Aggies try but can't stifle Cardinal

 

                        Junior guard Tess Heal gets one of her two blocks. (Stanford Athletics)

After the euphoria of three lopsided wins fueled by a barrage of 3-pointers, the Stanford women’s basketball team returned to earth but still defeated UC Davis 69-56 on Nov. 13 at home.

Because of the Aggies’ defense, 3’s were harder to come by, only five.

Sophomore forward Courtney Ogden contributed two. The others came from senior guards Elena Bosgana and Brooke Demetre plus redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel.

Scoring was led by sophomore forward Nunu Agara with 25 points plus 10 rebounds for a double-double, the first of her career.

Courtney with 16 and Brooke with 11 also were in double figures.

The starting lineup was the same as in past games with Nunu, Elena, Brooke, Jzaniya and junior guard Talana Lepolo.

All 14 players were available, but with the game so tight throughout that only 10 played.

Witnessed by 2,499 fans, the game started inauspiciously with a turnover, the first of 16, on Stanford’s first possession.

When the first quarter ended, the score was 17-11 in Stanford’s favor. More than halfway through the second quarter, though, Stanford had added only 2 points to its total, while Davis scored another 5 points. At the half, Stanford was up 29-21.

Davis actually outscored the host team in the third quarter, which ended with Stanford up by only 2 points, 49-47. Stanford could have been behind by then, but Courtney buried a buzzer-beating 3.

In the fourth quarter, Stanford had an 11-point advantage to win the game.

After this four-game home stand, the team ventures on its first road trip, visiting Indiana University at 11 a.m. PST Nov. 17.

 

Cardinal christen court with win

 

 Alumnae salute their coach. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez The Chronicle)

Chalk up another big win as the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated the visiting Gonzaga Bulldogs 89-58 on Nov. 10 to raise its season record to 3-0.

This win vaulted the previously unranked Cardinal into #24 in AP’s Nov. 11 weekly poll.

The team started off strong and never looked back. About 2 ½ minutes into the first quarter, the Cardinal were up 10-0, necessitating a Gonzaga time out.

By the end of that quarter, Stanford led 26-4. The hosts outscored the visitors in the next two quarters, while Gonzaga managed 25 points to Stanford’s 22 in the fourth quarter, when the game was well in hand and bench players had taken over.

Thirteen 3’s are lucky

Once again 3-pointers made a solid contribution with 13. Redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel had four, followed by sophomore guard Chloe Clardy with three.

Junior guard Talana Lepolo and senior guard Elena Bosgana each added two. One each came from sophomore forwards Mary Ashley Stevenson and Courtney Ogden.

All 14 players got into the game, and 10 scored. Double figures came from sophomore forward Nunu Agara, 16; Elena and Jzaniya, 12; and Chloe, 11.

Of note is that freshman center Kennedy Umeh played less than two minutes at the end of the game but still scored 6 points.

Oher noteworthy stats: Stanford had only five turnovers to Gonzaga’s 18, and it had 19 assists to Gonzaga’s 11.

The starters were Nunu, Talana, Elena, Jzaniya and senior forward Brooke Demetre.

On hand were the band, Tree, Dollies and cheerleaders (with orange pompons).

Conga on the Court came back after the first quarter.

Court named after Tara VanDerveer

The crowd of 3,865 saw not only a winning game but also the unveiling of Tara VanDerveer Court, in honor of the recently retired coach who is the winningest basketball coach of all.

Wearing the jacket honoring her 1,000th win, Tara chats with Kate. (Karen Hickey/ISIPhotos)

The words “Tara VANDERVEER Court” appear twice on the floor next to the center line facing east.

Among the fans was Tara’s mother, Rita, who lives in Colorado, as well as several alumnae. After the game, three of them – Alyssa Jerome and Lexie and Lacie Hull, all ’22 – addressed the crowd.

Wearing the custom-designed jacket she received after her 1,000^th win, Tara then took the microphone to comment, “It was a great game. … What a fabulous job Kate is doing,” she said, referring to her successor, Kate Paye. She added that she’s working part-time in the office of athletic director Bernard Muir.

Afterward fans lined up in the Hall of Champions for a meet and greet with Tara.

Stanford’s home stand ends at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 against UC Davis. ACCNX will stream the game.

Team defeats Washington State -- again

 

Elena, left, who led the team in scoring, and Tess, who had four 3's, celebrate. (Stanford Athletics)

It has been said that there’s a time and a place for everything.

That may be true, but for Washington State, Nov. 7 was not the time nor was Maples Pavilion the place for the Cougars to defeat the Stanford women’s basketball team.

Instead the home team prevailed 94-65. Former conference opponent WSU has never defeated Stanford in all 74 of the teams’ meetings since they started playing each other in 1983, AP reported.

All 14 Cardinal players were available, and all played before the crowd of 2,428.

Four players scored in double figures. Senior guard Elena Bosgana poured in 19 points, followed by sophomore forward Nunu Agara with 18, junior guard Tess Heal with 14 in her Stanford debut and sophomore guard Chloe Clardy with 13.

Team stays hot behind the arc

Three-pointers accounted for a chunk of the score with 14.

They came courtesy of Tess with four (of four); Nunu, Elena and senior forward Brooke Demetre with two each; and Chloe, junior guard Talana Lepolo, redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel and sophomore forward Courtney Ogden with one each.

The Cardinal’s 14 triples came on just 20 attempts (70.0 percent). Through the season’s first two games, Stanford (2-0) is shooting 59.3 percent from deep (32-of-54), Stanford Athletics reported.

Starters were Nunu, Talana, Elena, Brooke and Jzaniya, all of whom scored.

When the first quarter ended 21-15 in Stanford’s favor, nine players had seen action.

Fans got a bit of a scare during the second quarter when Nunu limped off toward the locker room, but she soon was back in action.

Nunu delights crowd with buzzer-beating 3

She later provided one of the game’s biggest highlights with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put Stanford up 69-48 at the end of the third quarter.

Even though long-distance shots were a hallmark of this game, the team did a better job of getting the ball inside than in previous games.

Stanford dominated the stat lines with more rebounds, assists and steals and fewer turnovers. However, the home team had more fouls but still made more free throws.

Starting this season, Chick-fil-A is donating 10 meals for the hungry for every Stanford assist. Thus this game’s 16 assists resulted in 160 meals.

The upcoming Nov. 10 game against Gonzaga will feature the unveiling of Tara VanDerveer Court in honor of the recently retired head coach. This game will be shown on ESPN2.

The team has one more home game, 7 p.m. Nov. 13 against UC Davis, before hitting the road to play Indiana University at 11 a.m. Pacific Time on  Nov. 17. ACCNX will stream these games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cardinal romp to victory to open season

The 2024-24 team features 14 players (Stanford Athletics photo)

The Stanford women’s basketball team made history by defeating Le Moyne College of DeWitt, N.Y., 107-43 in its first game of the regular season Nov. 4.

It was head coach Kate Paye’s first win since taking the reins from Tara VanDerveer, college basketball’s all-time winningest coach. Tara retired after last season.

Moreover, the team set a program record with 18 3’s. Redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel was responsible for six of them, while senior guard Elena Bosgana had four (including Stanford’s first basket of the game), and sophomore guard Chloe Clardy had three.

Senior forward Brooke Demetre and freshman forward Harper Peterson each pitched in with two. Sophomore forward Nunu Agara had one.

Jzaniya tosses in 24 points

Jzaniya led the team with 24 points, followed by Elena with a career-high 19, Nunu with 18 and Chloe with 15. In all, 10 players scored.

Another notable statistic was that the team had 25 assists to the Dolphins’ seven. The Cardinal also had more steals and rebounds and fewer turnovers.

The starting lineup featured Elena, Nunu, Brooke, Jzaniya and sophomore guard Talana Lepolo. Thirteen of the team’s 14 players were available, all played and all contributed in some way. The only inactive player was junior guard Tess Heal.

The game started in less than stellar fashion. Shooting seemed off, and the team had a hard time getting the ball inside. The shorter Le Moyne players, on the other hand, had good ball movement.

However, Stanford had a 16-10 lead after the first quarter, in which eight players saw action.

Between the first and second quarters the men’s basketball team  came onto the court wearing VOTE T-shirts in recognition of the national election the next day, which was Stanford Democracy Day.

By the end of the half, the score was 50-22, and 11 players had seen action.

During the third quarter, junior guard Stavi Papadaki, usually a bench player, got into the game to loud cheers by both the crowd and her teammates. Those cheers grew even louder a few seconds later when she made a decisive block, one of the team’s four.

Moreover, the team did a better job of shooting from mid-range and getting the ball inside.

Newcomers do well

Four of the newcomers did well in their debuts: Harper and sophomore transfer forward Mary Ashley Stevenson with six points each, freshman center Kennedy Umeh with five points and freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye with two points.

The crowd of 2,887 included the band and Tree. Betty Ann Hagenau was in her familiar role as announcer.

Stanford's 64-point margin of victory tied for fifth best in program. Its 107 points were the most since 108 against Cal Poly on Nov. 25, 2020.

Tougher tests await the Cardinal with three more home games: 7 p.m. Nov. 7 against Washington State, noon Nov. 10 against Gonzaga, and 7 p.m. Nov. 13 against UC Davis.

The Gonzaga game will be shown on ESPN2, the others streamed on ACCNX. The Gonzaga game will be highlighted with the dedication of the Maples court to Tara.

 

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Cardinal win exhibition game against Cal State LA

 

Courtney drives to the basket on her way to 10 points against Cal State LA. (Stanford Athletics)

The Stanford women’s basketball team tuned up for the 2024-25 season by defeating Cal State LA 91-70 in an exhibition game in front of 2,197 fans Oct. 30.

Starters were senior guard Elena Bosgana, senior forward Brooke Demetre, red shirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel, junior guard Tess Heal and sophomore forward Nunu Agara.

Junior guard Talana Lepolo and freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye were there but unavailable to play.

Because it was an exhibition, it had no Tree, cheerleaders, band, Dollies or announcer Betty Ann Hagenau.

One difference from last season is that the team stayed on the court for the national anthem rather than retreating to the locker room.

Kate subs often

Head coach Kate Paye made frequent substitutions, especially during the first half.

Some of the first players off the bench were sophomores: forward Courtney Ogden, forward Mary Ashley Stevenson and guard Chloe Clardy.

By game’s end, all but junior guard Lauren Green got into the game, but freshman center Kennedy Umeh, junior guard Stavi Papadaki and freshman forward Harper Peterson each played less than two minutes at the end.

Six players were in double figures, led by Nunu with 25 points plus 13 rebounds. Elena, Chloe and Jzaniya each had 11 points, while Brooke and Courtney had 10 each.

The play seemed ragged during the first two quarters, perhaps because of the frequent substitutions, leading to what looked like uncertainty at times.

Moreover, Cal State LA players, though lacking Stanford’s size, were scrappy. They moved to within a point, 32-31, at the 4:04 mark in the second quarter, but Stanford turned up the heat to end the half with a 48-36 advantage.

However, the third quarter had a less than auspicious start with five fouls in the first four minutes. After that, the play was more cohesive with less subbing. This quarter ended 73-56.

CSLA had some sharp shooters, making 11 3’s, sometimes when seemingly open  on the perimeter. Stanford had 10 3’s, thanks to two each by Courtney, Brooke, Jzaniya and Chloe and one each by Elena and Nunu.

Jzaniya logged the most minutes, 31:40, and Nunu was close behind with 30:08. Tess, Brooke, Chloe and Courtney all had about 24 minutes or more.

Among the fans in the stands was recently retired head coach Tara VanDerveer, who was using a cane. She reportedly had had a hip replacement.

Buck Cardinal Club members hear from new players, Kate

The night before the exhibition, Buck Cardinal Club members gathered at the Hall of Champions for a reception and program.

Emceed by broadcaster Kevin Danna, the program featured four of the new players along with Kate.

The players were the three freshmen -- Shay, Harper and Kennedy -- along with Mary Ashley, a transfer from Purdue.

Questioned by Kevin, they agreed that sisterhood and togetherness are some keys to the season.

Harper said that she fell in love with Stanford when she was in fifth grade and now assistant coach Erica “Bird” McCall was playing. She added that her father played for Gonzaga and that she worked out with him.

Mary Ashley scored 53 points in one of her high school games, but it “is not the WNBA,” she said.

Shay was Arizona’s Gatorade Player of the Year and said she admired Anna Wilson, ’22.

Kennedy played with the USA U-17 team and learned a lot, she said. Now she admires Nunu. “She’s like an older sister,” but they’re very competitive in practice.

Kate, too, stressed sisterhood as the season’s theme, but “we’ve always had great chemistry (and) great culture.”

Although she has taken the helm after the retirement of Tara, basketball’s all-time winningest coach, Kate is undaunted. She said she would “take the baton from Tara and run like hell. … We have the best coaches and staff in the country.”

Team enjoyed trip to Italy

Because the team traveled to Italy and played three games there, winning them all, the players had 10 extra practices – a plus. It was a great experience with stops in Rome, Florence and Venice.

Looking ahead to the transition from the Pac-12 to the Atlantic Coast Conference, Kate said it would provide tough competition. The challenges include learning new teams and traveling longer distances, but “change is energizing.”

Asked about a rotation, Kate said it’s unsettled for now, but she expects it to be deep. “We are still learning about our team. … We have so many different weapons, and everybody’s looking great.”

“We want to play up-tempo and will be guard-oriented.” It’s likely there’ll be different high scorer at each game, she said.

Overall, “Our team is fantastic ... We have hungry competitors on our team,” she concluded.

After the exhibition, the season will start with four home games: 7 p.m. Nov. 4 against Le Moyne, 7 p.m. Nov. 7 against Washington State, noon Nov. 10 against Gonzaga, and 7 p.m. Nov. 13 against UC Davis.

The Gonzaga game will be shown on ESPN2, the others on ACCNX. The Gonzaga game will be highlighted by dedicating the Maples court to Tara.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrimmage gives fans first look at team

 

Senior forward Brooke Demetre did well at the scrimmage. (Stanford Athletics)

The 2024-25 edition of the women’s basketball team made its first public appearance during the annual Cardinal-White scrimmage Oct. 26, Stanford’s homecoming.

For several reasons, it wasn’t an in-depth look for the several dozen fans at Maples.

First, three players were sidelined, doing various exercises at the south end of the court. They were junior guard Talana Lepolo, freshman guard Shay Ijiwoye and freshman forward Harper Peterson.

Second, through most of the four-quarter event, the Cardinal squad was comprised of male practice players plus recently graduated guard Hannah Jump and an assistant coach, forward Erica “Bird” McCall. Junior guard Stavi Papadaki and junior guard Lauren Green played mostly on this squad.

Third, the coaches made liberal substitutions, giving everyone a chance to play.

Finally, each quarter began with the score at 0-0.

I didn’t keep statistics, nor were any displayed, so I had no objective way of evaluating anyone.

Suffice it to say that some of the returning players seemed to do well at times. Among them were the two seniors, guard Elena Bosgana and forward Brooke Demetre. Some of the others were Stavi, sophomore forwards Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden, sophomore guard Chloe Clardy and redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel.

Newcomers who played had some good moments.

Of course Hannah and Bird showed their veteran skills, especially Hannah, who is so accurate from behind the arc. Several times announcer Betty Ann Hagenau, in her 25^th season at the mike, intoned the familiar “Hannah Jump for 3!”

Making her debut at the helm, head coach Kate Paye coached the White squad while assistant coach Katie Steding oversaw the Cardinal squad. Assistant coach Jeanette Pohlen officiated all four quarters. Associate head coach Tempie Brown and new assistant coach Heather Oesterle traded off between officiating and coaching.

Charli Turner Thorne, ’88, was there scouting for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, where she is an assistant coach.

This is a year of changes for the team. Longtime head coach Tara VanDerveer has retired, and Stanford has moved from the Pac-12 to the Atlantic Coach Conference, necessitating several long-distance trips. The Maples floor reflects the change with the ACC logo at the free-throw lines. 

A clearer picture of the team is likely to emerge as the team hosts its first five games: 7 p.m. Oct. 30 exhibition against Cal State LA, 7 p.m. Nov. 4 against Le Moyne, 7 p.m. Nov. 7 against Washington State, noon Nov. 10 against Gonzaga, and 7 p.m. Nov. 13 against UC Davis.

The Gonzaga game will be shown on ESPN2, the others on ACCNX.

 

Katy has high hopes for coming season

 

Head coach Kate Paye (right) with the freshmen: from left: Shay Ijiwoye, Harper Peterson and Kennedy Umeh.

Judging by the Stanford women’s basketball team’s summer practices and activities, “We are better than advertised,” assistant coach Katy Steding said in a recent phone interview.

There had been some concerns about the team after the departure of three starters; Cameron Brink and Hannah Jump graduated, and Kiki Iriafen transferred to USC.

Katy based her optimism in part on the three incoming freshmen and two transfers. “We’re thrilled with all five … I can’t say enough positive about them.”

Impressive newcomers

The freshmen “are awesome,” she said, starting with Harper Peterson, a 6’3” forward from Rocklin. She is adapting well to the pace of college ball and is versatile enough to play the 3-5 spots. She also has a great personality, Katy said.

Kennedy Umeh, a 6’4” center from Columbia, Md., is “another peach,” Katy said. She’ll “surprise a lot of people” because she’s so strong and nimble. “Physically she’s more than ready.”

The third freshman, Shay Ijiwoye, a 5’6” guard from Phoenix, is “another gem.” Physically strong and quick, “she’ll become a leader,” Katy said.

Kate with the transfers: Tess Heal (left) and Mary Ashley Stevenson.

One of the transfers, Tess Heal, a 5’10” junior guard from Melbourne, Australia, came from Santa Clara U. She’s a “complete guard – great shooter, good timing, good passing,” Katy said.

The other transfer, Mary Ashley Stevenson, a 6’2” sophomore forward from New York City, came from Purdue. The Big 10 Media Freshman of the Year, she’s a nimble post player who can shoot from the outside. With her sunny personality, “she’s the nicest kid,” Katy said.

All 14 players are on campus now that junior guard Stavi Papadaki has returned from Sofia, Bulgaria, where she was playing for her home country of Greece in the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket, Division B.

Junior point guard Talana Lepolo is rehabbing from a “minor repair” on a meniscus in her knee. The injury wasn’t as bad as expected, Katy said, and she’s “doing great.”

Team welcomes new staffers

The team also has some newcomers on its staff. Victoria Saucedo is the sports performance coach.

 Heather Oesterle is the new assistant coach, bringing the coaching contingent to six. Most recently she was the strategic program director for the Notre Dame women’s team. Longtime fans will recall that she began her coaching career at Stanford for the 2002-03 season. She’ll be the offensive coordinator this year.

 Assistant coach Erica “Bird” McCall is working with the posts, while Katy works with the wings. Assistant coach Jeanette Pohlen works with the guards, and associate head coach Tempie Brown is defensive coordinator. She was recently inducted into The Step Up Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame.

 New head coach Kate Paye oversees everything and is very hands-on, Katy said.

All six coaches help with recruiting, usually with four on the road at a time.

 

In the meantime, retired head coach Tara VanDerveer is an adviser to Athletic Director Bernard Muir. In this part-time position, she works four hours a day: two in development and two as a “coach’s coach.” 

The team and staff are looking forward to their trip to Italy starting Aug. 18 for 10 days. During that time they’ll visit Rome, Florence and Venice. Games and sightseeing are on the agenda.

 Then the players will get a break until fall classes start Sept. 23Looking ahead to next season, Stanford will join the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference now that the Pac-12 is no more. There will be a lot of long-distance travel, but the team will fly charter.

 Wrapping up the interview, Katy said, “We’re really excited about where we’re at.” 

(Photos by Stanford Athletics)

 

 

Thanks for the memories, Part 2 of 2

 

Cam and Kiki congratulate Tara as the all-time winningest coach. (Stanford Athletics)

The Stanford women’s basketball team ended the pre-conference season and began Pac-12 play by defeating Cal 78-51 there on Dec. 29 and Morgan State 98-38 at home on New Year’s Eve. Sophomore guard Talana Lepolo took the spotlight at Cal by scoring a career-high 20 points, boosted by a career-high six 3s.

Washington State fell 74-65 on Jan. 5 and Washington fell 71-59 on Jan. 7, both at home. Thus head coach Tara VanDerveer notched her 1,200^th career victory. After these games, senior forward Cameron Brink was again named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Playing the mountain teams for the only time this season, Stanford left with a 66-64 win over Utah on Jan. 12 but a 71-59 loss to Colorado on Jan. 14. During that game, Cam snared the 1,000^th rebound of her career.

Tara sets all-time win record

Back home, the team defeated Oregon 88-63 on Jan. 19 and Oregon State 65-56 on Jan. 21. Thus Tara’s career record rose to 1,203 wins, surpassing former Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski, who had 1,202. She became the all-time winningest basketball coach for either men or women.

After the Oregon State game, which was witnessed by several alums, a ceremony complete with showers of gold confetti celebrated the milestone. Ros Gold-Onwude, ’10, served as emcee and was joined by Chiney Ogwumike, ’14, and Jennifer Azzi, ’90.

Cam didn’t play against Oregon State after injuring her left leg in the Oregon game. Junior forward Brooke Demetre took her place in the starting lineup, and junior forward Kiki Iriafen filled in for Cam’s scoring with a career-high 36 points plus a game-high12 rebounds.

Weekly honors for Kiki and Tara

Later, ESPN named Kiki and Tara Player and Coach of the Week, respectively. The Pac-12 named Kiki Player of the Week.

Playing in the desert, the team defeated Arizona State 80-50 on Jan. 26 and Arizona 96-64 on Jan. 28.

After a disappointing 67-58 loss to USC on Feb. 2, the team bounced back to defeated UCLA 80-60 on Feb. 4, both at home.

USC guard victimizes Stanford

In the USC loss, Stanford was victimized by frosh phenom, guard Juju Watkins, who had 51 points in 34 minutes, more than half of her team’s total.

The team then returned from the Evergreen State with two more wins: 63-59 in overtime at Washington on Feb. 9 and 73-58 at Washington State on Feb. 11.

It took the season’s first overtime to defeat the gritty Washington team. Cam was the high scorer with 22 points, but Kiki fouled out about halfway through the OT after only 9 points. Washington State couldn’t get its first-ever win over Stanford as Cam scored 21 points, followed by grad guard Hannah Jump with 20, thanks in part to her four 3s, while Kiki had 17.

Playing at home Feb. 16, Stanford coasted to an 84-49 victory over Cal. Five players were in double figures: Kiki, 23; Hannah and Cam, 14; junior forward Elena Bosgana, 12; and Brooke, 11.

After a 68-61 loss to Arizona with Cam out on Feb. 23 (Brooke started in her place), she and her teammates responded by defeating Arizona State 81-67 on Feb. 25 in the last-ever Pac-12 home game.

Afterward, as everyone awaited the start of Senior Day to honor Cam and Hannah, the videoboard showed the last few minutes of the USC-Utah game. Utah won, igniting a celebration because it meant that Stanford had clinched at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title, its 27^th.

While Cam was back, Talana was in street clothes because of a reported knee problem. Redshirt sophomore guard Jzaniya Harriel started as point guard in her place and became one of five Cardinal players in double figures: Kiki, 22; Cam, 14; Jzaniya, 12; Hannah and freshman forward Nunu Agara, 11 each.

Senior Day honors Cam, Hannah

After the post-game hoopla, Cam and Hannah had their moments in the spotlight as the team’s soon-to-be alums.

Stanford finished the final Pac-12 season by sweeping the Oregon schools: 67-63 over Oregon State on Feb. 29 and 76-56 over Oregon on March 2. Thus the team secured the conference’s regular season title.

In the OSU game, Cam had 25 points and a career-high 24 rebounds. Those rebounds tied the single-game record set by Chiney on Feb. 23, 2013, against Oregon.

Talana was out for the current Oregon game and again was replaced by Jzaniya.

Team falls short of Pac-12 title

Traveling to Las Vegas for the last Pac-12 tournament, top seed Stanford beat Cal 71-57 on March 7 and Oregon State 66-57 on March 8. Stanford had to come from behind in both games but couldn’t do it again in the championship game, falling 74-61 to USC on March 10.

Earlier in the week, Stanford dominated Pac-12 season awards in a vote by head coaches. Cam was Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Kiki was Most Improved Player, and Tara was the John R. Wooden Pac-12 Coach of the Year. Hannah and Talana received honorable mentions.

Cam and Kiki were all-Pac-12 for the third year while Cam was named to the all-defensive team. Nunu and Courtney received honorable mentions for the all-freshman team. On top of that, Cam was named National Player of the Week on March 5.

After getting a No. 2 seed for the NCAA tournament on March 17, the team hosted the first two rounds of the Portland regional.

It began with a 79-50 victory over Norfolk State on March 22 and an 87-81 overtime defeat of Iowa State on March 24.

Sweet but not Elite

Going to Portland, the team lost its Sweet 16 match with North Carolina State 77-67 on March 29. Foul trouble hurt the team as Kiki had four but scored 26 points despite playing only 22 minutes. Cam fouled out early in the fourth quarter after scoring 13 points to end her Stanford career.

Hannah played all 40 minutes and also had 13 points to end her days on the Farm.

Going into the game, assistant coach Erica “Bird” McCall was a WBCA Thirty Under 30 honoree for the season.

After the NCAA tournament, Cam was named the Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year and a WBCA All-American for the third time, joining Chiney, Candice Wiggins, ’08, and Nicole Powell. ’04.

Kiki received the Katrina McClain Award as the nation’s best power forward and received honorable mention All-American accolades from the WBCA.

Finally, the players, coaches and staff were honored at the annual banquet April 10. That morning, Tara had announced that she was retiring as of May 9. Associate head coach Kate Paye later was announced as her successor and was officially introduced at a press conference April 17.

That’s when she said that Jeanette Pohlen, ’11, director of player development, will join her on the coaching staff.

In the WNBA draft on April 15, Cam was drafted second by the Los Angeles Sparks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the memories, Part 1 of 2

 

The team took home a trophy after winning the Bull Dawgs Classic over Thanksgiving, and Kiki (third from left) took home one as the tournament's most valuable player. (Stanford Athletics)

The Stanford women’s basketball team ended the 2023-24 season with a 30-6 record and gave fans much to like.

During the season, Stanford bounced around in AP’s weekly ratings. It began with its lowest rating, No. 15, to start the season and soared as high as No. 2 on March 4.

It wound up being a bittersweet season because it was the last for the Pac-12 conference as we’ve known it. Instead, 10 of the teams will leave for other conferences, including the Atlantic Coast Conference, the destination for Stanford and Cal.

On top of that, on April 9, head coach Tara VanDerveer announced that she is retiring from coaching as of May 9. She said her decision was not related to going to the ACC. Instead, she said she felt it was time.

However, she will remain with the program as a consultant and adviser, so she’ll have a presence at Stanford. Associate head coach Kate Paye has been named to succeed her. Jeanette Pohlen, director of player development, will join Kate on the bench as a coach.

But for now it’s time to recall the season’s ups and downs, mostly ups.

Freshmen, new coaches join the team

When the summer of 2023 began, the team welcomed its Tree-O of freshmen: forward Nunu Agara, guard Chloe Clardy and forward Courtney Ogden.

Also welcomed back to the Farm was assistant coach Tempie Brown, who was an assistant there from 2013-20. Then, thanks to new NCAA rules, Stanford grad Erica “Bird” McCall, ’17, became the fifth member of the coaching staff.

Nine of the 12 players were on campus. The two Greek players, junior Elena Bosgana and sophomore Stavi Papadaki, both guards, were in their home country playing on national teams while taking classes remotely. Sophomore guard Talana Lepolo was in Madrid on the USA U-19 team.

Senior forward Cameron Brink was back after leading the USA 3x3 team to the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Vienna and being named MVP of the tournament.

Open practice, scrimmage preview team

Fans got a preview of the team during an open practice Oct. 23.

It was followed by a reception in the Hall of Champions, where Tara said that construction of new, more spacious locker rooms, training room, lounge and theater had caused the front lawn and handicapped parking area to be fenced off.  Men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball will use the facilities.

A scrimmage Oct. 28 gave fans another preview before a 126-53 exhibition victory over Dominican University, a Division II team, on Nov. 1.

The starting lineup – grad guard Hannah Jump, Cam, junior forward Kiki Iriafen, Elena and Talana – remained the same for the rest of the season except when a starter couldn’t play.

Victories usher in season

The regular season started with an 87-40 victory over Hawaii. Kiki poured in 23 points and snared 13 rebounds while Nunu came off the bench to add 18 points and six rebounds.

Another home win followed Nov. 12 when Indiana fell 96-64.

Then came two more home wins: 86-32 over Cal Poly on Nov. 16 and 82-79 over Duke in overtime on Nov. 19, when Cam led the team with a career-high 29 points. After that game, Cam was named Pac-12 Player of the Week and National Player of the Week for the second straight time.

Team brings home trophies from tournament

The team took to the road for the first time, traveling to Henderson, Nev., for the Ball Dawgs Classic. It featured a 74-55 win over Belmont on Nov. 22 and a 100-88 victory over Florida State on Nov. 24, giving the team the tournament trophy. Kiki received a trophy as the tournament’s most valuable player after she posted a career-high 30 points and 17 rebounds against Florida State.

Returning home, the team defeated Albany 79-35 on Nov. 26. Hannah provided a game highlight when she made four 3s, including the 300^th of her career in the second quarter, and finished with 303 for her career to date.

After racking up a season record of 8-0, including an 85-44 win at San Diego State two days earlier, the team suffered its first loss, 96-78, at Gonzaga on Dec.3.

With finals over, the team resumed its winning ways by defeating Portland 81-51 at home Dec. 15 when only 10 players were available. Courtney and redshirt sophomore guard Jzaniya Harriel were in street clothes, as they were the following game.

That’s when UC Davis fell 92-52 at Maples on Dec. 20. This game was highlighted by Hannah’s record-setting 312^th and 313^th 3s, surpassing former teammate Kiana Williams, ’21, who held the previous record of 311.

Next: 2023 ends, Pac-12 play begins

 

 

 

Kate to lead the team

 

Kate gets a reminder of her playing days at Stanford.

It was long expected, but now it’s confirmed. Kate Paye is the new head coach of the Stanford women’s basketball team following the retirement of Tara VanDerveer.

She was officially introduced at a press conference April 17.

In his introduction, athletic director Bernard Muir joked that “this has been an exhaustive search.” He then gave the 1995 Stanford graduate the No. 3 jersey from her playing days.

During the question period that followed her prepared remarks, Kate said that Jeanette Pohlen, ’11, director of player development for the past two years, will move to the coaches’ bench as an assistant.

Jeanette will join returning coaches Katy Steding, Tempie Brown and Erica “Bird” McCall. There was no word on who will take her player development job.

The press conference was attended by Kate’s family, the coaches and Tara, the staff and the nine returning players plus the graduating Hannah Jump.

Kiki Iriafen, who has entered the transfer portal, wasn’t there. Asked if her destination is known, Tempie said it wasn’t but that “we’re working on it” in seeing if she will return.

Since next season’s team will again have 12 players, including the three incoming freshmen, theoretically three slots are open, assuming that Kiki doesn’t return. Kate said that she and her staff plan to use the portal when possible but won’t build on it. They want players who value an education, she said.

In her prepared remarks, Kate said, “This is an exciting day for me and my family.”

Tara is retiring, and Kate is succeeding her.

She pledged to “work tirelessly every day,” as she thanked the many people who have helped her and the program. She thanked Tara for all her contributions to the program and women’s basketball and “for entrusting me with your life’s work.” She also thanked retired associate head coach Amy Tucker, whom she called a “coach, mentor and friend.”

Completing her remarks, she said. “We’re not going to change for the sake of change. … We will play Stanford basketball.”

Responding to questions, she looked ahead to the challenges of next season, when Stanford will move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference, which has a preponderance of eastern teams, “We will figure it out.”

She hopes to play more pre-season games on the West Coast. When it’s time to travel to distant schools, class loads will be adjusted and players will likely study on the plane.

A reception in the Hall of Champions followed the press conference. Looking over the room were two lighted signs hailing her as the new head coach.

Stanford Athletics photos