Stanford women still perfect

Fran dunks against UCLA. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP)

The No. 1 Stanford women’s basketball team passed its two toughest tests to date by defeating USC and UCLA to raise its season record to 7-0.

USC fell 80-60 on Dec. 19. Two days later, on Dec. 21, No. 10 UCLA went down 61-49. Both games were in Los Angeles.

These margins of victory were the lowest so far this season, but the opposing teams were tougher defensively.

Both games saw the same starters as all season with senior guard Kiana Williams, fifth-year guard Anna Wilson, junior guard Lexie Hull, sophomore guard Haley Jones and sophomore forward Fran Belibi.

Kiana goes for a layup against USC. (Associated Press)

Kiana, Lexie, Cameron in double figures

Kiana finished the USC game with 27 points in 39 minutes, making seven of 12 three-point shots. Lexie had 16 points and two of three three-point shots.

Also in double figures was freshman forward Cameron Brink with 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting plus both of her free throws.

Haley contributed 11 of the team’s 52 rebounds, which were twice as many as USC’s 26.

All told, the team had 11 three’s. Besides the seven from Kiana and two from Lexie, Anna and junior guard Lacie Hull had one each.

After having no one foul out in previous games, both Cameron and Lacie went out.

Although USC never led, it kept inching to within single digits until the final few minutes made the outcome clear.

Trailed by Anna, Haley heads upcourt after a rebound against UCLA. (Los Angeles Times)

Rebounds help Cardinal defeat UCLA

Two days later, the final score was even closer, 61-49. Rebounds helped the Cardinal with a 51-37 advantage. Haley had 15 of them.

Assists also were a bright spot, 18-12, as were blocks, 10-3. Fran, Haley and Cameron each had three blocks.

The team had only five three’s: two from Lacie and one each from Anna, Lexie and Kiana.

Fran led the team in scoring with 15 points. The only other players in double figures, Kiana and Cameron, each had  10 points.

Fran dunks again

As she did against Cal, Fran produced a highlight play by dunking in the third quarter after picking up a loose ball that had been deflected by Lexie.

Everyone got a big scare when Kiana went down with an injury with just over a half-minute left in the game. She had to be helped off the court.

However, in the post-game press conference, head coach Tara VanDerveer, who raised her all-time winning record to 1,101 games, said Kiana will be fine. She didn’t elaborate.

The Associated Press reported that the team has held all seven of its opponents to 40 percent or less field-goal shooting.

Over the Christmas break, the team will return to Northern California and have a five-day break with no official practice, Tara said.

The players will travel to Arizona on Dec. 27 for the next two games: Arizona on Jan. 1 and Arizona State on Jan. 3.

In the meantime, happy holidays to all.

Tara, just the best ever

Holding the game ball, Tara is cheered by the team. (Stanford Athletics)

After tying Pat Summitt's record of 1,098 wins with a victory over Cal, head coach Tara VanDerveer guided the Stanford team to victory over Pacific. Thus she topped the late Tennessee coach’s record with 1,099 wins and becoming the winningest women’s basketball coach.

First the No. 1 nationally ranked team prevailed at Cal 83-38 on Dec. 13. Then it traveled to University of the Pacific in Stockton to notch a 104-61 win on Dec. 15.

After that game, Pacific head coach Bradley Davis gave Tara the game ball.

Team gives Tara a personalized jacket

Clustering around her, the team gave her a black quilted jacket with T-DAWG, the players' nickname for her, on the back. It was big enough that one of her three dogs could have joined her in it, had they been there.

Tara tries on her new jacket. (Stanford Athletics)

She then high-fived the entire team, followed by a squirt of hand sanitizer.

Zoomed tributes came in from some well-known admirers: Condoleezza Rice, Billie Jean King, Steve Kerr, John Elway, Nneka Ogwumike and Lisa Leslie.

Interviewed after the game, Tara deflected praise, instead saying, “I’ve learned from all my players.”

She also said that she is giving the local food bank $10 for every win she has amassed over the years and will continue to do so through the season.

Celebration is low-key

Since fans weren’t allowed because of coronavirus restrictions, everything was low-key. If it had been at home in Maples, the crowd would be roaring, the band playing and the Tree dancing in appreciation of all she has accomplished. 

The starting lineup for both the Cal and Pacific games was the same as it has been so far this 5-0 season: senior guard Kiana Williams, fifth-year guard Anna Wilson, junior guard Lexie Hull, sophomore guard Hailey Jones and sophomore forward Fran Belibi.

All 12 Stanford players contributed in some way to the win over Cal, while Cal was limited with only eight available players. Head coach Charmin Smith went with a starting lineup of three freshmen, a sophomore and a walk-on. She, her staff and players all wore T-shirts reading, “Racism is a pandemic.”

Fran dunks in a game for the first time

In addition to Tara’s tying with Pat, the game was highlighted by Fran’s dunk after a steal late in the second quarter, much to everyone’s delight. It was the first time she had dunked in a game, but she routinely dunks just as the team finishes its pre-game warmups.

Trailed by Cameron (22) and Jana (4), Fran dunks. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle)

With no Cardinal playing more than 24 minutes, four players were in double figures: freshman forward Cameron Brink with 16, sophomore guard Hannah Jump with 15, Fran with 14 and Kiana with 11.

Hannah’s points came from her five 3’s. Also scoring from long range were Kiana, Cameron and junior guard Lacie Hull, each with one.

Commenting during the game, Pac-12 Networks analyst Mary Murphy said of the team, “They're the real deal.”

Slow start against Pacific

The Pacific game started slowly, perhaps because traffic had delayed the team bus, which delivered the players only 90 minutes before tipoff.

The first quarter ended 26-12, a 14-point margin. The second quarter finished with an 11-point margin, 43-32 even though this was Pacific’s first game of the season.

After halftime, though, Stanford turned on the jets, scoring 36 points in the third quarter, giving it a 79-47 lead. More high scoring led to the final of 104-61, a 43-point margin.

Six players reach double figures

Among the more impressive takeaways from this game was the balanced scoring. All five starters were in double figures: Lexie with 17; Fran, 15; and Hailey, Kiana and Anna with 14 each.

On top of that, Cameron pitched in with 12 points. Moreover, all 12 players scored.

The team shot 3’s at a 33.3 percent rate, leading to nine from beyond the arc. Lexie had three; Kiana and Anna had two each; and Hannah and freshman guard Jana Van Gytenbeek had one each.

Free-throw shooting was a respectable 78.9 percent, with 15 of 19 made. Also of note: only 10 fouls and 10 turnovers.

Road to get rougher

Although the team looked good as it coasted through its first five wins, a tougher schedule lies ahead. The team is scheduled to play at USC at 6 p.m. Dec. 19 and at UCLA at noon Dec. 21.  The Pac-12 Networks will televise both games.

The players will have a holiday break, but as associate head coach Kate Paye said earlier, they won’t go home. Instead, they’ll get ready for the rest of the Pac-12 gamut, starting at Arizona on New Year’s Day.

Now fans can only hope that the games will actually be played, given the changes that have been wrought by the pandemic.

In the meantime, they can bask in knowing that this is a great team with a great coach. And had she not taken off a year to coach the U.S. team to its first Olympic gold, she would have reached the record a lot sooner.

Moreover, as Mary Murphy said, “This is a team with a lot of room to grow.”

 

 

Winning weekend in Vegas

Lindy coaches her current team against her former team. (Las Vegas Journal-Review)

Settling in at the University of Las Vegas after COVID-related cancellations, the Stanford women’s basketball notched back-to-back wins over the first weekend in December. Both games were streamed live.

First the team defeated UNLV 101-54 on Dec. 5. Washington was next to fall, 83-50, on Dec. 6.

Lindy’s team falls to alma mater

However, Lindy’s knowledge wasn’t enough to keep her team from being overpowered by the No. 2-ranked Cardinal.

Sophomore guard Haley Jones led four Cardinal players with 25 points, a career high. She was followed by sophomore forward Fran Belibi with 15, junior guard Lexie Hull with 13 and freshman forward Cameron Brink with 10.

Ashten adds a block to her stat line.
(Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Stanford dominated most aspects of the game: rebounds 46-31; assists 23-6; blocks 10-1; turnovers 12-19; and steals, 14-6. On the other hand, Stanford had 22 fouls to UNLV’s 13 and made only 63.6 percent of its free throws, compared with UNLV’s 69 percent.

The Cardinal had eight 3-pointers, with two by Lexie and fifth-year guard Anna Wilson; plus one each by senior guard Kiana Williams, sophomore forward Ashten Prechtel, sophomore guard Hannah Jump and senior forward Alyssa Jerome.

Washington wasn’t as easily dominated, especially in the first quarter, which ended 19-14. Stanford then led by double digits the rest of the way.

In both games, the starters were Haley, Fran, Lexie, Anna and Kiana.

Based on her weekend excellence, Haley was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. (John Locher/AP)

Haley leads the way twice

And in both games, Haley dominated, reaching another career high with 29 points to go with 13 rebounds for a double-double against Washington. Consequently, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Fran and Hannah with 12 points each were the only others in double figures.

Once again the team had eight 3’s, with four by Hannah and one each by Anna, Kiana, Ashten and Cameron.

The UNLV game was scheduled at the last minute after Stanford’s home games against Pacific and San Diego University were cancelled because of Santa Clara County’s COVID-related restrictions and other COVID issues.

COVID impacts schedule

The Washington game also was scheduled at home, but the Huskies agreed to travel to Las Vegas. The team’s next scheduled game against Washington State on Dec. 8 was postponed for COVID reasons at WSU.

 Although the team was scheduled for a home contest against UC Davis on Dec. 11, it was cancelled.

In the meantime, with 1,097 career wins, head coach Tara VanDerveer is only one win away from tying the late Pat Summitt of Tennessee as the all-time winningest Division 1 women’s coach.

Moreover, the team’s strong start moved it into AP’s No. 1 weekly ranking on Dec. 7.

 

  

Cheering from afar

    

    Lexie takes a jump shot in front of the socially distanced bench. (Stanford Athletics)

All 12 available players got in on the fun Nov. 25 as the No. 2-ranked Stanford women’s basketball team romped over its guests, Cal Poly, 108-40, to open what is probably the strangest season ever.

Former stars are among the cutouts. (Stanford Athletics)

Although there were some cutouts of people, including former players, no fans were in the stands at Maples Pavilion to take in the excitement and cheer for the team. Instead, we fans clustered in front of video screens at home --- and cheered.

And, wow, was there a lot to cheer.

Double figures from five players

Five players were in double figures: Junior guard Lexie Hull with 19 points; freshman forward Cameron Brink with 17; sophomore guard Haley Jones, looking sharp after missing much of last season with an injury, with 16, plus 10 rebounds for a double-double; sophomore guard Hannah Jump with 15; and senior guard Kiana Williams with 13.

Haley returned to action and
  had a double-double. (Tony Avelar/AP)

Six players had 3-pointers: Lexie with four; Kiana and Hannah with three each;  freshman guard Jana Van Gytenbeek with two; and freshman guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu and sophomore forward Ashten Prechtel with one each for total of  14.

The starting lineup featured Kiana, Lexie, Haley, fifth-year guard Anna Wilson and sophomore forward Fran Belibi. No one played more than 26 minutes (Kiana).

Rebounding was impressive, 48 for Stanford, 34 for Cal Poly.  Perhaps the only weak point was the free-throw shooting, 18 of 31.

Freshmen make impressive debut

One of the big takeaways from this game was the polished play by the freshmen, Cameron, Jana and Agnes. Together they scored 34, slightly less than a third of the team’s total. They had 16, or a third,  of the rebounds. Like their teammates, they passed and ran the floor well.                                                                                                    

The sophomores showed big improvement from last season.

As an indication of the team’s depth, the bench had 56 points, more than half of the total.

Besides the empty stands, there were other changes. The team huddled in a socially distanced circle.

Masks and social distancing everywhere

Everyone on the bench, including the coaches and staff, wore a mask. The bench was actually socially distanced folding chairs.

The referees were masked. When the game was over, the two teams passed each other without touching.

There was some piped-in crowd noise, though not much, along with a recording of the band playing “All Right Now” at the end.

Tara with her megaphone. (Tony Avelar/AP)

  Head coach Tara VanDerveer shouted out her   instructions using a small megaphone. 

  Associate  head coach Kate Paye was not with the   team but sat in the balcony. In the post-game   press   conference, Tara said that Kate’s latest COVID test   results had been lost.

 All of this was necessitated by the coronavirus   pandemic that has sickened millions and killed   hundreds of thousands just in the United States, let alone the rest of the world.

Players won’t go home for holidays

Most of the few students who were on campus left after the end of fall quarter and won’t return until the winter quarter starts Jan. 11.

Kate sits in the balcony next to cardboard cutouts. (Tony Avelar/AP)

However, SWBB players won’t go home for the holiday break, Kate said in an email before the game. They’re remaining in Mirrielees House, which has apartment-style rooms with full kitchens and bathrooms.

As for Thanksgiving, it was to feature a practice followed by take-home Thanksgiving meal packages. “Lots of sacrifices,” Kate said in her email.

The home game against Pacific on Nov. 29 was canceled because a Pacific player had a positive test. Stanford Athletics said it’s looking for a replacement.

The Washington teams are scheduled to visit the following weekend, Dec. 4 and 6, times TBD.

  

Virtual tipoff with caution, enthusiasm

Ashten drives toward the basket, defended by Fran in a practice.

Yet another change wrought by the coronavirus pandemic manifested itself in a virtual season tipoff rather than an open practice Nov. 14.

During an hour introduced by radio announcer Kevin Danna, the coaches and players appeared via Zoom as they talked about the season and its challenges.

Kevin introduced head coach Tara VanDerveer, noting her many accomplishments in 35 years at Stanford. Among them are 1,094 wins, just four shy of the record set by the late Pat Summitt at Tennessee.

With an empty Maples Pavilion as her backdrop, Tara noted that the team had just completed a practice that she termed “very exciting.” “This team, our coaches are winners.”

Coaches, staff introduced

She introduced those coaches, starting with associate head coach Kate Paye, who has been with the team for 14 years.

Kate named the three things she’s noticed about the team. First was improvement. Players are in better shape and they’re shooting better.

Second was “how well everyone is supporting each other.”

Third, she said the players are appreciative and grateful to be back in the gym. (As Tara noted later, COVID restrictions had required practices and workouts to be outside.)

Introducing new assistant coach Katy Steding, Tara said she was the first recruit she signed at Stanford, and she was on the 1990 national championship team her senior year.

Changes Katy noted since returning to the Farm included “how massive the campus seems.” She’s impressed by the players and said to Tara, “You still keep them really well oiled.”

The other new assistant coach is Britney Anderson, who received “incredible rave reviews,” Tara said.  Britney said, “I’m enjoying being around these incredible women” as well as the campus and weather.

Tara named the rest of the staff, including Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, and thanked her “for all her hard work” in assembling a schedule.

Tara also named Ali Kershner, sports performance coach; Katelin Knox, athletic trainer; and Celia Marfone, video coordinator, who’s living in the dorm with the players. Completing the staff are Amy Tucker, basketball administrator, and Samantha Dodd, assistant director finance and administration.

Freshmen get their due

Up next were the freshmen, starting with guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu, Stanford’s second Australian after Alanna Smith, ’19.  A four-time medalist with an Australian national team, Aggie is “a terrific defender.”

Cameron will sport 22 on her jersey.

Forward Cameron Brink is a two-time Oregon high school champion with “good timing and shot-blocking,” Tara said. Cameron worked with former Stanford player and sports performance coach Susan King Borchardt, ’05. Cameron said Susan taught her that “preparation is key.”

Guard Jana Van Gytenbeek holds the Colorado state record for assists and is a 3-point leader, Tara said. One of Jana’s pastimes is scuba diving. She’s gone down as deep as 110 feet and has a shark’s tooth for Tara.

Summing up the freshmen’s experience so far, Tara estimated that they have learned as many as 50 plays.

Sophomores tell what they’ve done

First up for the sophomores was forward Fran Belibi, who shot 58 percent last season and worked out with men during the summer. “I’ve improved my shot the most,” Fran said.

Forward Ashten Prechtel, who was sixth player of the year, advised the freshmen to be confident.

Haley is back after recovering from an injury.

Guard Haley Jones, who can play four of the five positions, played only 18 games last year before being sidelined by an injury. She said it was hard being out, but since her recovery, she’s been working on her shots.

Guard Hannah Jump, a 3-point specialist, focused on getting in shape, a goal helped by working out in a neighbor’s swimming pool.

Hulls try to stay in shape; Jenna out

Junior guard Lexie Hull, who led the team in rebounds last year, said she and her twin, guard Lacie, tried to stay in shape.

Lacie, a top defender, said of the freshmen, “They’re picking things up very fast, (and) all have something different to offer.”

The other junior, guard Jenna Brown, who wasn’t in the session, is redshirting after an injury.

Seniors provide leadership

Senior forward Alyssa Jerome, is “a real encourager,” Tara said. Alyssa said she practiced her shots on a hoop in her back yard to get around Canada’s COVID restrictions.

Tara said the seniors organized small weekly Zoom sessions to connect players when they couldn’t be on campus.

Guard Anna Wilson, a fifth-year senior, is playing her best to date, Tara said. Anna said it wasn’t easy getting that fifth year even though she wanted it. The NCAA turned her down at first, but she appealed and won.

Kiana is looking forward to a great year.

Guard Kiana Williams, who started 33 games last year, is becoming more vocal, Tara said. “I think it’s going to be a great year,” Kiana said.

Senior forward Maya Dodson is on the roster, but is opting out of playing this season as allowed by the NCAA because of the pandemic. The NCAA said student-athletes who opt out this season will retain a year of eligibility. That means Maya may return if she wants to.

With this team, Tara said, “Going into the gym every day is an absolute pleasure.”

Some of the new rules that the players must follow are that they have to sit 10 feet apart in the locker room and get their food to go in their dorm.

Nneka joins in

After Tara excused the players to tend to academics, Nneka Ogwumike, ’12, made a guest appearance. She was among the alums and others who spoke to the team during the summer.

She plays professionally with the Los Angeles Sparks and serves as president of the WNBA Players Association.

Tara told Nneka she enjoys this team. “We started from behind” with no one on campus in the summer. Still, the team has shown experience, depth and competitiveness, she said, adding that she’s pleased with the sophomores’ improvement.

Kevin cited the Pac-12’s depth, with Stanford No. 2 in a pre-season poll and several other conference teams in the top 20.  Tara said she’s not concerned about the other teams. “We just have to stay healthy … There’s a good vibe in the gym.”

“You’ve got to be a strong family” in light of the required isolation, Tara said.

Playing without fans in the stands for the WNBA season, Nneka said, “We had to be our own energy” and looked to the bench for support.

Relief for Kiana

Because Anna and Jana can play the point, Tara said she’s glad Kiana will get more rest this season. “We’re counting on everyone stepping up their game.”

As a side note, Tara said she’s pleased with former assistant coach Lindy La Rocque, ’12, who left this season to become head coach at UNLV.  “She’s going to do a terrific job.”

Nneka, Lindy’s teammate and classmate, said she was an on-court coach during their days together.

Tara mentioned the recently signed recruiting class for next season: Elena Bosgana, Brooke Demetre, Jzaniya Harriel and Kiki Iriafen.

In the meantime, Tara wants the team to stay connected with fans even though they can't attend games. One way is that most games will be televised. "It's a tough road right now, but we're going to get through it together," she concluded. 

Stanford Athletics photos

Season plans still in flux

Fans won't be able to see the team in person as they did last year, but they hope they can celebrate when play resumes this season. (Stanford Athletics)

“Stay tuned.”

That’s associate head coach Kate Paye’s advice to Stanford women’s basketball fans who are wondering when and how the 2020-21 season will proceed.

“Things are changing constantly,” she said in a recent phone interview.

Despite the fluid situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, several things are known for sure.

Games to start Nov. 25

First, the NCAA Div. I and Pac-12 will allow competition to begin Nov. 25. However, the schedule is still in flux. Moreover, Stanford’s start must also be cleared by Santa Clara County health authorities.

There might be more conference games than usual because all Pac-12 teams are following the same testing protocols.  Assuming other schools adhere to the same health guidelines as Stanford, colleges closer to home might be scheduled to avoid plane travel, Kate said.

In the meantime, some players are working on shooting and ball-handling skills on outdoor courts in accord with county rules. An outdoor weight training facility has been set up for conditioning.

Practice can resume Oct. 14 if the county approves.

Sorry, no fans

Second, no fans will be allowed at the games. That situation will be revisited in January, said Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne.

Third, all of the players are on campus and healthy. They include the two international players, senior forward Alyssa Jerome from Canada and freshman guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu from Australia.

New coaches Katy Steding and Britney Anderson also are on The Farm, joining Kate and head coach Tara VanDerveer.

Fourth, everyone is undergoing COVID-19 testing in accord with university and Santa Clara County protocols.

Fifth, along with all other athletes, they’re staying in the new Escondido graduate student housing complex. Looking ahead, there might be what Kate called Olympic village-type housing. Officials are “refining housing plans,” she said.

Besides men’s and women’s basketball, sports hoping to resume are football, wrestling, women’s gymnastics, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.

Maya opts out of season

Sixth, the team is missing senior forward Maya Dodson, who has opted out of the season and is at home in Georgia. Like everyone else at home and on campus, she’s taking her classes remotely.

“I have spent time reflecting on my personal circumstances navigating the midst of vast uncertainty, be it college sports, the gravity of the pandemic, or the complicated political and social justice climates,” Maya said on social media.

Like Maya, the players are closely following the issues, and the U.S. citizens have registered to vote, Kate said.

In accord with rules regarding student-athletes who opt out of this season, Maya is still a Stanford student and will retain a year of eligibility, Kate said. “We respect everybody’s decision.”

Maya wrote, “As a senior, I will take leadership in stride and support (my teammates) in any way I can from afar.”

Also missing is senior guard Estella Moschkau, who graduated early and has transferred to grad school at the University of Wisconsin in her home state.

Staying flexible and positive

Despite the masks and social distancing, Kate said, “we’re really excited to see each other.”

On a personal note, Kate’s daughters, like the Stanford players, are studying online. Anne is in kindergarten while Cassie is in fourth grade.

Kate praised campus leaders for all they have been doing to make sure everything goes right.

In the meantime, “we’re trying to stay flexible and positive,” Kate concluded.

 

 

 

 

Team faces unprecedented challenges

The team's freshmen, from left: forward Cameron Brink, guards Jana Van Gytenbeek and Agnes Emma-Nnopu

Several themes dominated associate head coach Kate Paye’s comments during a recent phone interview.

Two of them were uncertainty and hope for the Stanford women’s basketball team. Another was pride in how well the players and staff are growing.

Yet another was the challenges the team and university face in light of the coronavirus pandemic gripping the nation.

Kate

It’s a “very unusual time,” she said. (Except for a few centenarians), this is everyone’s “first time through a pandemic.”

Everyone went home

It all started March 12 when the NCAA cancelled the tournament, in which Stanford was expected to do well. Instead, the coaches held a team meeting, and all of the players went home.

That’s where they are now, but they’ve adjusted well, Kate said. They’re taking classes online.

Everyone has a place to work out, and strength and conditioning coach Ali Kershner has crafted individual plans.

Players stay in touch

Returning players have created workout videos for the freshmen: guards Agnes Emma-Nnopu and Jana Van Gytenbeek and forward Cameron Brink.

Jana and sophomore forwards Fran Belibi and Ashten Prechtel, who all live in Colorado, have worked out together, sometimes joined by other teammates.

Weekly calls on Tuesdays feature speakers such as SWBB alums Nneka Ogwumike, ’12; and Susan King Borchardt, ’05; along with retired WNBA great Kara Lawson, Duke’s new head coach; and others.

The players also stay in touch through small group Zoom calls. They have to be timed just right because Agnes lives in Victoria, Australia, which is 17 hours ahead of PDT. The staff meets via Zoom, too. “Zoom is our new best friend,” Kate said.

Social unrest adds to issues

On top of coronavirus and all the havoc it has caused, the team is acutely aware of the social unrest sweeping the country as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The players have had some tough conversations around this issue. Each week an individual player shares her thoughts in a Facebook video.

It’s “a tremendous learning and growing process. I’m proud of our team,” Kate said.

Two new coaches

Here’s yet another wrinkle. The team has two new assistant coaches, Katy Steding and Britney Anderson.

Katy

Katy,’90, head coach Tara VanDerveer’s first signed recruit, helped lead the team to its first national championship her senior year. She played professionally before becoming a coach, most recently at the University of San Francisco. She and her husband, John, have moved closer to Stanford.

Britney

Britney comes from coaching at her alma mater, Virginia Tech. She and her mother were on her way to Stanford as Kate spoke.

Katy and Britney succeed assistant coaches Lindy La Rocque and Tempie Brown. Lindy is head coach at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, her hometown.

Tempie moves, stays home with kids

Tempie has stepped away from coaching to be more involved with her family. She and her spouse have moved to Michigan, where her spouse has a new job. Tempie is a stay-at-home mom with their two youngsters, ages 4 and 1.

She’s doing well and stays in touch with her Stanford colleagues.

In the meantime, Kate has had to help her two daughters, ages 9 and 5, with their at-home schooling. It didn’t go well at first, she said, joking that she realized she’s a better coach than elementary school teacher.

Kate gave the interview while on vacation with the girls.

Back to sports, Kate said “it’s really sad” that Stanford Athletics made the tough decision to eliminate 11 varsity sports at the end of the ’20-21 academic year for financial reasons. “These are our family members,” she said.

Uncertainty for international students

Adding to the uncertainty is the status of the team’s two international players, Agnes and senior forward Alyssa Jerome, who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said that international college students might not be allowed into the country if classes are online only. Stanford, along with other schools, has asked the department to change that stance, Kate said. (That policy was rescinded July 14.)

“We are hopeful of returning (to campus) in the fall, (but) we don’t know,” she said. Classes start Sept. 14.

“We’re trying to keep everybody healthy” in all ways. The players are getting out the message to wear masks, wash hands and maintain social distance.

“There’s so much uncertainty,” she said, summing up the current outlook.

Nevertheless, the team has adopted “Widen the gap” as this year’s theme. It means widening the gap between SWBB and its competitors.

Photos from Stanford Athletics

Virtual spring banquet a time for thanks, recognition

To say that this year’s Stanford women’s basketball banquet on May 12 was unusual would be an understatement.

Yes, the format was similar to past banquets with head coach Tara VanDerveer serving as emcee. In the process, she thanked all the Stanford people who support the team, starting with university and Athletic Department administrators and ending with the interns and student managers.

Nevertheless, it was all different. No alumni center. No round tables seating 10 people. No lavish buffet. No hobnobbing before and after.

Everything is virtual

Instead it was all virtual. Everything appeared on viewers’ screens with head shots of some people and Zoom shots of everyone else.

“How quickly our lives have changed,” Tara said in her opening remarks. Because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, the SWBB season was cut short before the NCAA tournament, the nation was ordered to shelter in place, and students were sent home to complete their classes online.

No one knows when things will return to some semblance of normal.

Many accomplishments for the team

Meanwhile, Tara ticked off the team’s accomplishments. Among the many were winning 20 or more games for the 19^th year (27-6), making the most 3-pointers in Pac-12 history (162) and placing nine players on the Pac-12 academic honor roll.

She introduced her surprise “Bear-buster” guest, Shannon Coffee, ’19, who was in her Ohio home after playing professionally in the French-speaking area of Switzerland. Tara was referring to Shannon’s 3’s that helped Stanford defeat Cal last year.

One of her thank you’s went to Tony and Linda Meier, who gave a pool party for the team in September.

Freshmen cited

Next she began introducing each player by class, starting with the freshmen. As they were named, they were seen at home along with photos of them as pre-schoolers.

n  Forward Fran Belibi: consistent attitude and effort.

n  Guard Haley Jones: savvy and versatile. After being injured for part of the season, she’s expected to be at 100 percent in the fall.

n  Guard Hannah Jump: 43 3’s. Tara added that she would love to see a 3-point shooting contest between Hannah and Karlie Samuelson, ’17, another 3-point hotshot.

n  Forward Ashten Prechtel: second on the team in blocks, 31.

Sophomores come next

Next came the sophomores.

n  Guard Jenna Brown: a hard worker in practice.

n  Guard Lacie Hull: second on the team in free-throw percentage.

n  Guard Lexie Hull: started every game, the leading rebounder (six per game) with the most steals.

Juniors get face time

After a slide show of various non-game team activities, Tara introduced the juniors.

n  Forward Maya Dodson: came back to play in the last nine games after rehabbing an injury for 10 months.

n  Forward Alyssa Jerome: an unselfish player.

n  Guard Kiana Williams: the team’s leading scorer (15 points per game) who started every game and garnered numerous honors.

n  Guard Estella Moschkau: a great practice and team player, she’ll graduate in August and will complete her final year of eligibility at the University of Wisconsin.

n  Guard Anna Wilson: an academic senior, she’ll be back as a red-shirt next year.

Assistant coaches introduced

The assistant coaches were next, starting with Lindy La Rocque, who has moved to UNLV as head coach, where she finds “a new challenge every day,” she said.

Assistant coach Tempie Brown coordinates recruiting. She also was named this year’s winner of the staff award honoring the late Dee Dee Zawaydeh, who ran the SWBB office for 30 years.

In addition to her other duties, associate head coach Kate Paye is good for a last-minute play, Tara said.

Seniors have their say

Finally the seniors appeared and had a chance to speak.

n  Guard Mikaela Brewer, the team’s first Canadian, missed 25 games because of an injury and has written a novel. She thanked the coaches and her teammates for their support during her struggles with mental health.

n  Guard DiJonai Carrington, despite playing only the first five games and missing the rest because of injury, had many accomplishments. DiJonai responded by saying what she’ll miss about each player.  (It wasn’t mentioned that because she missed so many games, she’s eligible for another year and hopes to transfer to either UConn, Baylor or Oregon.)

n  Forward Nadia Fingall also missed games because of injury but showed improvement from last season in every category. She had thanks for everyone, including fans.

“We’re going to be really good”

“We’ll miss you,” Tara said to the seniors. Looking ahead to next season, she recognized the three highly regarded recruits, Cameron Brink, Jana Van Gytenbeek  and Agnes Emma-Nnopu.

“We are going to be really good,” Tara said about the 2020-21 team, with a “tough Pac-12 season.”

The program lasted just over an hour. The traditional video of season highlights wasn’t available then, but it’s on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, where it can be enjoyed more than once.