Junior forward Krista Warren sprained her left ankle during yesterday's practice and may be sidelined for tomorrow's game against Oregon State.

The UA women's basketball team was scrimmaging when Warren stepped on teammate, freshman guard/forward Michelle Tibbett's foot.

Her ankle rolled and popped out of place.

Warren was sidelined for the rest of practice.

"It's frustrating because we're starting to pick up and play and come together," Warren said. "I'm just going to support (the team) 100 percent."

Warren will receive X-rays tomorrow to determine whether she will be able to play against the Beavers, but she said she likely will not be present for the game.

"We'll miss her, but others will have to step up," UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said.

Freshman guard Dee-Dee Wheeler was unable to practice yesterday due to a recurring knee injury that bothered her in Saturday's game against Cal.

Wheeler, who played just 10 minutes against the Bears, said her right knee gave out in the Wildcats' 76-68 victory.

The freshman said the injury prevents her from coming to sudden stops and affects her defense.

"Hopefully, I can play (tomorrow), but the way it's going, I don't know," Wheeler said. "It's very frustrating because we really need to break down (Oregon State's) defense, and I need to be out there guarding those girls."

Wheeler's X-rays came back negative and doctors still are not sure what is wrong.

She will meet with an on-campus doctor today for further examination, but Bonvicini said to expect Wheeler to play tomorrow.

"We're just being extra cautious," Bonvicini said. "There's a good possibility that she will be able to play."

Bonvicini she was not pleased with yesterday's practice and said the effort was not as strong as she's seen in the past.

"We've had better (practices), but tomorrow we'll have better," she said.

Bonvicini said in order to defeat the Oregon schools, the team needs to play better defense and receive more production from the post players - two areas that the Wildcats struggled with the last time they faced both teams.

For Arizona (10-10 overall, 6-5 Pacific 10 Conference) these two home games are crucial.

"They're huge. With the conference being so tight, both of these games are very important," she said.

UA wrapped up a four-game road trip where they won three.

The Wildcats swept Southern California and UCLA in Los Angeles, then lost to Stanford before retaliating against Cal.

Bonvicini said that despite the recent success on the road, the team is excited to play at home.

"To play at home, sleep in your own bed and not travel is big," she said.

Tomorrow's game tips off at 7 p.m. in the McKale Center.