No. 1 Utah Utes (27-3, 16-0 MWC)
The Utes have won more games during this regular season than they have in any other year. The main reason for the Utes’ success has been their three-headed monster made up of Leilani Mitchell, Morgan Warburton and Kalee Whipple. On Monday, Mitchell was named Player of the Year while Warburton made first-team all-Mountain West Conference and Whipple made second-team. It can only be described as a snub that Whipple wasn’t named to the first team. Whipple led the league in field-goal percentage (52.9 percent), 3-point percentage (50 percent), was third in rebounds (7.3) and sixth in scoring (15.4). The Utes are on a 22-game winning streak-the second longest in the nation-and haven’t lost a game since falling to USC on Dec. 3.
Player to watch: Leilani MitchellMitchell is the most dangerous player in the league and the conference recently recognized that by awarding her the MWC Player of the Year trophy. She led the league in assists (7.75), was fourth in scoring (16.4), second in steals (2.56) and posted four 20-plus point games in MWC play. Natalie Dicou
Utah Utes vs. Colorado State RamsWednesday, March 12, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Colorado State Rams (3-27, 0-16 MWC)
Just when you thought the Colorado State men’s team was bad, have a look at the women’s team. The female version of Colorado State’s basketball program (2-27) mirrored the men by losing every conference game, and then lost more out of conference. The Rams managed to beat Navy and Pacific, but finished dead last in scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, free throw percentages, field goal percentages, assists, steals, turnover margin and rebounding defense. Colorado State lost their games by an average of 16 points per game and not a single player for the Rams averages more than 10 points per game.
Player to watch: Sara HunterSenior guard Sara Hunter leads the Rams in scoring 9.9 points per game. Sophomore forward, Juanise Cornell, led the Rams in rebounding with 6.8 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Elle Queen led the Rams in assists with 1.5 per game. There isn’t really one individual to watch, just watch the team get routed as a whole.Tim Haslam
No .2 TCU Horned Frogs (20-10, 13-3 MWC)
In a three-team race for the crown that also involved Utah and Wyoming, the Horned Frogs lost to the Utes twice and the Cowgirls once. It appears as though they would face the Cowgirls yet again in the second round of the tourney if they beat Air Force in the opener.The Frogs took care of business in the final month of the season, winning 10 of their last 11 games. Eight of those wins were by more than 15 points. Scoring is the forte of TCU’s game. The Frogs are second to Utah in scoring in conference play. The team’s defense has landed it in the middle of the conference in most categories with a turnover ratio of plus 4.88-second highest in the conference.
Player to watch: Adrianne RossPlayer to watch for: Adrianne Ross does it all for the TCU. Although her scoring average is down from last season’s 17.3 points per game, she is still averaging a team-high 13.4 points. Ross also averages 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the Horned Frogs. Jon Gilbert
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Air Force FalconsWednesday, March 12 8:30 p.m.
No. 7 Air Force Falcons (10-18, 4-12 MWC)
The Falcons finished seventh in the MWC and will face TCU in the tournament. Air Force lost to TCU both times in the regular season by a combined 63 points. Air Force averaged 56.3 points per game while giving up 64.6 points on the defensive end. The Falcons were second in the MWC to Utah in free-throw percentage with .716. Air Force’s signature win of the season was a 54-49 home win over BYU on March 1. Other than that lone bright spot, the Air Force women struggled from getting blown out by at least 16 points more than double the times the Falcons were able to pull out a win (10). Air Force lost its final five road games by an average of 26.5 points, which doesn’t bode well for their trip to Sin City.
Player to watch: Alecia SteeleSenior forward Alecia Steele leads the team in scoring and is a tenacious rebounder, averaging 12.3 and 7.4 rebounds per game, respectively. Steele scored a season-high 22 points against Wyoming and Northern Colorado. Against Denver, she pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds.Tim Haslam
No. 3 Wyoming Cowgirls (24-5, 12-4 MWC)
Despite having the second-best overall record in the MWC, the Cowgirls finished with a 12-4 conference record and received the No. 3 seed. For their MWC struggles, Wyoming will play San Diego State.To use a cliché, the Cowgirls’ best defense is their offense. They’ve outscored opponents by more than 12 points per game, including a 34-point win over BYU, a 38-point drubbing against Westminster and a 48-point shellacking against UNLV. Wyoming’s roster could field a team from Down Under as four of its players hail from Australia. Three others come from Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic. One of the Australians -Hanna Zavecz-leads the team in scoring (14.0) followed by Poland’s Justyna Podziemska (12.7). Aubrey Vandiver (11.1) gives the Cowgirls a third player averaging in double digits.
Player to watch: Hanna ZaveczThe Australian senior, Zavecz, plays point forward for the Cowgirls and leads the team in scoring (14.0 points), assists (3.3) and steals (1.7) while leading the MWC in blocked shots (1.6). The 6-footer from Melbourne also snags 5.8 rebounds per game. Zavecz has twice earned first-team All-MWC honors. Jason Peterson
Wyoming Cowgirls vs. San Diego State AztecsWednesday, March 12, 11 p.m.
No. 6 San Diego State Aztecs
San Diego State will be looking to surprise their competition this time around as they face Wyoming in the MWC quarterfinals for the second straight year. Last year, the Aztecs fell to the Cowgirls in a 56-44 defensive struggle.Jené Morris leads the team in points this season, and her leadership on the court might determine whether the Aztecs can keep up with Wyoming. Morris’ experience playing for Cal in the 2005-2006 season shows she can compete well against high levels of competition. The Aztecs are 0-2 against the Cowgirls and have lost both games in convincing fashion. A win over a team as good as Wyoming would be a huge ego boost heading into a likely semifinal matchup against TCU.
Player to watch: Paris JohnsonParis Johnson was one of the nation’s top recruits out of high school and has made an immediate impact in her first season playing for the Aztecs. She leads the team in six categories, including free throws and boards, and also ranks second in six other categories including overall points.James Boehly
No. 4 New Mexico Lobos (17-12, 9-7 MWC)
New Mexico comes into the Mountain West Conference Tournament led by forward Dionne Marsh and guards Amy Beggin and Brandi Kimble. The Lobos have won seven of their last 10 games and will play San Diego State in the first round of the conference tournament. Marsh, who won the MWC Tournament MVP in 2007, leads the Lobos in scoring with 15.7 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding with a 6.1 rebound-per-game average. The Lobos swept the season series with SDSU. An extremely tough team, the Lobos have hung with the MWC’s best this season, losing to No. 12 ranked Utah twice by a combined margin of seven points.
Player to watch: Dionne MarshDionne Marsh has seen her stellar collegiate career at New Mexico grow and grow each year as she has stepped on the court in Albuquerque. A four-year starter, Marsh was named first-team All-MWC her sophomore year and second-team her junior year. Marsh also leads the Lobos in scoring percentage and block shots.Chris Kamrani
New Mexico Lobos vs. BYU CougarsWednesday, March 12, 2:30 p.m.
BYU Cougar (13-15, 7-9 MWC)< /p>
The Cougars struggled to get points on the board throughout the season, but they managed to win nearly half of their games using stingy defense.BYU is led by Mallary Gillespie-Carling, the only Cougar averaging double figures with 13.6 points per game (seventh in the conference). A trio of others-Shawnee Slade, Mindy Nielson and Lauren Riley-Varley-average around seven points apiece.The Cougars have key wins over UC Santa Barbara, UCLA and Wyoming this season, but they’ve also endured some major beatings, losing to UConn by 46, Wyoming by 34 and Utah by 37 and 31.Despite this year’s shortcomings, the Cougars have fared well in past MWC Tournaments (14-7 record) and are the only club to beat all eight of the other MWC teams in the tournament.
Player to watch: Mallary Gillespie-CarlingMallary Gillespie-Carling is BYU’s top scorer who does it all, whether it’s from beyond the arc or from the charity stripe. The knock on Gillespie-Carling is her streaky shooting as she tends to go off for 26 points in one game and put up a two-point clunker the next.Jason Peterson