Imagine being Sacramento Monarchs forward Rebekkah Brunson (pictured right by WNBA). You log onto the computer today, sign into Twitter and see what your friends are tweeting about. One is that your WNBA team has folded.

"Girl I found out looking at ur tweet.. im floored right now.. mann," Brunson (@twin1532) told former Monarchs center Chantelle Anderson via the social networking site at 11:34 this morning.

"I want to thank Sacramento for all the love!!! you have blessed us all," Brunson entered in another entry. She was a member of the Monarchs' 2005 championship team.

Monarchs general manager/coach John Whisenant broke the news to a Sacramento television station, stating the WNBA franchise was no longer part of the Sacramento Kings organization.

The Maloof brothers, Joe and Gavin, were dedicated owners who often attended games. They even spotted teams the past two years to play round-robin scrimmages in Las Vegas, staying at their posh hotel. But they also own the Kings, which are in financial trouble along with most of the NBA. The family is reportedly trying to move the Kings.

Turn on any game that LeBron and Kobe aren't playing in and the empty seats are startling. It's early -- NBA attendance usually picks up in January. Yet, numbers are bad even for them. The Maloofs, who have been trying to get a new arena and have made bad decisions on the NBA end, are opting to focus on that end.

Whisenant said he was surprised at the decision.

"I am shocked!" he told the news station. "Joe and Gavin (Maloof) called me (Thursday) night and told me. I was kept in the dark like everyone else.

"It's devastating for a lot of people in our organization and our players and fans. I really thought we were good for at least another year. This was really a surprise to me."

The WNBA said investors from the Bay Area are looking to purchase the team. But a source could not confirm if it's the same investors the league has been in discussions with for about four years. The Golden State Warriors have expressed passing interest, but have since nixed any idea of owning a WNBA team.

"The Bay Area has been a desirable market for the WNBA and the availability of the Monarchs provides an opportunity to move a well-known franchise and broaden its fan base within Northern California," WNBA president Donna Orender said in a release. "Maloof Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Monarchs, has deemed it essential to focus all of its resources on the Sacramento Kings at this time. We understand this decision was a difficult one for them and appreciate the vision, leadership, and support of the Maloof family over the past 10 years."

While the move looks bad, it's really not. Especially if the WNBA is swift in securing investors for the Monarchs. And my guess, given the Maloof's dedication, is that the league will because they didn't seem like the type of people to ditch the women.

But since 2003, when independent owners were allowed to purchase WNBA teams, there has been movement within the WNBA. So, Detroit moving to Tulsa, Houston folding, Atlanta adding another investor and Indiana being for sale shouldn't raise much concern.

The economy played a massive part. Yet, the fact that there are still people willing to buy-in is good. At least that's what you'll hear from Orender.

The WNBA owners haven't met to discuss the changes. They'll convene the first week of December and, if an owner has been found for the Monarchs, they'll decide changes in conferences for Minnesota or Tulsa. The Lynx are rumored to want to be in the East.

But there isn't much time. The league typically has it's schedule out by the second week of January. If a deal with a new Bay Area investor is close, they may budge. But, if an agreement is way off, you'll see the league drop down to 12 teams. And Tulsa would be in the West.

If there's a need for a dispersal draft, that would be late December. Same free agent rules would aply.

"Everyone in this business environment ... you have to do what has to be done," Joe Maloof told the Sacramento Bee. "Our focus is to turn the Kings around, and to do that, we have to put all our efforts and good salespeople on the Kings."

PURPLE POWER: Love it when Whitcomb won't let her team lose and has healthy teammates around her who can help make it happen. The senior scored all 12 of the Huskies' final points to guide them to a 67-66 win at Hec Ed. It felt like a breakthrough for the Huskies, who once trailed by as many as 10 points and weren't doing a good job defending a noted three-point shooting team (10-for-18). But as Jackson said, good teams find a way to win and that was Washington. "I felt good and that we could do it," said Whitcomb, who finished with a game-high 25 points. "But it didn't feel like I was doing it all. I felt like it was a team thing and I wasn't recognizing that I was scoring every time but that we were scoring and we were right there to win the game." Whitcomb is right about the team concept. Williams and Lay tipped passes for steals, Mosiman set good screens and everyone but Rozier grabbed a rebound. It was all needed because the pressure from BYU was tough. And the Cougars were shooting a better 50 percent from the field. Yet the only that matters is that the Huskies won. UW will have Thursday off, then return to practice to prepare for another tough matchup in Gonzaga on Sunday in Spokane.

TREY BIEN: Coriann Wood hit a three-pointer with 5:05 remaining in the game that put her team up 59-50. With Rogers on the bench with four fouls and BYU hitting again, it appears the Huskies are out of options to stop the Cougars.

TIE GAME: McLellan is back in the game and hit a shot underneath to tie the game at 46 points apiece with 9:48 remaining in the game. BYU called time. The Cougars are having trouble against the Huskies' 2-3 zone and the Huskies are finally able to break the Cougars' full-court press to get back into the game. Whitcomb is scoring, but missed a key FT that could have helped the Huskies regain the lead.

TECH CITY: McLellan was called for a technical foul, her first of the season. She was tossed hard to the court by Riley. McLellan, who landed with a thud, didn't appreciate the no-call and let Jones know about it. Only Jones didn't care to hear it. Jones used her whistle again to tag Lay for a tech. She pushed Foreman on a drive to the hoop, getting a little extra oomph with the commotion. At least that's how I saw it. UW didn't agree from the stands to the sideline. Cougars are up 40-37 with 12:17 remaining.

RUMBLING: Two FTs by lay inched the Huskies within 36-35. Jackson said Lay was like an earthquake and she's proving that true tonight. Lay tipped a pass for a steal and is driving the ball coast-to-coast for looks at the hoop. UW drew a shot clock violation and appears poised to take over this game with 14:08 remaining.

ROGERS OUT: Rogers was called for a tacky third foul, pulling her out of the lineup early in the second half. Moeaki missed both free throws and the score remains 34-30 BYU with 18:03 remaining in the game.

BIG FINISH: Credit Rogers for helping Washington pull within 34-30 at the break. BYU tried double-teaming her and hacking her, but Rogers made turnaround jump shots to give the Huskies a much-needed presence inside. She scored six points in the final 1:45 and is leading the team with 10 points. Mosiman is leading the Huskies with five rebounds. Nielson has seven points for the Cougars, whose three-point shooting has slowed to 6-of-11 overall. BYU also got a little sloppy with the basketball, accumulating 18 turnovers in the half compared to Washington's 14.

PRETTY PASS: Mosiman, well covered by Moeaki, had a sweet no-look pass inside to Rogers to pull the Huskies within 34-26 of the Cougars. Two free throws by Morton shrunk the deficit to 34-28 with 49 seconds remaining in the half.

COUGAR TRACKS: Two more three-pointers and a fast-break layin off a Washington turnover and BYU is on a 8-0 run to build a 25-18 lead with 5:10 remaining before halftime.

ROSEY TO MURKY: Senior G Christinia Rozier got her team pumped with a defensive tip to collect a steal on a mismatch, but then bobbled the ball for a turnover on offense. She was pulled from the lineup when that miscue was converted into a three-pointer by BYU. The Cougars hit a second with 10:02 remaining in the half and lead 17-16. BYU is 3-of-5 from three-point range, hitting all three at the top of the arch.

PLATOON POST: Jackson said she didn't really like running her posts in-and-out of the game two at a time. She was forced to do it against Portland State due to Rogers getting into quick foul trouble. But Jackson is doing it again tonight, running McLellan and Argens in the game for a couple minutes, then placing Rogers and Williams in. The coach is relying on her veteran backcourt, Whitcomb leading with six points. UW leads 16-11 with 12:13 remaining after a bucket by Argens.

ZONE UP: Using an aggressive 2-3 zone, the Huskies forced a turnover and lead 8-7 with 15:47 remaining in the opening half. Kingma checked in at the 16:12 mark and was part of the solid defense. The game has been a little stagnant as the teams, who haven't played each other since the 1990s, try to figure each other out. Rogers and sophomore F Mollie Williams are also in the game.

Washington senior F Lydia Young has turned cheerleader (and part-time team bodyguard), opting to undergo season-ending right knee surgery to resolve her tendinitis. Young is now spotted center court pumping her team up and at times getting the crowd going.

She showed promise last year, but it's up to the remaining players on court, including sophomore G Kristi Kingma. She will make her home-debut along with UW after suffering from kidney stones last week. She was hospitalized twice and believed she was healthy until waking Saturday morning light-headed, not playing in the one-point loss to Portland State.

The Dawgs want a better showing at Edmundson Pavilion against BYU, but don't get much support from peers around campus. According to Kingma, they don't even ask if her Huskies have won. They immediately start with, "So, did you guys lose, again?"

Kingma just shrugs it off.

"It doesn't bother us," Kingma said. "We know what goes on everyday. We're working hard and we don't let anything affect us. If we did, we'd be a mess."

Kingma and teammates don't understand the ire on the Web, either. Especially the continual "Fire Tia" rants after one game. F Liz Lay said people would probably be surprised to know how close the team actually is and how hard they work.

"It's not the coach's fault we're losing the games," Kingma said. "It's a team thing. We have to hit the shots. They're not out there making the shots or the turnovers. More than anything, we have to hold ourselves accountable and if we do the little things right we should be fine."

Kingma, who started 26 games last season, will play off the bench tonight. She practiced this week, yet it's uncertain how much she'll play.

Coach Tia Jackson altered her lineup for the game, starting senior Laura McLellan inside and sophomore F Mackenzie Argens in place of Kingma. Jackson acknowledged that projected starter Regina Rogers wasn't where she needs to be condition-wise.

"I don't really know what to expect of myself," Kingma said. "I'm just going to give as much as I can and if that's a lot, it's a lot. I haven't shot in a week."

Here are your starting lineups:

COUGARS
F Mindy Nielson
F Keilani Moeaki
C Kristen Riley
G Haley Hall
G Jazmine Foreman

HUSKIES
F Sami Whitcomb
F Mackenzie Argens
C Laura McLellan
G Sarah Morton
G Sara Mosiman

Tonight's officials are Lisa Jones, Bret Gervasoni, and Connie Pardue.

Washington sophomore G Kristi Kingma was back on the practice court after a trying stint in hospitals last week. The team's most vocal leader, Kingma began suffering from kidney stones on Tuesday and was admitted into the hospital.

Kingma (pictured right) believed she was healthy when released late that night, but was re-admitted on Friday. She was released in time to make the end of the Huskies' practice and travel to Portland. But she did not play in the one-point, regular-season opening loss the Vikings due to lightheadedness from all of the medication.

"I had a major headache and was just trying to make it through the game," she said of sitting on the bench.

The Huskies (0-1) practiced this afternoon and Kingma was on the court. She said she was winded in her first practice back on Monday and isn't 100-percent. But she's going to play against BYU (1-0) on Wednesday, however.

Because Kingma has been out a week, UW coach Tia Jackson said she'll keep F Mackenzie Argens in the starting lineup.

The Huskies will be without F Lydia Young due to knee tendinitis. She saw a doctor this morning and more information will be provided this evening. F Liz Lay is questionable, practicing about 45-minutes a session this week with knee tendinitis.

Well, thank the Washington State women's basketball team for keeping the entire state from being in a funk on this windy, rainy Monday. Football certainly didn't help.

Cougars coach June Daugherty raved about freshman guard KiKi Moore prior to the season tip-off and the San Francisco product scored a team-high 17 points in WSU's 64-54 win against UC Davis on Sunday.

The Cougars played before just 1,200-plus fans. Yet it was the largest crowd for a home-opener since WSU joined the Pac-10 in 1986. The team leaves this week for a four-game road trip beginning at Kansas State on Friday.

"This was a tremendous opening game for us," said Daugherty in a press release. "We knew we were going to be tested because their coach does a phenomenal job and they had a lot of talent returning this year. I am proud of our team for their effort on defense and putting the game away."

The Aggies (1-1), which returned 11 players from last season, pounded Seattle University 71-49 in coach Joan Bonvicini's opener on Friday. Perimeter defense was an issue as UC Davis was allowed to attempt 20 three-pointers.

But the pain didn't stop with the season debut for the Redhawks (0-2). The team, playing without three key returnees due to academic suspension, lost to Concordia 50-47 on Saturday night, again unable to stop the three-point shooting.

Neither could Gonzaga in losing its opener to South Dakota State, which hasn't lost an opener since 2006. PG Courtney Vandersloot, who was named West Coast Conference Player of the Week , nearly had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 steals, and nine assists. But Gonzaga couldn't pull it out in overtime, deflated by a late three-pointer that tied the game at the end of regulation.

It's the beginning of a tough schedule for Gonzaga. The Zags play at Idaho tonight.

For Washington, the heartache came at the free throw line. Huskies senior Sami Whitcomb missed a key attempt with 14 seconds remaining that allowed Portland State to hit a game-winner with 0.3 on the clock.

UW was 12 for 19 from the FT line overall.

"We knew we had a tough game coming in," said Washington coach Tia Jackson, whose players wanted the win to erase last season's 8-22 finish and defeat a Vikings squad full of talent many played against in high school. "It took one great play for them to win this game. It was a great game."

The Huskies (0-1) host BYU in their home-opener Wednesday at Edmundson Pavilion.

Stanford sophomore F Nnemkadi Ogwumike was named the Player of the Week for the conference. She averaged 23 points, 9.5 rebounds and shot 64 percent from the floor in the Cardinal's road wins at Old Dominion (89-56) and No. 25 Rutgers (81-66).

FEMME TALK: A positive discussion emerged from an earlier post regarding the Florida State and Texas A&M's glitzy web sites/media guides. Although the Aggie men share a similar "James Bond" theme as the women, we all know this is not a mark of equality. Grace Jones ("A View to Kill" 1985) and Maud Adams ("Octopussy" 1983) are the only women given any power in the iconic flicks and end up dead or overtly sexualized.

Plus, the Aggie men have three basketballs prominently displayed and wear sneakers with their suits. The women have one basketball and did not wear anything athletic. But you already read my argument. Here's another stance on the women by LGBT author Pat Griffin and a take by ESPN columnist Mechelle Voepel on her personal blog.

Former WNBA C Chantelle Anderson offered an insightful counterpoint on her blog.

COACH LIEBERMAN: We'll have to wait a year to see how Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman does in her return to the sideline as coach of the new Dallas Mavericks D-League affiliate. But this article about her being named the first woman head coach of a male professional team was interesting. Enjoy!.

TWEET THIS: My favorite all-time tweet on the social-networking site Twitter is from Los Angeles star Candace Parker when she let her daughter take over the computer keyboard while watching "SportsCenter." The result? "swadrfcrrdtf rxfc (lailaa's first tweet)" entered on Sept. 22 at 10:24 p.m. I think Lailaa, born in May, is the youngest twitter ever, but I refuse to check that stat out.

Anyway, I thought I'd share others that strike me either from the group I follow or the people in the women's basketball world that I check-in on regularly.

So, the inaugural Tweet of the Week goes to Minnesota Lynx G Candice Wiggins, who on Nov. 9 stated: "Lots of basketball in my life...I remember 1 time when I was younger, I accidently called my mom "ball" instead of "mom" LoL"

SHOUT OUT: Mercer Island High won the girls 3A state swimming championship on Friday. They are coached by Chauntelle Johnson, the Storm's community relations manager. Congrats.

WHAT A FINISH: Jackson speaks very frankly, but it can sound bad. Today she said PSU was, "Designed for them to win this game, honestly," after a 67-66 finish at Stott Center. It was a great design. Valentine came off a perfect screen by sophomore teammate Katy Wade and nailed a 15-footer. Mosiman, who was on the bench, said her team was expecting a different play, but Valentine was defended for the game-winner with 0.3 on the clock. The killer was it could have just been a game-tying shot if Whitcomb would have made a FT at the 14-second mark. The Vikings looked good and were actually upset at playing Washington close despite being the mid-major. "I know it's Pac-10, but we've beaten some others and expect to win every game," said PSU coach Sherri Murrell. "I just didn't expect the bad play that we had." The Vikings had 23 turnovers - eight of which Murrell blamed solely on Faucher for trying to do too much. The others were the Huskies' defense. UW had 22 turnovers and missed seven free throws. At least one could have helped the team win, but Jackson refused to blame one play. Whitcomb finished with 22 points and 10 boards while Valentine led all scorers with 24 and had nine boards. UW plays BYU on Wednesday for its home-opener. It's the first time since 1980 that the Vikings have beaten the Huskies and it was a game to remember.

MO OUT: Mosiman committed her fifth foul on a reach against Karley Lampman's layin. Lampman also made the FT to make the deficit 64-59 with 2:39 on the clock. Mosiman was key in the Huskies staying ahead, finishing with 14 points and four boards.

BAKERY SHOP: PSU had three consecutive turnovers to burn the momentum they built. UW only converted one into points -- a sweet high-low pass from Argens to McLellan to make the score 62-56. There's 3:31 remaining in the game.

GETTING TIGHT: Bishop made things interesting with a three-pointer to pull the Vikings within three with 6:24 left in the half. Rogers made a FT and the Huskies have possession of the ball, trying to create something. If both teams could hit their FTs, this matchup would be decided either way already. UW ahead 60-56 with 5:18 on the clock.

FOUL?: Jackson did a 360-degree spin in anger over the officials not calling a foul on a Whitcomb lay. It is real aggressive out there and the Vikings won't stop the pressure, of course, trying to get back into this season-opener. But Whitcomb and Mosiman are a one-two punch, keeping the Huskies up 58-50 with 7:27 left on the clock.

MO MONEY: Mosiman helped give the Huskies a 12-point lead that quickly shrunk after another three-pointer by Valentine. UW leads 52-43 with 10:59 left in the game. Speed is picking up and the solid shooting has returned. Both benches are getting into it, screaming for teammates. It's an entertaining setting.

NOT FAST ENOUGH: The Huskies have increased their lead to 39-31, preventing the Vikings from scoring until the 15:42 to start the second half. Back-to-back buckets by Rogers helped the mini run, but Jackson couldn't get her post out of the lineup quick enough before Rogers was tagged for her third foul at the 16:33 mark. UW leads 41-33 with 15:30 remaining in the game.

PRETTY PLAY: Whitcomb took flight like Dwyane Wade to collect a pass an lay it in to put UW ahead 33-31 with seconds remaining in the half. On defense, Lay tipped a Vikings pass and Morton grabbed the steal to keep PSU from tying the score. UW couldn't convert on two attempts during the final five seconds, but getting the lead after a tough half is good. The Vikings hurt themselves by missing five FTs. Argens leads the Huskies with nine while Valentine and Bishop lead the Vikings with eight points apiece.

MCLELLAN HURT: The Vikings play aggressive and McLellan knows first-hand by the play inside. She was trampled by Erin Yankus during a play under the basket. The Vikings collected possession of the ball and charged down court to score while McLellan was slow to rise. The UW senior remained in the lineup, though, telling officials she was OK. Lay replaced her while Argens was at the FT line to pull UW within 28-27 with 2:04 on the clock.

LAY IN: Lay is the lineup with Morton, Whitcomb, McLellan, and Mosiman. And as billed, she drew a foul in her first defensive possesion, then scored a layin. UW up 24-20 with 6:09 on the clock.

SPOTTED: For those who always ask about the Storm scouting locals and whether they've seen various players, I can now say they cover the Pacific. Director of Basketball operations Missy Bequette is here with some former members of the team's front office. She'll report back if she sees anything worthy.

UW LEADS: A layup by Morton gave the Huskies a 19-18 lead with 9:58 remaining in the opening half. The Vikings' shooting has dropped to 36.8 percent while the Huskies are shooting 53.3.

QUICKIES: Rogers collected her second foul seconds after being re-inserted in the game. This time Faucher drew the penalty with a hard drive to the hoop, she made the bucket but not the ensuing FT after a time out at the 11:59 mark. The Vikings lead 18-15.

GOING DEEP: Jackson has inserted true freshman F Jeneva Anderson in the game along with sophomore F Mollie Williams. The players are playing well, Anderson getting an assist to Argens inside early in the first half. But UW is down 16-13. PSU has some stronger shooters, going 6 for 12 from the field.

Washington fans had trouble finding the Stott Center for today's afternoon regular-season debut and it's understandable why. Like Seattle U.'s Connolly Center, the facility is a full-on rec center for students only the Stott Center has just one basketball court.

In finding it, you walk by an African dance class, complete with drums, power lifters and a racquet ball court. Outside there's a farmer's market. Whew.

But the real action is on the basketball court where the Huskies are set to tip-off their third season under coach Tia Jackson. Senior G Sara Moisman is especially pumped, working with teammates during the offseason to improve and shed last year's 8-22 finish.

UW received some good and bad news prior to tip-off, too. Sophomore F Liz Lay will play, despite being limited in practice with knee soreness. She did not play in either exhibition win for the Huskies.

Yet, sophomore G Kristi Kingma will be out due to sickness. She was the Huskies' leading rebounder during the exhibition season, so hopefully someone steps in there. Sophomore F Mackenzie Aregens is starting in her place.

The teams are ready, so let's get to it with your starting lineups:

VIKINGS
F Claire Faucher
F Kelli Valentine
C Katy Wade
G Eryn Jones
G Lexi Bishop

HUSKIES
F Sami Whitcomb
F Mackenzie Argens
C Regina Rogers
G Sarah Morton
G Sara Mosiman

Tonight's officials are Lisa Jones, Bob Scofield, and John Weeks.

REDHAWKS LOSE: There was a free party after the game, but SU probably won't be the life of the action. They lost 71-49 in their debut under Bonvicini. The Redhawks committed 28 turnovers and allowed the Aggies to attempt 20 three-pointers. They won't win many, make that any D-I games that way. Riecks led her team with a career-high 21 points while Brown led SU with 13 and McCarthy added 12. Bonvicini set up the postgame media interview room, "I do everything," she said before going into a litany of things the Redhawks can improve on to win. She thought the team lack confidence to start, which was hard to tell from the get-go, and may alter her rotations. SU plays Saturday night, so I doubt she pulls the trigger that fast. But redshirt freshman Carley Butcher was a boost off the bench, going 3-for-6 from the field for six points and three boards in 26 minutes. SU's problems are easily corrected. Hitting FTs just takes practice and grabbing rebounds just takes aggressiveness. Defending threes? Sometimes a team is just hot and on Friday, the Aggies were.

MORE ENERGY: It's not changing the outcome, but the Redhawks returned to fighting aggressively on defense and did string together an 11-0 run. They trail 60-36 with 6:20 remaining in the matchup.

SET THE TONE: Simpson belted "Set the tone!" to his players. Uh, thought they were. But back-to-back SU baskets forced him to call a timeout to talk things over. UC Davis still leads 49-23 with 13:05 remaining.

BIGGER DROUGHT: UC Davis is on a 16-0 run to open the second half. SU can't control the ball and isn't hitting the few shots they do get. The Aggies are getting scary, screaming on the bench during timeouts. I think they want more blood. They lead 49-19 with 15:07 remaining.

SLOPPY DECISION: Murillo had the ball with about 44 seconds remaining in the half and should have tried to get a good shot with the Redhawks down 31-19. Instead she shot a quick three and the Aggies got the rebound, racing down-court for a layin by Riecks with 12.3 seconds left. Seattle U is down 33-19 at the break. They trail the rebounding battle 16-16 and shot 32 percent from the field. The Redhawks have 12 turnovers, forcing 11. McCarthy and Murillo each of five points while Riecks leads the Aggies with 14 on 5-for-8 shooting.

DROUGHT ENDED: The Redhawks went six minutes without a bucket. Heck ended the drought with a rebound putback to make the score 28-18. Three-pointers are killing SU. UC Davis has made 6 of 8 attempts and is shooting 55 percent from the field overall. SU is 7-for-20 -- 2-for-11 from three-point land.

TIME!: Bonvicini called another quick timeout after the Aggies moved the ball around well, again, for an open three-pointer. The shot helped build their largest lead of the game at 23-16 with 6:09 remaining. The Redhawks starting to look a little tired and frustrated at not being able to answer on offense.

SPOTTED: The Storm is in the house. Co-owner Lisa Brummel is seated among the season-ticket holders.

GUARD HER: Seattle U is missing some defensive assignments now, allowing Riecks to hit 3-for-3 from three point range. The Aggies are up 17-11 with 10:46 remaining in the first half. Both teams are shooting 50 percent from the field overall.

BETTER THAN KNICKS: Good thing I write because I would be passed out with the pace of this game. Q McCall at Swish Appeal mentioned that it was better than the New York Knicks loss to the Golden State Warriors tonight. Although I groaned (he's a Warriors fan and I'm not). I had to agree. There's good ball movement and both teams are supper active on defense. UC Davis leads 8-7 with 13:50 remaining in the opening half.

Seattle University transfer Amani Butler is doing the stanky leg while her teammates warm-up, so it must be time for the debut of the 2009-10 season.

The Redhawks welcome UC Davis in their first complete season as a Division-I program under first-year coach Joan Bonvicini. She's returning to the sideline after a year out of the game, last coaching at Arizona.

But Bonvicini told SU athletic director Bill Hogan that her return was "like ridding a bicycle. You never forget. It's so good to be coaching again."

The Aggies, members of the Big West, are actually tipping off their third season in D-I. UC Davis was 11-18 last season and is in its 13 season under coach Sandy Simpson.

We're a little behind, so let's get right to your starting lineups:

AGGIES
F Haylee Donaghe
F Heidi Heintz
C Kasey Riecks
G Paige Mintun
G Hana Asano

REDHAWKS
F Ashley Brown
F Maggie McCarthy
C Tatiana Heck
G Cassidy Murillo
G Kourtney Parks

Tonight's officials are Kevin Slorey, Taryn Reynolds, and Laura Sundheim

Watch out for any strips of wood, Washington coach Tia Jackson has been running around knocking her knuckles against any piece she can find in hopes of keeping her team healthy. Last year the Huskies suffered numerous injuries that played a part in the disappointing 8-22 finish. This year senior F Lydia Young slipped in the rain on campus, aggravating her knee.

Young did not practice today and will not play tomorrow. Jackson is being cautious with everyone else, including sophomore F Liz Lay, who suffered a setback with her knee, but remains questionable for Washington's season-opener at 2 p.m. at Portland State on Saturday.

While Jackson knocks on wood, the Pac-10 is getting ready for showtime tonight when three teams tip-off the conference's season. But everyone won't have made their debut until Monday when Oregon, under new coach Paul Westhead, faces Eastern Washington. Westhead, you may remember, is the only coach to win a NBA and WNBA title. He also was an assistant for the Sonics/Oklahoma City Thunder.

Some early storylines - outside of No. 2 Stanford being projected, again, as the only team to be able to defeat Connecticut - are injuries to USC and Arizona being the youngest team in the conference at five collective years of Division-I experience. That ranks third nationally while Washington State (nine years) is sixth youngest in the country.

Here's your weekend schedule with a links to a preview on all 10 teams:

Friday, November 13
Xavier at USC, 1:30 p.m. PT
No. 2 Stanford at Old Dominion, 7 p.m. ET
Cal Poly at Oregon State, 7 p.m. PT

Saturday, November 14
UCLA vs. Illinois State, 2:30 p.m. CT
Hawkeye Challenge Tournament, Iowa City, Iowa
Washington at Portland State (Big Sky TV), 2 p.m. PT
Arizona at Iona, 7:30 p.m. ET
Iona College Tip-Off Tournament, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Sunday, November 15
Arizona vs. Miami (Ohio)/Bucknell, 1 p.m. ET
Iona College Tip-Off Tournament, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Stanford at Rutgers (Fios1), 2 p.m. ET
UCLA at Iowa/vs. Santa Clara, 11:30 a.m./2 p.m. CT
Hawkeye Challenge Tournament, Iowa City, Iowa
South Dakota State at No. 16 Arizona State, 2 p.m. MT
UC Davis at Washington State, 2 p.m. PT
Idaho State at No. 18 California, 5 p.m. PT
Fresno State at USC, 5:30 p.m. PT

Monday, November 16
Eastern Washington at Oregon, 7 p.m. PT

Washington coach Tia Jackson officially announced the signing of three prep standouts today. Glacier Peak High F Marjorie Heard, Auburn Riverside PG Mercedes Wetmore and Vallejo (Calif.) G Ashley Moore have all signed letters of intent,

"We couldn't be more excited about the young ladies who make up our 2010 signing class," Jackson said. "This class gets us closer to where we have as solid a foundation as we need to have here in this Husky family."

Jackson, who tips-off her third season Saturday at Portland State, said Wetmore (5-7) was someone she's been recruiting since Washington hired her in 2007. Wetmore led her school to state titles in 2007 and 2008.

Heard is a nationally, top-rated 6-1 forward while Moore is a 5-10 guard.