The Pacific-10 Conference season is over, and with a 17-13 overall record, the Oregon women are on thin ice for the NCAA Tournament.
Last season, the Ducks finished 17-11 after conference play and were awarded with their eighth straight postseason appearance. Oregon is ready to make it nine straight, but not in the tournament it was hoping for.
The Women’s National Invitation Tournament, little sister of the Big Dance, annually takes the next best 32 teams after the NCAA version claims its 64. The Ducks would be disappointed to play second fiddle to the real thing, but know the WNIT is a definite possibility and still important.
“It would be very important for our team given they are very young,” head coach Bev Smith said. “It would be a good experience.”
However, the Ducks are still holding out hope for the NCAA Tournament selection committee to include them when the field of 64 is announced Sunday.
“I still think we are a good team,” sophomore Cathrine Kraayeveld said. “I think that (the selection committee) knows that. We can compete with other teams outside of our conference.”
If there was a silver lining to the possibility of playing in the WNIT, it would be that Oregon most likely will host a first round game. Unlike the NCAA Tournament where teams play a majority of games on a neutral floor, the WNIT is held exclusively on campus sites, and with the Ducks leading the Pac-10 in attendance for the third-straight year, McArthur Court is a possible destination.
After hosting the inaugural Pac-10 Tournament and garnering rave reviews from other Pac-10 squads, as well as league executives, the Ducks believe Mac Court would be an ideal host and could give the team a huge boost.
“It gave us an advantage,” Kraayeveld said about the tournament. “Even if they cover up the Oregon stuff (like they did for the Pac-10), it’s still great for us.”
Smith agreed with Kraayeveld’s
sentiments.
“Our fans would look forward to it,” she said. “I don’t think there could be a better place (to play).”

Przekwas out
Only one day after the completion of the Pac-10 Tournament and three days after the Cougars were ousted by Oregon, Washington State head coach Jenny Przekwas was fired Tuesday.
The coach, who had been paid $125,000 this season and had two years left on her contract, was often criticized by current players for being a rugged and sometimes unfair tactician.
Coming to Washington State from St. Francis College of Pennsylvania in 1999, she led the Cougars to a three-year record of 17-68, including a 2-27 mark this season.
“Her coaching is not in question,” said Jim Sterk, Washington State athletic director. “The program has been unable to attract and retain the athletes to be competitive in the Pac-10.”
In her three-year tenure, eight players left the team or were suspended for academic or disciplinary reasons. Of those eight, three were recruited by Przekwas.
“The mental abuse wasn’t worth it,” Rebecca Jordan told the Spokesman-Review in January. “She made me lose my passion for the game.”
Sterk admitted that comments from former players did play a part in his decision to remove Przekwas from her post. In addition, her three assistants — Pippa Pierce, Cassie Sawyer and Mary Markey — will also be let go.
“I’d be lying if I said (the media reports) didn’t influence (the decision) somewhat,” Sterk told the Seattle Times. “There’s hard feelings, obviously, to make someone want to leave a program. For whatever reason, it didn’t work, and we’re moving on.”