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In the first edition of espnW's weekly women's college basketball notebook, Michelle Smith checks in with Gonzaga and the rest of the hoops world.

A&M has a big target on its back, the Zags will have to shine without star Courtney Vandersloot and many more in between.

Gonzaga couldn't find any answer for Stanford's Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike. The super siblings combined for 41 points and 26 rebounds and propelled the Cardinal to an 83-60 victory and into the Final Four for the fourth consecutive season.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs might be playing in their first Elite Eight, but they're still enjoying familiar territory. Playing in hometown Spokane, Wash., Bulldogs star Courtney Vandersloot has become the darling of the tournament.

Michelle Smith watched the energy of a high-powered Gonzaga win evaporate when Stanford got on the floor and struggled through a grind-out game. For the Bulldogs, a win over Louisville means a matchup with the Cardinal with the Final Four on the line.

More than once this season, Kelly Graves has told his Gonzaga team a fairy tale of a mid-major women's basketball team reaching the Final Four. Now, he and his Bulldogs are trying to write their own happy ending.

A No. 3 seed should have a decided advantage over a No. 11 seed. That is, unless the No. 11 seed, Gonzaga, is the nation's top scoring team and is playing on its home court. The Bulldogs could be ready for an upset when they take on No. 3 seed UCLA.