UW Women's Matchup: Washington (19-10) vs. LSU (28-3)

Point guard

UW's Emily Florence vs. Erica White

This itty-bitty backcourt matchup of sophomores should be intriguing. Both are headstrong leaders in directing their teams, but offensively the 5-3 White is unnoticeable compared to the 5-5 Florence. White shoots 41.6 percent from the field but has attempted only three threes this season, making one. That could give Florence more time to help cover Augustus.

Edge: Washington.

Shooting guard

UW's Dominique Banks vs. Seimone Augustus

Augustus actually plays small forward in LSU's three-guard lineup, but Banks will draw the defensive assignment against the defending National Player of the Year. The 6-1 Augustus is the type of player who is going to get her points — she averages 22.9 — but when she gets them will be key. If Banks, only 5-8, can stop Augustus from making splashy plays, UW has a chance.

Edge: LSU.

Small forward

UW's Cameo Hicks vs. Scholanda Hoston

Hicks was solid in moving the ball in the Huskies' first-round win over Minnesota, tallying a team-high four assists, but her team will need her scoring — her 14.9 ppg leads UW — tonight. She'll have to play smart against a senior with Final Four experience in Hoston, a strong three-point shooter (36.8 percent) and one of the reasons Tigers opponents average only 52.8 points.

Edge: LSU.

Power forward

UW's Breanne Watson vs. Ashley Thomas

Watson has been Washington's unsung hero of late, scoring in double figures in 12 of her past 19 games. She'll need another impressive night, helping on defense against Sylvia Fowles and making sure Thomas doesn't get easy baskets from the attention Fowles will draw. Thomas is a feisty rebounder, but her scoring has dropped in the Tigers' past three games.

Edge: Washington.

Center

UW's Andrea Plouffe vs. Sylvia Fowles

Fowles has 21 double-doubles this season, 166 blocks in her career, and hasn't fouled out of a game this season. She's basically a menace inside, but if Washington can somehow get her off the court, LSU becomes friendlier. Plouffe, who was near flawless in her NCAA tournament debut, needs to bring an attitude of toughness and out-hustle Fowles on the boards. Energy is a must.

Edge: LSU.

First off the bench

G Kristen O'Neill vs. F Florence Williams

O'Neill's defense on Augustus will be important, along with her ability to knock down key shots late in games. She has solid size at 6-1, but will have to use her smarts to combat LSU's quickness. Williams has the experience of being a role player on two Final Four teams; she needs to bank on that and watch the turnovers.

Edge: Washington.

Coach

UW's June Daugherty vs. LSU's Pokey Chatman

Daugherty, 49, gets bonus points for an extremely well-coached game against Minnesota, where she excelled in her substitution patterns and her team exuded the right amount of fire, unlike the Pac-10 tourney. But can she match wits with Chatman, 35, who has advanced to the Final Four the past two seasons?

Edge: LSU.

Prediction

LSU 82, Washington 72 in overtime.

Huskies at a glance

Record: 19-10. Seed: No. 9. Conference: Pacific-10.

Last NCAA appearance: 2003, lost to Wisconsin-Green Bay in first round.

Style of play: The Huskies hopes to put their offensive rebounding on display tonight as they go against a more aggressive and talented team. Washington would also like to get back to its more up-tempo offense, trying to get baskets in transition. Washington likes to use its depth to keep fresh legs for rebounding.

What Washington has to do to win: The Huskies need a repeat performance from Saturday's first-round game sprinkled with a lot of offense from leading scorers Cameo Hicks and Andrea Plouffe. Washington cannot be sloppy with the ball, giving up possessions on turnovers, and needs an incredible focus on defense.

Tigers at a glance

Record: 28-3. Seed: No. 1. Conference: Southeastern.

Last NCAA appearance: 2005, lost to eventual champion Baylor in Final Four semifinal.

Style of play: Curb any thoughts the Tigers are all about guard Seimone Augustus, the anticipated No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft. They're athletic, and sophomore Sylvia Fowles, dubbed "Big Syl," adds a scary dimension inside with her 6-foot-6 stature and rebounding skills.

What LSU has to do to win: The Tigers can't waltz to the Sweet 16 against Washington. The Huskies can create havoc, so the Tigers need to treat them like any other SEC team and pounce early, keep the Huskies off the offensive boards and exploit Washington's poor field-goal shooting percentage.

Jayda Evans