WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : USC Takes On Cal With Questions at Guard

The USC women’s basketball team, ranked eighth nationally, will try to improve its Pacific 10 Conference record to 8-0 this weekend, playing tonight against California and Sunday afternoon against Stanford. Both games will be at USC’s Lyon Center.

Stanford, 11-3 overall and 4-1 in the Pac-10, plays at 7 tonight at UCLA (8-7, 3-3). On Sunday, Cal (7-8, 1-4) is at UCLA at noon, and Stanford, ranked 10th, is at USC at 1 p.m.

USC (13-1) has won seven in a row since losing to Iowa on a disputed, last-second three-point shot Dec. 30.

Lisa Leslie figures to become the Pac-10’s all-time leading scorer this weekend. She needs 28 points to pass Val Whiting, who completed her Stanford career last season with 2,077 points.

USC could be thin at guard tonight. Point guard Nikki McCrimmon’s status is uncertain, although she is expected to be available for Sunday’s game. McCrimmon is planning to fly home Friday night from New York, where she has been all week with her mother, who is seriously ill.

Off guard Karleen Shields needed four stitches for a deep cut over an eye that she injured Tuesday, when she slammed into a wall at practice but she is expected to play.

Stanford has had plenty of offense from the perimeter. The Cardinal sank 12 three-pointers in beating Cal last weekend and is shooting 51% from three-point distance over its last three games.

UCLA gained a split on its Arizona trip last weekend. At Arizona, the Bruins scored the first nine points of the second half and had a seven-point lead with 5:30 left but lost, 83-78. UCLA had beaten Arizona State two days earlier, 84-59.

The Bruins’ Natalie Williams has had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in 10 of her last 15 games.