23 from 3-point range, but still handed rival USC its first defeat. “A game like this becomes a reference point for the rest of the year,” on how to win with toughness, Bruins coach Cori Close said. UCLA dropped one place in the Hotline ratings and in the AP poll (to No. 11).

4. Oregon (10-1/1-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 4Results: beat Eastern Washington 88-38, Charleston 97-33 and Arkansas 85-78Next up: vs. Ohio State(Wednesday)NET ranking: 9Comment: Down by seven early in the fourth quarter, the Ducks outscored Arkansas 26-12 over the final 8:22 for their best non-conference win. Grace VanSlooten, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, led Oregon with 26 points, Endyia Rogers added 20, and the 6-foot-8 Phillipina Kyei pulled down 14 rebounds. Ohio State’s win over South Florida sets up a chance for the Pac-12’s first win over a top-10 team.

5. Arizona (9-1)

Last week: 5Results: beat Texas Southern 89-55 and Baylor 75-54Next up: at UT Arlington (Wednesday)NET ranking: 29Comment: Arizona’s turnaround, from the home loss to Kansas to the road win over Baylor, speaks to Adia Barnes’ coaching and the Wildcats’ ability to lean on their defense when required. Baylor committed 19 turnovers, resulting in game-deciding UA advantages in points off turnovers (25-2) and fast-break points (18-5).

6. Washington State (9-2/0-1)

Last week: 7Results: beat Jackson State 83-56 and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 75-49Next up: at Houston (Wednesday)NET ranking: 48Comment: Through Monday, Charlisse Leger-Walker was ninth nationally in scoring (22.0 points per game) after she combined for 80 points in her last three games. The Cougars move up one place in the Hotline ratings but are currently on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble in ESPN’s Bracketology, which has five Pac-12 teams in the 68-team field.

7. Oregon State (7-4/0-1)

Last week: 6Results: beat Nevada 83-56, lost to LSU 87-55Next up: vs. North Carolina Central (Dec. 27)NET ranking: 63Comment: Talia von Oelhoffen, who has family ties to Hawaii, poured in 41 points (on 17-of-20 shooting) against Nevada in Maui. But the Beavers then were outscored 30-6 in the second quarter of a lopsided loss to No. 10 LSU, taking them down one place in the Hotline ratings.

8. Colorado (9-3/0-1)

Last week: 8Results: lost to Utah 85-58, beat Alcorn State 82-47Next up: at Marquette (Wednesday)NET ranking: 41Comment: The rivalry loss to Utah was a disaster as the Buffs shot 31 percent and were outscored 44-30 in the paint and 22-9 off turnovers. “It’s hard because they score so well (Utah is No. 2 nationally in scoring),” CU coach JR Payne said. “Even if you can score, it’s hard to string together stops and scores consecutively.”

9. USC (9-2/0-1)

Last week: 9Results: lost to UCLA 59-56 and Texas 62-48Next up: vs. Saint Mary’s (Wednesday)NET ranking: 44Comment: In their first games against Power Five opponents, the Trojans lost twice but were highly competitive against UCLA (when Kadi Sissoko scored 20 points). Against Texas in Dallas, USC was hurt by 29 turnovers, leading to a 25-6 points-off-turnovers edge for the Longhorns. Rayah Marshall had a double-double in both games.

10. Arizona State (7-4)

Last week: 11Results: beat Prairie View A&M 82-67Next up: at Arizona (Dec. 29)NET ranking: 121Comment: A healthier ASU ended its three-game losing streak and moved up one place in the Hotline ratings. Freshman forward Journey Thompson made her first start, and a case can be made for 6-foot-3 Meg Newman, who produced a 12-point, 18-rebound game against Prairie View, to also be in the starting lineup.

11. Washington (9-2/1-0)

Last week: 10Results: lost to Liberty 66-54, beat SIU Edwardsville 71-40Next up: vs. Colorado (Dec. 30)NET ranking: 116Comment: The Huskies regressed offensively from their 82 points in a victory over Washington State, managing just 54 in a home loss to Liberty. Washington’s scoring average (67 ppg) is the lowest in the Pac-12, although Arizona State is at the bottom in scoring margin (-0.27 points per game).

12. California (9-2)

Last week: 12Results: beat UC San Diego 75-61 and Florida A&M 88-58Next up: at Stanford (Friday)NET ranking: 78Comment: The Bears won twice, but their strength-of-schedule (No. 260 nationally) is second-lowest in the Pac-12, ahead of only Colorado (No. 296). Four players were in double-figure scoring against UC San Diego and five against  Florida A&M, a balance that Cal needs to maintain going into the start of Pac-12 play this week.

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In early rivalry games, Washington awoke offensively to upset Washington State, and Oregon State led with only three minutes remaining before taking a loss at No. 16-ranked Oregon.

Certainly, No. 2 Stanford could remain above the fray and extend its 34-game Pac-12 winning streak. But going unscathed in a now-18-game conference season will prove challenging — even for the Cardinal — in a Pac-12 where unranked teams are dangerous.

The Pac-12’s combined record in non-conference play is 90-16, still a national-best 84.9 winning percentage. The major caveat, though, is its record against Associated Press top-25 teams, which dropped to 3-8 last week when Arizona lost 77-50 at home to Kansas.

(The Wildcats fell eight spots in the AP poll, to No. 20.)

Overall, the Pac-12 is 2-7 against teams in this week’s AP rankings. There are multiple opportunities to improve that mark with three nationally televised showdowns on Sunday.

Utah and USC are among the 12 remaining undefeated Division I teams.

Here are the Hotline’s sixth women’s basketball power ratings, which include updated NET rankings. Two teams moved up and two down.

1. Stanford (10-1)

Last week: 1Results: DNPNext up: vs. Tennessee (Sunday)NET ranking: 2Comment: After a 13-day break for final exams, the Cardinal return to face Tennessee (6-5) on national television (ABC). The Lady Vols are without 6-foot-6 Tamari Key, who’s out for the rest of the season due to blood clots in her lungs. Tennessee is 1-1 against the Pac-12, losing to UCLA and beating Colorado.

2. UCLA (9-1)

Last week: 2Results: beat Cal State Fullerton 64-41Next up: at USC (Thursday)NET ranking: 21Comment: The 10th-ranked Bruins are back in the AP top 10 for the first time since the end of the 2020-21 season. Christine Iwuala is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after returning from a two-game injury absence to score 10 points and grab eight rebounds.

3. Utah (8-0)

Last week: 3Results: beat Brigham Young 76-59Next up: vs. Colorado (Wednesday)NET ranking: 6Comment: At No. 13, Utah has its highest AP ranking since 2008, when the Utes reached No. 12. Alissa Pili has consecutive 28-point games and is third nationally in field goal percentage (69.9). The Utes are second nationally in scoring (94.4 ppg).

4. Oregon (7-1/1-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 4Results: beat Oregon State 75-67Next up: vs. Eastern Washington (Thursday)NET ranking: 17Comment: The Ducks outscored Oregon State 22-7 over the final 5:30 and were led to victory by Endyia Rogers, who scored a career-high 34 points and added nine rebounds and six assists. Rogers, a senior guard, is the Pac-12 Player of the Week and No. 1 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage (57.1).

5. Arizona (7-1)

Last week: 5Results: lost to Kansas 77-50Next up: vs. Texas Southern (Wednesday)NET ranking: 34Comment: UA coach Adia Barnes described the wake-up loss to undefeated Kansas as “probably what we needed” to improve. KU had a 51-31 rebounding edge, including 15 by Taiyanna Jackson. Arizona’s strength of schedule was the lowest in the Pac-12 (No. 307) before playing Kansas and is now No. 164. After facing Texas Southern, the Wildcats get No. 18 Baylor in Dallas.

6. Oregon State (6-3/0-1)

Last week: 7Results: lost to Oregon 75-67Next up: vs. Nevada (Saturday)NET ranking: 53Comment: The Beavers’ losses are to No. 12 Iowa, No. 16 Oregon and Duke. They get another crack at a ranked team this week, playing No. 11 LSU in Hawaii on Sunday. Oregon State hopes soon to have 6-foot-3 freshman Timea Gardiner available. Even given the loss to Oregon, the Beavers move up one spot in our power ratings.

7. Washington State (7-2/0-1)

Last week: 6Results: beat Portland 69-63, lost to Washington 82-66Next up: vs. Jackson State (Saturday)NET ranking: 59Comment: The Cougars drop down one place after being outscored in all four quarters by Washington. Still, Charlisse Leger-Walker had a career-high 40 points, one shy of the school record set by Jenni Ruff in 1996. Leger-Walker was 7-of-12 from 3-point range. Her teammates combined for just 26 points against the Huskies.

8. Colorado (8-2)

Last week: 8Results: beat Southern Utah 78-48Next up: at Utah (Wednesday)NET ranking: 36Comment: With a No. 296 strength of schedule (lowest in the conference), assessing the Buffs is challenging — and that makes the Utah game potentially revealing. In ESPN’s NCAA Tournament bracketology, Washington State, Colorado and USC are on the wrong side of the bubble.

9. USC (9-0)

Last week: 9Results: DNPNext up: vs. UCLA (Thursday)NET ranking: 33Comment: For USC, too, the strength of schedule (No. 240) is a mitigating factor in evaluating its best start since the 2018-19 season. That changes this week when the Trojans — with the fifth-highest NET ranking in the conference — not only host UCLA but play Texas in Dallas.

10. Washington (8-1/1-0)

Last week: 11Results: beat Washington State 82-66Next up: vs. Liberty (Sunday)NET ranking: 89Comment: For the Huskies to have five double-figure scorers against Washington State was a revelation. Lauren Schwartz led the way with 21 points. Washington, which moved up one spot, is off to its best start since the 2016-17 season, when senior guard Kelsey Plum was the National Player of the Year.

11. Arizona State (6-4)

Last week: 10Results: lost to Stephen F. Austin 75-60Next up: vs. Prairie View A&M (Saturday)NET ranking: 119Comment: ASU drops another place after suffering its third consecutive loss while operating for a second straight game with just seven scholarship players. The Sun Devils led at half against Missouri and Stephen F. Austin but couldn’t close out either game. Their strength of schedule (No. 61) is the second-best in the Pac-12. But for now, that’s a drag on a short-handed team.

12. California (7-2)

Last week: 12Results: beat Pacific 83-66Next up: vs. UC San Diego (Friday)NET ranking: 85Comment: Utah transfer Kemery Martin had a career-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers, against Pacific. She and Colorado transfer Peanut Tuitele are taking some of the scoring load off Jayda Curry by creating more balance.

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But this week includes the limited start of conference play with rivalry games between the Oregon and Washington schools, plus an attractive non-conference game with Kansas at No. 12 Arizona.

With an 85-14 record, the Pac-12 remains first nationally in non-conference winning percentage (85.8). No other conference is at 80 percent.

The Pac-12 picked up a needed win over an AP top-25 team with Stanford beating No. 22 Gonzaga.

Overall, the conference is 2-6 against ranked teams.

Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer has had one of her teams — either the Cardinal or Ohio State, where she coached from 1980-1985 — ranked in the AP poll for 619 weeks, an all-time record that breaks her tie with the late Pat Summitt.

ESPN’s latest NCAA Tournament bracketology includes seven Pac-12 teams with two others just missing the cut.

Here are the Hotline’s fifth 2022-23 women’s basketball power ratings, including new NET rankings (as of Dec. 5). Two teams move up and one down.

1. Stanford (10-1)

Last week: 1Results: beat Santa Clara 82-69 and Gonzaga 84-63Next up: vs. Tennessee (Dec. 18)NET ranking: No. 2Comment: Senior Fran Belibi made the most of a season-high 13 minutes against Santa Clara with 12 points and eight rebounds. Against Gonzaga, the Cardinal was 15-of-28 from 3-point range.

2. UCLA (8-1)

Last week: 2Results: beat UC Santa Barbara 68-57Next up: Cal State Fullerton (Saturday)NET ranking: No. 22Comment: The Bruins swept the Pac-12 weekly awards based on their play against No. 1 South Carolina and UCSB. Charisma Osborne is the Player of the Week (second time this season) and Kiki Rice is the Freshman of the Week. The Bruins trailed 20-4 after the first quarter at UCSB, then outscored the Gauchos by 27 over the next three.

3. Utah (7-0)

Last week: 3Results: beat Mississippi Valley State 109-42Next up: at BYU (Saturday)NET ranking: No. 6Comment: The Pac-12 is 4-0 against SWAC opponents in Legacy Series games between the conferences, including Utah’s win over Mississippi Valley. The Utes also visited the National Civil Rights Museum in conjunction with the educational mission of the six-game series.

4. Oregon (6-1)

Last week: 4Results: beat Portland 90-51Next up: vs. Oregon State (Sunday)NET ranking: No. 12Comment: The Ducks smoked Portland with six players scoring in double figures, led by freshman Chance Gray with 20. “From start to finish, I thought this was our most consistent, best effort,” coach Kelly Graves said. Oregon’s margin of victory was in line with Stanford’s over Portland (87-47) last month.

5. Arizona (7-0)

Last week: 5Results: beat New Mexico 77-60Next up: vs. Kansas (Thursday)NET ranking: No. 18Comment: The Wildcats beat New Mexico by the exact same score for a second consecutive season, this time in Albuquerque. Jade Loville, a transfer from ASU, broke out with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

6. Washington State (6-1)

Last week: 6Results: beat Montana 77-57Next up: at Portland (Wednesday)NET ranking: No. 46Comment: Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker tied her career high with six 3-pointers in a 24-point performance. The Cougars beat Montana for the first time since 1988, ending a nine-game losing streak in the series.

7. Oregon State (6-2)

Last week: 7Results: beat Southern 89-36 and Jackson State 63-53Next up: at Oregon (Sunday)NET ranking: No. 59Comment: The Beavers drew 9,604 fans (mostly students) for their Beyond the Classroom game against Southern, then freshman Raegan Beers had a double-double against Jackson State, her fifth of the season.

8. Colorado (7-2)

Last week: 9Results: beat Western Michigan 75-37 and Boise State 71-48Next up: vs. Southern Utah (Wednesday)NET ranking: No. 39Comment: The Buffs get a one-place jump in Hotline rankings off a pair of one-sided wins, including a dominating 44-21 first half on the road at Boise State. Colorado has held three straight opponents under 50 points; its season opponent scoring average is 54.0.

9. USC (9-0)

Last week: 10Results: beat Cal Baptist 69-58, Merrimack 88-40 and San Jose State 71-44Next up: vs. UCLA (Dec. 15)NET ranking: No. 27Comment: USC won a fifth straight home game Tuesday, enough to warrant a one-place ratings improvement. But the Trojans’ strength of schedule took a hit, dipping to No. 217.

10. Arizona State (6-3)

Last week: 8Results: beat Grand Canyon 80-72, lost to UMass 88-64 and Missouri 71-60Next up: at Stephen F. Austin (Sunday)NET ranking: No. 123Comment: ASU rallied from 11 down to win at Grand Canyon with a 35-point fourth quarter, then lost two games at home. The Sun Devils were missing three players against one-loss Missouri, including guard Jaddan Simmons (illness). They drop two places this week, but their strength of schedule is third highest in the Pac-12.

11. Washington (7-1)

Last week: 11Results: beat Seattle 60-49 and Queens (NC) 54-28NET ranking: No. 107Next up: vs. Washington State (Sunday)Comment: Washington won twice despite having just one double-figure scorer (Dalayah Daniels against Seattle) in the two games. The 28 points (by Queens) were the fewest allowed by UW since 2010.

12. California (6-2)

Last week: 12Results: beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 84-51, lost to SMU 70-56Next up: vs. Pacific (Saturday)NET ranking: No. 85Comment: Jayda Curry made the all-tournament team, but the host Bears were outscored 38-24 in the second half by SMU. Curry had a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, plus seven assists, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Following No. 15 UCLA’s loss to top-ranked South Carolina on Tuesday, the Pac-12 is 1-6 vs. current Associated Press top-25 teams. The Bruins have the only victory, over No. 24 Marquette.

We say this knowing full well that two of the six losses are to the defending national champion and unanimous AP No. 1 Gamecocks — and by a combined 14 points — but the Pac-12 standard is that high.

The first of South Carolina’s wins required overtime (76-71) on the road against No. 2 Stanford. The Gamecocks then  outlasted UCLA 73-64 in a home game that was closer than the final score.

Add matchups against other teams receiving votes in the AP poll and the Pac-12 record improves to 5-8, with three of the wins by UCLA. But the 11 teams other than the Bruins are a combined 2-7, with victories by Utah over Oklahoma and Washington State over South Dakota State.

There are some high-profile non-conference matchups ahead but not this week or next, aside from No. 14  Arizona vs. Kansas (receiving votes) on Dec. 8.

Dec. 18 is significant for the Pac-12 with No. 2 Stanford vs. Tennessee (receiving votes), Arizona vs. No. 21 Baylor, Oregon State vs. No. 11 LSU and USC vs. No. 22 Texas. Then Stanford plays No. 13 Creighton on Dec. 20 and Colorado faces Marquette (receiving votes) on Dec. 21.

There are Pac-12 rivalry games as early as Dec. 11, but full conference play doesn’t begin until Dec. 29.

The Pac-12’s overall non-conference winning percentage is 85.9 (raw total: 67-11). Other conferences above 80 percent are the ACC (80.5%) and SEC (80.3%).

Here are the Hotline’s fourth 2022-23 women’s basketball power ratings, with only two changes compared to 10 last week (updated NET rankings are coming in December).

1. Stanford (8-1)

Last week: 1Results: beat Florida Gulf Coast 93-69, beat Grambling State 87-50, beat Hawaii 68-39Next up: vs. Santa Clara (Wednesday)Comment: Stanford’s biggest highlight of three wins by an average of 30 points in Hawaii arguably was 6-foot-7 freshman Lauren Betts’ 11-point, 13-rebound double-double vs. Grambling. Her development could be instrumental come the postseason.

2. UCLA (7-1)

Last week: 2Results: beat Jackson State 72-60, lost to South Carolina 73-64Next up: at UC Santa Barbara (Saturday)Comment: UCLA led at South Carolina for almost 25 minutes, including by 10 in the second quarter. The Gamecocks finally pulled free with 1:11 left when freshman Kiki Rice committed personal and technical fouls resulting in four free throws, doubling South Carolina’s lead.

3. Utah (6-0)

Last week: 3Results: beat Mississippi 69-67Next up: at Mississippi Valley State (Thursday)Comment: Alissa Pili is the Pac-12 Player of the Week for her play at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo tournament in the Bahamas. The junior forward had a 21-point, 9-rebound game in a narrow win over Ole Miss, which held the Utes more than 30 points below their season average.

4. Oregon (5-1)

Last week: 4Results: lost to North Carolina 85-79, beat Michigan State 86-78Next up: vs. Portland (Saturday)Comment: In Portland, the Ducks played largely even with No. 6 North Carolina, then rebounded to their first loss with a hard-fought win. Phillipina Kyei, the Ducks’ 6-foot-8 center, had a combined 27 rebounds between the games and freshman Grace VanSlooten had her first double-double vs. the Tar Heels.

5. Arizona (6-0)

Last week: 5Results: beat Cal Baptist 81-63, beat San Diego 86-60Next up: at New Mexico (Sunday)Comment: Guard Kailyn Gilbert broke out at The Dana on Mission Bay Thanksgiving Classic in San Diego, earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors. She averaged 17.5 points including 25 against Cal Baptist. Senior Helena Pueyo scored 22 vs. San Diego.

6. Washington State (5-1)

Last week: 7Results: beat South Dakota State 61-41Next up: vs. Montana (Friday)Comment: By dominating the final three quarters vs. South Dakota State, the Cougars secured a  statement win and a one-place gain in the Hotline ratings. Depth remains a concern, but Washington State can lean on its veteran starters.

7. Oregon State (4-2)

Last week: 6Results: lost to Iowa 73-59, lost to Duke 54-41Next up: vs. Southern (Thursday)Comment: The Beavers averaged just 50 points in losses to quality opponents in Portland. But Oregon State always is competitive thanks to defense, and 6-foot-8 Jelena Mitrovic is among the Pac-12 rebounding leaders.

8. Arizona State (5-1)

Last week: 8Results: beat American 70-61, lost to Notre Dame 85-65Next up: at Grand Canyon (Wednesday)Comment: ASU was tied with No. 7 Notre Dame more than halfway through the third before the Irish took control with a 12-2 run. Tyi Skinner had a third straight 24-point game vs. American and is averaging 19.2 points per game.

9. Colorado (5-2)

Last week: 9Results: lost to Tennessee 69-51, beat Chicago State 83-32Next up: vs. Western Michigan (Wednesday)Comment: Leading scorer Quay Miller went 0-of-5 from the field before fouling out at Tennessee, where the Buffs shot just 31.5 percent overall. Colorado was without Frida Formann, who’s playing for Denmark in a Eurobasket qualifier, against the Lady Vols.

10. USC (6-0)

Last week: 10Results: beat Penn 66-60, beat Utah State 79-48Next up: vs. Cal Baptist (Wednesday)Comment: The Trojans outrebounded Penn 52-33 and led by 11 late before the final score tightened. Kadi Sissoko averaged 19 points in the two wins, and the Minnesota transfer is at 17.8 per game for the season.

11. Washington (5-1)

Last week: 11Results: beat Fordham 71-62, lost to Santa Clara 71-58Next up: vs. Seattle (Wednesday)Comment: Yes, the Huskies took a loss, but we’re sticking with them at No. 11 based on better computer metrics than Cal, including a significantly better strength of schedule. Against Santa  Clara, Washington’s bench outscored the starters 39-19.

12. California (5-1)

Last week: 12Results: beat Loyola Marymount 68-49, beat Montana 65-44Next up: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Saturday)Comment: Kemery Martin averaged 17 points and Jayda Curry 15 in the Bears’ wins last week. Martin is a transfer from Utah who only played in six games last season due to injury but started 17 in 2020-21.

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The Bruins beat three quality teams to win the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas while ascending into the AP poll at No. 20. That puts five Pac-12 teams into the rankings, including Utah at No. 17, an eight-place leap after a school record-tying 124 points in a rout of then No. 15 Oklahoma.

Stanford remains No. 2 after its 76-71 overtime loss Sunday that arguably shouldn’t have gone beyond regulation. The Cardinal led 60-54 with 2:04 left in the fourth quarter only to be outscored 7-1 at home, forcing OT. Then in the final 10 seconds of the extra period, Stanford turned the ball over on an inbounds violation and called a timeout it didn’t have — both while down by two points.

“It might be a team just not ready to be No. 1,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said after a second early-season loss to South Carolina in as many years. “We have to be hungry as No. 2, improve, stay healthy, get better.”

Overall, Pac-12 teams are a combined 51-4 (national best 92.7 non-conference winning percentage) through Tuesday.

Here are the Hotline’s third 2022-23 women’s basketball power ratings with all but Stanford and USC in new positions.

1. Stanford (5-1)

Last week: 1

Results: beat Cal Poly 80-43, lost to South Carolina 76-71 (OT)

Next up: vs. Florida Gulf Coast (Friday)

Comment: Stanford’s 22 turnovers led to 18 South Carolina points and ultimately cost the Cardinal in a game it led for 40:44 (compared to South Carolina’s 3:25). But freshman point guard Talana Lepolo more than held her own with twice as many assists as turnovers on her biggest stage so far.

2. UCLA (6-0)

Last week: 5

Results: beat South Dakota State 72-65, beat Tennessee 80-63, beat Marquette 66-58 (OT)

Next up: vs. Jackson State (Friday)

Comment: The Bruins more than deserve a three-place Hotline promotion for avenging two losses from last season (including in the WNIT semifinals) vs. South Dakota State, dominating then-No. 11 Tennessee and finally putting Marquette away on Monday. Charisma Osborne is the Pac-12 Player of the Week and was Battle for Atlantis MVP.

3. Utah (5-0)

Last week: 4

Results: beat Oklahoma 124-78, beat Alabama 93-86

Next up: vs. Mississippi (Wednesday)

Comment: Some more on the 124-point outburst: Six Utes scored in double figures, half of those had 21 or more; a school record 41-point third quarter; 40 3-point attempts (making 13); and 51 rebounds (20 more than Oklahoma). Utah is No. 2 nationally in scoring offense, averaging 100.2 points.

4. Oregon (4-0)

Last week: 2

Results: beat Southern Utah 66-54

Next up: vs. North Carolina (Thursday)

Comment: Perhaps looking ahead, the Ducks played an incomplete game in Monday’s win over Southern Utah, dropping two spots in the Hotline rankings while moving up three to No. 18 nationally. Games in Portland this week vs. No. 8 North Carolina then perhaps No. 5 Iowa State will be telling. Portland, by the way, was named Monday to host the 2030 NCAA Women’s Final Four.

5. Arizona (4-0)

Last week: 3

Results: beat Loyola Marymount 87-51, beat Long Beach State 86-64

Next up: vs. Cal Baptist (Friday)

Comment: Like Oregon, Arizona really did nothing wrong to take a two-spot Hotline drop. It’s just life in the competitive Pac-12. The No. 15-ranked Wildcats are No. 3 nationally in scoring (93.2 ppg) with all five starters reaching double figures vs. Long Beach State.

6. Oregon State (4-0)

Last week: 8

Results: beat Eastern Washington 73-66, beat Prairie View A&M 100-59

Next up: vs. Iowa (Friday)

Comment: The Beavers are a bit under the radar so far, although 6-foot-2 forward Raegen Beers is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week coming off consecutive double-doubles (one with 28 points). Oregon State also plays in Portland this week, against No. 9 Iowa, then potentially No. 3 Connecticut in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament.

7. Washington State (4-1)

Last week: 6

Results: lost to BYU 67-57, beat Troy 87-72

Next up: vs. BYU (Friday)

Comment: The Cougars couldn’t overcome their lack of depth in the loss to BYU, which came in 0-3. But WSU put five players in double figures in a win over Troy, including Bella Murekatete with a 22-point, 16-rebound double-double.

8. Arizona State (4-0)

Last week: 9

Results: beat New Mexico 83-77 (OT)

Next up: vs. American or Notre Dame (Friday)

Comment: Trailing by five with 2:37 left in regulation, ASU rallied to win its first game played at New Mexico since 2004. Guard Tyi Skinner had a second straight 24-point game for arguably the best Pac-12 individual weekly performance other than UCLA’s Osborne. ASU will play American, then No. 7 Notre Dame in that order in the Bahamas (provided the Irish beat American on Thursday).

9. Colorado (4-1)

Last week: 7

Results: lost to Texas Tech 86-85 (OT), beat Air Force 71-63

Next up: at Tennessee (Friday)

Comment: In the Preseason WNIT, Colorado dominated Jackson State, which beat Texas Tech. Then the Buffs tripped up against Texas Tech themselves, committing 34 fouls, tied for second most in school history. Quay Miller was named the tournament MVP and is shooting 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from 3-point range. The Buffs get a struggling No. 23 Tennessee (2-4) next.

10. USC (4-0)

Last week: 10

Results: beat USF 74-48

Next up: vs. Penn (Wednesday)

Comment: French forward Kadi Sissoko, a transfer from Minnesota, continues to lead the Trojans, scoring 21 points against USF and averaging 17.3 for the season. USC plays its next six games at home, the last of that string against UCLA in its Pac-12 opener Dec. 15, when the Trojans could be 9-0.

11. Washington (4-0)

Last week: 12

Results: beat UC Irvine 62-60 (2 OT), beat Idaho State 56-39

Next up: vs. Fordham (Friday)

Comment: The Huskies haven’t played anyone notable but their RPI and strength-of-schedule are best in the Pac-12 to date, so they get a bump back up to No. 11. Forward Dalayah Daniels, a transfer from Cal, starred in the double-overtime win with 24 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks.

12. California (3-1)

Last week: 11

Results: beat Idaho 84-71, beat Saint Mary’s 69-66

Next up: at Loyola Marymount (Friday)

Comment: The Bears took care of business, holding off Saint Mary’s even though point guard Leilani McIntosh (18 points) was the only player in double figures. Cal’s schedule is thin through the remainder of non-conference play, making a move in Hotline rankings difficult.

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