Last season, Stanford racked up 32 wins and climbed as high as No. 2 in the national polls. Oregon didn't make the NCAA Tournament, but ended up winning the WNIT title. And just two years ago, Washington was a win away from reaching the Final Four.

The Pac-10, often criticized last season for a poor conference RPI, definitely has the potential to make some noise this year.

And Stanford, which opens the season at No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, also has a chance to produce a national player of the year. Provided she's healthy, junior Nicole Powell has put on a show since she stepped onto the college scene.

A look at how the Pac-10 race might shape up during the 2002-03 season:

FAVORITE
Stanford
The Cardinal went 32-3 overall, produced a perfect 18-0 mark in Pac-10 play and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Stanford returns three starters from that squad, and looks poised to dominate the Pac-10 again.

Leading the way is Powell, who last season was a Naismith National Player of the Year finalist, a Kodak First Team All-American and the conference Player of the Year. She averaged 16.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, and ranked among the top six in the Pac-10 in nine of a possible 12 statistical categories, including assists (1st) and total rebounds (1st). Powell posted five triple-doubles, including back-to-back triple-doubles in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Powell also set Stanford single-game (21) and single-season (327) rebounding records in 2001-02, in addition to becoming the first player in Pac-10 history (male or female) to lead the conference in rebounding and assists in the same season.

In addition to returning Powell and the talented Kelley Suminski and T'Nae Thiel, Stanford also gets Susan King back. The redshirt sophomore missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries, but is best known for a 21-point, 5-assist performance at Tennessee as a freshman. King's return allows Powell to swing back to her natural position as a wing after playing in the backcourt most of her first two seasons.

The tough thing for Stanford to overcome this season is the loss of Lindsey Yamasaki, who averaged 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists and led the team in scoring with a 17.2 average last season. Those numbers are tough to recreate.

In the past, one of Stanford's trademarks has been to be big in the middle, but the Cardinal is uncharacteristically thin in the post this season. Expect Stanford to be a more up-tempo team than in the past.

More than anything, everything will go through Powell, who is the veteran on a team with no seniors and four freshmen. Powell has been troubled by some bulging discs in her back during the preseason, and the NCAA suspended her for one game for a rule violation (she'll miss the Nov. 22 season opener against Rutgers), but she's expected to make her debut on Nov. 24 against San Francisco.

CONTENDERS
Washington
The Huskies, who were picked to finish second in the Pac-10 by both the league coaches and media members, return 99.7 percent of their offense from last year's 19-12 squad.

In fact, Washington returns five starters and 11 letterwinners from a team that tied for second in the conference and advanced to the third round of the WNIT.

All-Pac-10 first-team selection Loree Payne leads the way. She led the Huskies in scoring last season with a 14.3 average (ninth in the Pac-10). Payne, one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in Husky history, sank a conference-best 72 treys in 2001-02, and also tied the Washington single-game record with seven 3-pointers made against Michigan last December. She enters her senior season at No. 3 on both the UW 3-point field goals made and attempted lists.

Point guard Giuliana Mendiola is another player to watch. She shot 47.1 percent from the field last season to average 12.5 points. Mendiola also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

June Daugherty has done a nice job with this team over the past few years.

Oregon
The Ducks missed out on the Big Dance last season, but went on to win their second WNIT title (also won in 1982) and look to ride some of that momentum into 2002-03.

Oregon sports a handful of solid players, and Shaquala Williams is at the top of the list. She's very dynamic and hard to guard, and can handle the ball and score. She's also stretched her game over the years, and looks to build on her 16.3 scoring and 3.9 assists averages from a year ago. Williams, a three-time All-Pac-10 honoree, has led the Ducks in scoring and assists in each of her three seasons. She was the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1999 and the conference's Player of the Year in 2000 before suffering a torn ACL in September 2000.

Cathrine Kraayeveld, a Pac-10 honorable mention honoree in 2001-02, is another player to keep an eye on out west. Last season, the 6-4 junior forward was the WNIT's Most Valuable Player, notched 11 double-doubles and led the Ducks in field-goal percentage with 51.1 percent accuracy from the field.

This is a solid team that's very well coached by Bev Smith.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage.