Exhibition victory holds great promise for season

The two teams and coaches pose for a photo before the game.

Ranked No. 3 (behind Oregon and Baylor) in AP’s pre-season national poll, the Stanford women’s basketball team gave an enticing preview of coming attractions when it hosted a Chinese team, Beijing Normal, for an exhibition game Oct. 29 and defeated the visitors 100-58.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer tapped players from each of the four classes to start the game: freshman forward Ashten Prechtel; sophomore guard Lexie Hull; junior forward Alyssa Jerome, who was wearing a protective face mask; junior guard Kiana Williams; and senior guard Anna Wilson. Together, they accounted for 57 points.

The coach substituted freely, no doubt to see who looks good and what combinations work best as well as to make sure that players coming off injuries didn’t log too many minutes. No one played more than 26 minutes.

Everyone helps out

By game’s end, all 12 available players had contributed in some way.

Those who weren’t available were junior forward Maya Dodson, recovering from an injury sustained last season; senior guard Mikaela Brewer, who had participated in the open practice on Oct. 25 but who was wearing a walking boot on her left foot for this game; and freshman guard Haley Jones, who Tara had said at the practice was “a little dinged.”

Haley was an animated cheerleader on the bench, though, often gesturing when a teammate made a nifty play.

Undoubtedly, she also was cheering for her classmates: Ashten, forward Fran Belibi and guard Hannah Jump. Together, they accounted for 35 points, with Fran scoring a team-high 17 points and Ashten snaring a team-high five rebounds to go with her 12 points. Hannah’s 6 points came from making two of her three 3-point attempts.

Others making two 3-pointers were Lexie, Alyssa and Anna for a team total of eight.

Fans impressed with freshmen

Afterward, several fans said how impressed they were with the freshmen, who had been highly rated as recruits. They also commented on the improvement by several returning players.

Alyssa shoots over her Chinese opponent.

Besides Fran and Ashten, players in double figures were Alyssa with 16, Lexie with 14 and Anna with 11. Senior forward Nadia Fingall, who had been cleared to play just the day before, chipped in 9 despite playing just under 11 minutes.

Also noteworthy were the team’s 27 assists, led by Kiana with eight; the speed of play; and the players’ unselfishness – all signs of good things to come.

The afternoon started with a recording of the Chinese national anthem as the two teams faced a Chinese flag that some fans had affixed to a railing in the upper area.

Teams exchange gifts

Ashten (left) exchanges gifts with a Chinese player.

After a recording of the U.S. anthem, the players shook hands and exchanged gifts, apparently T shirts.

The Stanford women sported snazzy new home white uniforms with red writing for their names and numbers. On the outer sides of the uniforms are wide black stripes bordered in red with a red Stanford logo gracing the stripe on the shorts.

Despite Stanford’s advantage in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals, there were areas where Tara is sure to demand improvement such as in free throws, 76.9 percent for the game; turnovers, 13; and defensive lapses.

The team will get a much sterner test when it hosts Team USA at 4 p.m. Nov. 2. Team USA, which features some of the WNBA’s most legendary players, is touring the country and playing top college teams to prepare for next summer’s Olympics.

The roster includes Stanford alum Nneka Ogwumike, ’12. The game will be telecast on the Pac-12 Network.

Photos by Don Feria/ISIPhotos.com

 

Open practice shows team as a work in progress

Tara has a word with some of the players at a previous practice.

Fans of Stanford women’s basketball got their first peek at this season’s team during an open practice Oct. 25 in Maples.

Here are some quick overall impressions:

n  The players and action are fast.

n  Defense is dogged.

n  Shooting needs to improve.

n  Several returning players look really good.

Of course it’s difficult to make assessments this early in the season, especially given the nature of practice. Each side in scrimmage had frequent substitutions, meaning that it was difficult to establish cohesiveness.

On the other hand, these changes give each player a chance to play and the coaches a chance to figure out potential lineups.

Protection for some players

Practice was under way when the more than 100 fans arrived. Junior forward Alyssa Jerome wore a protective face mask, but it didn’t seem to hinder her performance.

Senior forward Nadia Fingall had a heavy brace on her knee after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL at the end of last season. She wasn’t quite at 100 percent, but she did look good.

Likewise, senior guard DiJonai Carrington had knee wraps, but she had lost none of her fearlessness in going to the basket. At one point, she scored over freshman forward Fran Belibi and then seemed to give the rookie a few pointers. Later, Fran knocked in a 3-pointer.

The Gun helps with free throws

Instead of scrimmaging with her teammates, freshman guard Haley Jones was on the sidelines shooting free throws and other close-in shots. She was aided by what assistant coach Lindy La Rocque later said is called The Gun.

Here’s how it works: After going through the basket, the ball goes into a net and funnels into a machine that shoots the ball back to the player. As Lindy said, it gives the player a chance to make more shots without her or someone else having to snare the ball.

Junior forward Maya Dodson wasn’t there when fans arrived, but she did come to the court later accompanied by the new strength and conditioning coach, Ali Kershner. She practiced shooting but moved slowly.

During the practice, the players had half- and full-court scrimmages, some drills, 3x3 scrimmages and some cross-court running.

Tara assesses the season’s possibilities

After the practice, the team and fans gathered in the west concourse, where head coach Tara VanDerveer introduced each player. Except for two players who had classes, the others left for a session of lifting. Their next practice was scheduled at 8:30 a.m. the next day, homecoming.

Looking ahead, Tara said, “We’re going to have a good year.” She said the four freshmen are “doing phenomenally well.” In addition to Fran and Haley, they are guard Hannah Jump and forward Ashten Prechtel.

Tara likes the improvement of Anna, among others.

Looking at the improvement of returning players, Tara made special mention of Alyssa, Nadia, senior guard Anna Wilson and sophomore forward Lexie Hull.

In keeping with Stanford’s policy of not detailing injuries, Tara said Haley is “a little dinged,” and Maya will be “out longer,” though both are doing well. She called Haley a “very smart player” who can play all positions except center.

Earlier this month, associate head coach Kate Paye said that both Nadia and DiJonai had been cleared to practice but not to play. Tara updated that information by saying that she expects both to be ready to play next week.

Challenges start immediately

That’s when the challenges start right away. First there’s Beijing Normal for an exhibition at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in Maples. Tara said it’s China’s national college championship team.

Next some of the world’s best players, including Stanford alum, Nneka Ogwumike, ’12, come to Maples for another exhibition at 4 p.m. Nov. 2. They’re on the USA Team that’s touring the country to prepare for the 2020 Olympics. The non-conference and conference seasons also promise tough competition.

With so much talent on this year’s team, “it’s going to be a challenge” to figure out how to best use each player and to determine the best combinations, Tara said. “They keep each other accountable.”

She had just one word to answer a fan’s question about seeing some dunks – “yes.” They’re expected to come from Fran, who has dunked in high school and at this summer’s camp for young girls.

Overall, “It’ll be really interesting to see what happens” over the next four to six months of the season, Tara said. “This team can be really special.”

Photos by Stanford Athletics

Just one word for coming season: 'Awesome'

2020 vision: Seniors, left, Anna Wilson, Nadia Fingall, Mikaela Brewer, DiJonai Carrington. (Stanford Athletics)

When it comes to talking about the 2019-20 Stanford women’s basketball team’s prospects and players, associate head coach Kate Paye’s go-to word is “awesome.”

She then tempers her enthusiasm with “we have a lot of work to do.”

The team arrived the weekend of Sept. 14-15, a week before classes started, and had its first fall practice.

The players also took part in team-building exercises led by two former Marines from The Program, a Connecticut-based company that tries to help college teams build teamwork and develop leadership through shared adversity, according to its website.

The two-day program at Stanford took place on athletic fields and in the pool, Kate said in a recent phone interview.

International experience

Before this, the players were on campus for summer school, some practices and conditioning. Some also got international playing experience.

Freshman forward Fran Belibi was on the gold-winning USA Women’s U19 World Cup Team that played in Bangkok, Thailand.

Kiana (left) and Alyssa in Lima. (Pan Am Games)

Two juniors -- guard Kiana Williams and forward Alyssa Jerome -- competed in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Kiana earned a silver medal with Team USA, while Alyssa played for her home country, Canada.

This fall the team was allowed to start practice 42 days before the first game and to practice a total of 30 days. Stanford is practicing up to four hours a day, including about three hours on the court and one hour for conditioning, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Competitive practices

“Practice is going very well,” Kate said. “It’s very competitive. … Everybody’s trying to add more to their game.”

Two seniors – guard DiJonai Carrington and forward Nadia Fingall – are still recovering from surgery, but both are progressing and practicing, Kate said.

Competitive play will begin with an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 against Beijing Normal University. This school is known for teacher education, education science and basic learning in the arts and sciences, according to its website.

The game came about through Taiwanese-Canadian businessman Joseph Tsai, whose wife, Clara, attended Stanford and was acquainted with head coach Tara VanDerveer. Tsai is co-founder and executive vice chairman of Alibaba Group.

His interest in basketball extends to his ownership of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the WNBA’s New York Liberty.

US National Team to visit

Next on the exhibition schedule in Maples is the 4 p.m. Nov. 2 game against the US National Team, which is on tour as it tunes up for next year’s Olympics.

Nneka (left) drives against Layshia in a WNBA game. (LA Sparks)

“It’s a great opportunity to play against the best players in the world,” Kate said. They include Stanford favorite Nneka Ogwumike, ’12, now with the LA Sparks, as well as Cal grad Layshia Clarendon, now with the Connecticut Sun. Kate is hoping for a full house for that one.

The games begin to count at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 when the Cardinal host Eastern Washington.

Team to play in Chase Center

Next the team takes a short bus ride north to San Francisco to play the University of San Francisco at the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center at 3 p.m. Nov. 9.

This will be the first women’s game at the new arena. “We’re excited to test it out,” Kate said.

They’re also excited about the rest of the season. The 11 returning players have all improved, Kate said.

She gave special mention to senior guard Anna Wilson, who’s having “an awesome pre-season. She’s everywhere.” She’s also more comfortable playing the point, thus taking some of the load off Kiana.

Freshmen impress Kate

As for the highly-touted freshmen, they’re “better than advertised,” Kate said. While adjusting to the pace of college play, they’re “producing on the court,” she said.

She said that forward Ashten Prechtel, at 6’5”, is the team’s leading rebounder and scorer, and guard Hannah Jump “is shooting the lights out.”

Fran (who has been touted for dunking) has great post moves. Guard Haley Jones “is versatile and like Magic Johnson leading the break,” she said.

Once the season gets under way, lineups will be “a real puzzle.” What the coaches are hoping for is a faster pace with more aggressive defense. With so much talent available, it “just makes us greedier,” Kate concluded.