KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona freshman guard Dee-Dee Wheeler breaks away for a layup last week in McKale Center. Women's basketball travels to the Pacific Northwest for a pair of road games starting tonight against Washington.

The Arizona women's basketball team has already swept the Washington schools this season - but this time, it will have to do it away from McKale Center.

After sweeping Washington and Washington State earlier this season at home, Arizona (11-11 overall, 7-6 Pacific 10 Conference) will rely on its senior frontcourt against Washington tonight and Washington State on Saturday.

In last weekend's 84-68 win over Oregon, UA senior "twin towers" center LaKeisha Taylor and forward Elizabeth Pickney led the Wildcats to victory with 16- and 19-point performances, respectively.

"I definitely think we can sweep (these two teams), but they're both going to be coming out for revenge," UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said.

In Arizona's last meeting with Washington (13-8, 8-4 Pac-10), the Wildcats cruised by the Huskies, 83-69, due to a career-high 25-point performance by sophomore guard Candice Allen.

Pickney showed her dominance down low, contributing 24 points and nine rebounds.

However, tonight the Wildcats will be missing one key contributor to their recent success over the Huskies - junior forward Krista Warren, who led Arizona in rebounds against Washington with 11, will be watching the game from the bench.

Warren is nursing a 2nd-3rd degree sprain she suffered in practice on Jan. 29.

"I'm traveling, but I'm not playing (tonight) and probably not on Saturday either. I'm shooting to be back at practice by Monday," Warren said.

Without Warren on the court, Bonvicini said she is expecting others to step up.

While Arizona will primarily be concerned with contesting the Huskies' 3-point shooting, the Wildcats are also focused on creating their own offense and attacking the boards.

"We need to play good defense, create an offense, execute and have a solid game," Taylor said.

Bonvicini said she is expecting Washington to be a tough competitor against her Wildcats, who split a pair of weekend home games against the Oregon schools.

UA's weekend should get easier on Saturday when it faces Washington State, a team that has yet to win a Pac-10 game.

The Wildcats had no trouble defeating the Cougars the last time they faced them, sending them home with a 107-57 loss.

The Wildcats' victory - which ended a three-game losing streak - was once again sparked by Allen, who had 17 points.

The Cougars (2-20, 0-12 Pac-10) have yet to find their momentum as they are currently on a 17-game losing streak after falling to UCLA, 79-55, and USC, 79-38.

The last time Arizona hit the road, it won three of its four games against USC, UCLA and Cal.

However, this final road trip of the season becomes crucial for the Wildcats - currently in fifth place in the Pac-10 - who have set their goal to finish in the top half of the conference before entering its tournament in early March.

"We want to finish in the top half and want to do everything we can to have a good seed," Bonvicini said. "But in order to get a good seed, we need to sweep (in Washington)."