Oregon women’s basketball is taking its show on the road.
The Ducks will play their first of four consecutive Pac-12 road games on Friday night at No. 10 Stanford (8 p.m., Pac-12 Network). The Ducks also play at No. 20 California on Sunday afternoon.
The road Ducks are looking to rebound from two losses to open Pac-12 play last weekend against Washington and Washington State.
Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu, who suffered a broken thumb on Dec. 13, returned to practice this week. The team is hopeful she will play against the Bay Area schools in her homecoming trip. She’s a native of Walnut Creek, California.
“I sure hope so,” head coach Kelly Graves told reporters on Wednesday in Eugene. “We haven’t committed to it, but we’re hoping. No doubt.”
Oregon (10-4, 0-2 Pac-12) rebounded from a pair of lackluster games to Washington and Washington State with an encouraging practice on Tuesday.
“It was great,” Graves said of the practice. “It was one of our best practices of the year yesterday. We also had the entire roster. That makes a big difference.”
Guard Justine Hall echoed Graves’ assessment.
“Definitely we’ve come back really focused and really aggressive,” Hall said. “We’re working hard every day. We’re ready to get a Pac-12 win under our belt.”
Stanford is off to another solid start in 2016-17. The Cardinal stand at 12-2 and swept their opening Pac-12 games versus Arizona State and Arizona. Forward Erica McCall, who scored 25 points in the regular season finale last year, is averaging a team-high 16.5 points a game this year. Stanford’s Brittan McPee (13.6 points) and Karlie Samuelson (11.9 points) also average double digits.
Stanford won both games against the Ducks last year. Oregon upset then-No. 19 Stanford for the first time since 2004 to conclude the 2014-15 season.
“It is a typical Stanford team,” Graves said. “They’re talented across the board. They play really hard. They just don’t mistakes. They don’t beat themselves.”
Stanford is one of three Pac-12 teams with an perfect conference record. The Cardinal sit atop the conference with Oregon State and UCLA.
Graves said it’s difficult to prepare for both Bay Area schools since they both attack the game in different ways. Cal ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in scoring while Stanford sits at No. 7.
“They’re different,” he said. “They play different styles. You prepare one way for one opponent then two days later, you’ve got to kind of change how you play for someone else.”
Look for the battle of 3-point shooting to play a large role in Friday’s game. The Ducks rank No. 2 in the conference in 3-point percentage (40.5 percent). Stanford ranks No. 3 in 3-point defense (28.5 percent).
Hall and the Ducks have focused on their defensive efforts for their weekend preparation.
“I think we all need to be more focused — in practice and the games,” Hall said. “We need to communicate better. I think we’ll get there.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne