Beginning today at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.:

* Stanford (34-3) vs. Connecticut (36-1), 4 p.m. PDT, ESPN -- Stanford has not advanced to the Final Four since 1997, the last time any team west of Texas qualified for this round. The Cardinal is led by shooting guard Candice Wiggins and center Jayne Appel, both all-Pacific 10 Conference first-team selections. Wiggins is averaging 20.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while Appel is averaging 15 points and 8.9 rebounds. In the tournament, Appel is averaging 21.5 points and 9.8 rebounds, shooting 63.6% from the field. The Huskies are led by freshman forward Maya Moore, the Big East Conference player of the year and only the second freshman named to the Associated Press All-America team.

* Louisiana State (31-5) vs. Tennessee (34-2), 6:30 p.m. PDT, ESPN -- There will be no shortage of talent in this semifinal, as Candace Parker of Tennessee and Sylvia Fowles of LSU are expected to be the top two picks in the WNBA draft Wednesday. Alexis Hornbuckle, a senior guard for the Volunteers, is also projected to be a top-five pick. Senior guard Shannon Bobbitt can also score in bunches. Fowles, a 6-6 senior center, is averaging 17.2 points and 10 rebounds. Despite losing two of its starting guards to knee injuries this season, LSU still has plenty of talent at the position in seniors Erica White and Quianna Chaney.

-- Dan Arritt