Milestones for Tara, Alanna in WSU game

Head coach Tara VanDerveer is at the center of the team's celebration.

Guiding the Stanford women’s basketball team to an 85-64 victory over Washington State on Jan. 20, head coach Tara VanDerveer hit another milestone in her illustrious career.

It was her 900^th victory at Stanford and the 1,052^nd in her 40 years of college coaching.

As the players gathered for their traditional post-game circle at center court, they made sure Tara was inside that circle for hugs and plaudits.

Alanna scores career-high 34

Her next stop was the TV broadcast table for an interview by Pac 12 Network announcer Layshia Clarendon. At her side was senior forward Alanna Smith, who had just poured in a career-high 34 points. She also snared 15 rebounds and had three assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes.

Alanna and Tara head back to the locker room after an interview.

The two then walked back to the locker room with their arms around each other.

Also scoring in double figures were sophomore guard Kiana Williams with 19 and junior guard DiJonai Carrington with 11.

Everyone gets into the act

All 11 available players got into the game, and seven scored. Those who didn’t score made other contributions like rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. The crowd of 2,908 cheered loudly when two of those blocks were by two of the team’s shorter players, junior guard Mikaela Brewer and freshman guard Jenna Brown.

The starters were the usual five: Alanna, Kiana, DiJonai, sophomore forward Alyssa Jerome and freshman forward Lacie Hull.

Boosting the point total were the team’s 10 three’s. Alanna had four, Kiana three, Lacie two, and junior guard Anna Wilson one.

Game stresses Human Trafficking Awareness

The afternoon’s theme was Human Trafficking Awareness, spearheaded by Alanna and announcer Betty Ann Hagenau, founder of the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition.

During the halftime, Alanna explained in a video how she had become interested in the issue. She said was taking a fall class about it when Betty Ann was a guest speaker one day. The two spoke and decided to do more.

Dancers from Love Never Fails entertain during halftime.

Halftime entertainment featured the Love Never Fails Dancers from Stop Human Trafficking. Several of the seven women were survivors of human trafficking.

During a break in the third quarter, Betty Ann interviewed Jessie Brunner of Stanford’s Handa Center for Human Rights and International Justice.

Senior guard Marta Sniezek, junior forward Nadia Fingall and sophomore forward Maya Dodson were still out with injuries. Unlike recent past games, Maya, who had a foot injury, wasn’t wearing a boot.

WSU’s only lead came with a basket early in the first quarter. Lacie and DiJonai responded with successive three’s, and Stanford never trailed thereafter.

Next up is a trip to the mountains with Colorado at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 and Utah at 11 a.m. Jan. 27, followed by Cal at Cal at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 and Cal at Stanford at 4 p.m. Feb. 2.

Photos by John Lozano/Stanford Athletics