Two wins, including an anniversary for Tara

 

Haley shows off the USA Basketball plaque she got from Tara.

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After a four-game road trip and a break for finals, the Stanford women’s basketball team swung back into action with victories of 91-62 over Pacific on Dec. 12 and 68-42 over UC Davis on Dec. 15.

Prior to the Pacific game, head coach Tara VanDerveer presented junior guard Haley Jones a plaque honoring her role on USA Basketball’s FIBA AmeriCup championship team, a role that earned her a gold medal.

Then in the present, Haley was one of the starters along with senior guards Lexie Hull and Lacie Hull, junior guard Hannah Jump and sophomore forward Cameron Brink.

By game’s end, she was one of the four players in double figures with 11 points in 17 minutes.

Cameron drives to the basket on her way to 25 points against Pacific.

Cameron scores career-high 25

Cameron led the way with a career-high 25 points plus 11 rebounds and four blocks. Lexie added 16 points, and Hannah had 12 points in a game-high 29 minutes.

Pacific stayed fairly close during the first two quarters, which ended with a 45-34 Stanford lead. After that, the Cardinal women turned on the jets.

Before the final buzzer sounded, all 14 available players had seen action and all contributed to the comfortable lead in some way. Freshman forward Kiki Iriafen scored the game’s final seven points, giving her a total of nine in just six minutes.

The team’s seven 3’s were produced by Hannah with three, Lexie with two, and Haley and sixth-year guard Anna Wilson with one each.

Redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown was still sidelined while recovering from an injury last season. Freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel was in uniform and warmed up with the team but has been sidelined all season. Sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek wasn’t there.

Nneka visits Maples

Closely observing the action was former Stanford great Nneka Ogwumike, ’12, a WNBA player who was named one of the league’s 25 all-time best players this year. Sitting courtside next to associate head coach Kate Paye’s younger daughter, she was introduced to cheers by the crowd of 2,789 during the first quarter.

During a break during the first half, it was noted that it was a year ago when Stanford visited Pacific and won, tying Tara for the women’s coach with the most career wins.

This win moved Stanford up to No. 3 from No. 4 in the Dec. 13 AP poll.

Tara, wearing her T-Dawg jacket, is celebrated by the team.

Happy anniversary, Tara

The Davis game held special significance for Tara. It was exactly one year earlier that she became the all-time winning women’s basketball coach, surpassing the late Pat Summitt of Tennessee.

Since then, her career win total has reached 1,132, including the current Davis game.

Early-arriving fans received rally towels inscribed with “Tara at the Top.”

Videos from her career, including comments from present and former players, were shown during the game. Some of them cited their favorite Tara-isms, sayings unique to the coach.

Alumna Kaylee Johnson,’18, was on hand to watch the game.

Another video followed the final buzzer, and athletic director Bernard Muir paid tribute to Tara.

Tara believes in more magic

Tara then spoke briefly, saying, “Last year was a magical year,” referring to all the difficulties the team faced on its way to the national championship.

She was wearing the T-Dawg inscribed quilted jacket given to her by the team last year.

“I believe we still have that magic,” she said, as the team rushed her for a group hug.

The magic wasn’t always in place during the game as the team shot only 43.1 percent overall. However, stout defense limited the Aggies to 30.9 percent.

And the team limited its turnovers to eight while recording 13 assists, showing how well the magic can work. Rebounding also was a plus, 46 compared with 31 by Davis.

Hannah logs most minutes, points

Starters for this game were the same as for the Pacific game with Hannah again playing the longest, 37 minutes, followed closely by Lexie with 34 minutes.

Hannah also led the team in scoring with 17 points. Cameron logged 11 points plus 10 rebounds for another double-double. Lacie added 10 points.

Nine of Hannah’s points came from three 3’s. Lacie had the only other 3-pointer.

All 14 available players got into the game. As she did with Pacific, Jzaniya warmed up with the team but didn’t play. Jana was back but was in street clothes, along with Jenna.

Four-game road trip upcoming

Now the team hits the road again, this time to face No. 7-ranked Tennessee at 2:15 p.m. Dec. 18 and No. 1 South Carolina, the team it edged out in the semi-final game of the Final Four, at 4 p.m. Dec. 21. ESPN2 will televise both games, which conclude the pre-conference season.

After a short break for Christmas, it’s back on the road once more, this time to tip off the Pac-12 season by playing Washington at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 and Washington State at noon Jan. 2. Both games can be seen on the Pac-12 Network.

The first home games of 2022 are scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 7 against Oregon and 3 p.m. Jan. 9 against Oregon State. The Pac-12 Network will air both games.

Winter quarter classes start Jan. 3, but Stanford announced Dec. 16 that they will be virtual for two weeks. There was no word on whether fans would be allowed at games during that time.

Photos by Stanford Athletics

Team back to study for finals and road lessons learned

 

Cardinal players celebrate after the victory over Maryland.

After a grueling seven-day road trip, the Stanford women’s basketball team has returned to campus to focus on completing assignments and studying for finals while reflecting on the lessons learned from three wins and one loss on the road.

The trip began in Spokane, where the team defeated Gonzaga 66-62 on Nov. 21. This victory was notable because junior guard Haley Jones, one of the team’s best players, was unavailable from what head coach Tara VanDerveer said was an injury.

Junior forward Fran Belibi and junior guard Hannah Jump helped to replace some of Haley’s scoring with 14 points each. Sophomore forward Cameron Brink added 12 points, and senior guard Lexie Hull had 11.

It then took the team an unexpectedly long 19 hours to get from Spokane to Nassau, The Bahamas, because of delays and a diversion caused by weather in Florida.

Team enjoys victory for Thanksgiving

Playing in a round-robin tournament at the Baha Mar Grand Hyatt, the team, ranked No. 7 in the Nov. 22 AP poll, celebrated Thanksgiving by squeaking past No. 4 Indiana 69-66 on Nov. 25. Haley was back in action but not quite back to her usual form, scoring 8 points in 22 minutes.

Cameron with 21 points (plus 22 rebounds) and Fran with 14 points did the heavy lifting on scoring.

The team’s loss came in the next game, when No. 18 South Florida topped Stanford 57-54 on Nov. 26. Once again, Cameron led the team in scoring with 23 points (plus 11 rebounds). Freshman guard Brooke Demetre came off the bench to add 14 points.

Although many factors go into a win or loss, the most glaring one in this game came at the free-throw line. Stanford cashed in on only four of 12 attempts, while South Florida made eight of 11, a 4-point advantage in its 3-point win.

Maryland falls 86-67

Stanford got back on the winning track the next day, Nov. 27, routing No. 2 Maryland 86-67 for the largest margin of victory over a top two team.

Giving Maryland the benefit of a doubt, however, it had only seven available players.

On the other side, junior forward Ashten Prechtel didn’t suit up because she was ill. Cameron didn’t start the game after reportedly throwing up in a trash can.  Nevertheless, she got in and managed to add 8 points in nine minutes. On Nov. 29 she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Haley was closer to her usual self with 15 points (plus 13 rebounds) in 31 minutes. Also scoring 15 points were Fran and Lexie.

Hannah was the heroine against Maryland.

Hannah starts, makes seven 3’s

Starting in Cameron’s place, Hannah topped everyone with 21 points, all of them from her seven 3-pointers. All told, the team had 10 3’s.

The 3-1 road record raised Stanford to No. 4 in the Nov. 29 AP poll.

After about a two-week break, the team returns to action at home against Pacific at noon Dec. 12 and UC Davis at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.

Then it’s back on the road to end the nonconference season against Tennessee at 2:15 p.m. Dec. 18 and South Carolina at 4 p.m. Dec. 21. ESPN2 will televise both games.

Photos by Stanford Athletics

 

Home stand ends with loss, win

Standing between the team's trophy and hers, head coach Tara VanDerveer speaks
during the ring ceremony after the Texas game. (Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle)

The Stanford women’s basketball team concluded its four-game home stand by losing to Texas 56-61 on Nov. 14 and defeating Portland 77-55 on Nov. 16.

Starters for both games were senior guards Lexie and Lacie Hull, sixth-year guard Anna Wilson, sophomore forward Cameron Brink and junior guard Haley Jones. Eleven of 15 available players saw some action.

The Texas game was a rough-and-tumble affair with a total of 38 fouls for the teams.

Perhaps Stanford’s biggest problems were turnovers and poor shooting. The game ended with 20 turnovers and 35.4 percent shooting. Texas had only 10 turnovers but 37.7 percent shooting.

On the plus side, Stanford had 37 rebounds to Texas’s 28 and 10 blocks to none by Texas.

Lexie led the team with 16 points plus 11 rebounds, followed by Haley with 15 points.

Only 4 3-point shots go in

Three-point shooting was a dismal 14.8 percent with only four total: two each by Lexie and junior forward Ashten Prechtel. The first 3-point shot didn’t go until about six minutes into the second quarter, when Ashten nailed one to energize the crowd of 3,681.

The first two quarters ended in ties: 10-10 and 25-25. The third quarter ended with Stanford ahead 40-35, but the lead evaporated in the final quarter.

Texas’s defense was tough and physical. Just inbounding the ball was often a challenge for the Cardinal.

2020-21 national champs honored

At halftime, the national championship men’s gymnastics team and women’s artistic swimming teams were introduced.

The afternoon also was a chance to honor the women’s basketball team’s national championship. Before the game, the trophy was displayed in the west concourse where fans could pose for selfies. The first 1,000 fans to arrive received championship T-shirts.

After the game, that trophy was moved to a table at center court, where it was joined by the Naismith Trophy honoring head coach Tara VanDerveer as women’s coach of the year.

The post-game ceremony began with video highlights from the championship game, a 54-53 nail-biter over Arizona.

The championship ring. (Stanford Athletics)

Persis Drell, Stanford provost, presented championship rings to the 12 returning players. Kiana Williams, ’21, the only one who didn’t return, greeted the crowd via video from Australia, where she’s playing professionally with a former Stanford teammate, Alanna Smith, ’19.

Rings also went to athletic administrators, team staff and coaches, ending with Tara.

“We have a great young team,” Tara said. “We’re going to keep improving.”

Co-captains Anna and fifth-year forward Alyssa Jerome spoke briefly before the updated championship board was unveiled on a wall in the southeast corner of Maples.

Portland tries to emulate Texas defense

The game against Portland wasn’t all smooth sailing. After prevailing 43-24 at the half, the host team was nearly hijacked when the Pilots outscored the Cardinal by four points in the third, which nevertheless ended 61-46.

However, Stanford righted the ship in the final quarter and came away with the 22-point win.

Portland apparently took a page from the Texas playbook by applying near-relentless pressure throughout the game, but it didn’t work.

Besides scoring more points, Stanford had more steals, 19-8, and more assists, 20-11, as well as fewer turnovers, 15-32, and fewer fouls, 16-23.

Portland actually had more blocks, 4-6, and rebounds were close, 33-31 in Stanford’s favor. Likewise, Stanford had a slightly higher shooting percentage, 49.2 percent vs. 48.8 percent.

Playing before 2,352 fans, the team was led by Cameron with 21 points.

Haley drives to the basket on her way to a triple-double. (Stanford Athletics)

Haley records a triple-double

Haley added 17 to go with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double. She nearly had 20 points when she sank a half-court shot with 2.6 seconds left in the third quarter, but it was negated by a travel call. It was the team’s first triple-double since Nicole Powell, 04, accomplished the feat in 2002.

Freshman guard Brooke Demetre had 11 points. Freshman forward Kiki Iriafen kicked in nine, adding to accolades for their class.

Stanford had an uncharacteristically low two 3’s, with one each by Lexie and Ashten. Lexie reached the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career when she made two free throws during the third quarter.

Tara used 10 players throughout the game until the final minutes when the outcome was clear. That’s when the rest took over.

Next four games are on the road

After playing its first four games at home, the team takes to the road for the next four, not returning until the Pacific game at noon Dec. 12.

In the meantime, the team will go to Gonzaga at 1 p.m. Nov. 21 (available on SWX), followed by a three-game tournament in the Bahamas during the Thanksgiving break.

Like Stanford at No. 7, the other three teams were ranked in AP’s Nov. 15 poll.

Thus the schedule features Indiana (No. 4) at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 25, South Florida (No. 23) at 9 a.m. Nov. 26 and Maryland (No. 3) at noon Nov. 27. All three games will be available on FloHoops, a subscription service.

 

Season starts with lopsided victory

Lexie shoots on her way to 11 points.

Stanford women’s basketball started its season on a winning note by defeating the visiting Morgan State Bears from Baltimore 91-36 on Nov. 11.

With the score so lopsided, the game provided some insights into the defending national champion’s strengths and weaknesses.

The strengths numbered many, starting with stingy defense. It resulted in only half of Morgan State’s points coming from baskets, just 19.5 percent efficiency. Stanford shot at a 58.2 percent clip.

The visitors made 18 of 25 free throws, resulting from the hosts’ 15 fouls. Stanford made 17 of 26 free throws from Morgan State’s 22 fouls.

All 15 available players got into the game, with 14 scoring and all contributing. Only redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown and freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel were sidelined. Jenna was in street clothes, but Jzaniya was in uniform and took part in warmups.

Coach rotates players

No one played more than 22 minutes as head coach Tara VanDerveer rotated players in and out, apparently looking for the best combos for given situations.

Perhaps the changing combos contributed to the 21 turnovers (Morgan State had 27). Those turnovers came from passes that didn’t get where they were supposed to go or from occasional failure to take care of the ball, giving the opponent 10 steals (Stanford had 14).

Cameron, backed by senior guard Lacie Hull, defends against a Morgan State player.

Even with limited time, five players were in double figures. They were led by junior forward Fran Belibi with 12; senior guard Lexie Hull and junior guard Hannah Jump with 11 each; and sophomore forward Cameron Brink and freshman forward Kiki Iriafen with 10 each.

Stanford outrebounded Morgan State 39-20 and had six blocks to the visitors’ none. Morgan State had only one assist, Stanford 18.

Starters were Lexie, Cameron, Hannah, sixth-year guard Anna Wilson and junior guard Haley Jones.

Visitors have trouble making baskets

Morgan State didn’t score until about four minutes into the game, nailing a 3. That was it for the first quarter, which ended 21-3.

It would have ended 18-3 if Lexie hadn’t been fouled while trying a desperation shot from the backcourt with just one second left. She then made all three free throws.

In the second quarter, which ended 39-19, free throws and two baskets produced Morgan State’s points

The story was much the same in the third quarter, which ended 63-22, with only free throws scoring for Morgan State.

Fran, Hannah team up for last-second heroics

Like the second quarter, this one ended with last-second heroics, thanks to a steal by Fran that led to a 3 by Hannah.

However, that quarter was marred when Anna fell hard, got up holding her hip and headed to the locker room with trainer Katelin Knox. She returned to the bench with an ice pack to start the fourth quarter and didn’t play anymore.

Stanford’s 10 3’s were produced by Hannah and Lexie with three each. Haley, sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek, fifth-year guard Jordan Hamilton and freshman guard Brooke Demetre with one each accounted for the others.

Military veterans are recognized

During halftime of this Veterans Day game, military veterans in the crowd of 2,696 were asked to stand and be honored.

Only a few concessions were open. They don’t accept cash, and customers submit  orders on tablets.

As with the exhibition game with Clarke, the band, Tree, Dollies and cheerleaders were missing.

My complaint about both games was the deafening music during breaks. At times it even continued when play was to resume. It was hard to hear anyone seated nearby. It must have been doubly hard for the coaches and players. I wished I had tucked earplugs into my clear bag.

Up next are home games against Texas at noon Nov. 14 and Portland at 7 p.m. Nov. 16. ESPN will air the Texas game. The Portland game will be seen on the Pac-12 Network.

The first 1,000 fans to arrive at the Texas game will receive championship T-shirts. The players will receive their championship rings in a ceremony after the game. 

Photos by Tony Avelar, Associated Press

Exhibition win gets fans excited

Tara (center) issues instructions during a timeout. (Stanford Athletics)

The Stanford women’s basketball team breezed to a 105-35 exhibition win over Clarke on Nov. 6.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer used all 14 available players in a mix of veterans and newcomers, giving everyone a chance to thrive.

Sidelined players were redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown, sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek and freshman guard Jzaniya Harriel, although she was on the floor for warmups.

Starters were sixth-year guard Anna Wilson at the point, junior guard Haley Jones, senior guard Lexie Hull, sophomore forward Cameron Brink and junior forward Fran Belibi.

The first five scores came from the Haley-Fran show. After that, everyone got into the act. By game’s end, everyone except Lexie had scored, but everyone contributed in some other way, too. No one played more than 18 minutes.

Six score in double figures

Nevertheless, six players were in double figures: Haley with 14; junior guard Hannah Jump, freshman guard Elena Bosgana and freshman forward Kiki Iriafen with 11 each; and Fran and Cameron with 10 each. Kiki also led the team with 11 rebounds.

The team lofted 11 3’s, with three by Hannah; two each by Anna, Elena and fifth-year forward Alyssa Jerome; and one each by senior guard Lacie Hull and freshman guard Brooke Demetre.

Fifth-year guard Jordan Hamilton takes the ball upcourt. (Clarke Athletics)

The Cardinal outperformed the visiting Pride (from Dubuque, Iowa) in all statistical categories.

Great defense stymied Clarke throughout the game, and back-door cuts resulted in several baskets.

Post-game routine changes

After the game, the teams skipped the usual handshakes or fist bumps and merely waved at each other – part of the COVID protocol. Then the victory balls flew.

That protocol requires everyone to show an ID and proof of vaccination at the door. The concessions accept no cash, and orders are submitted on tablets at each stand.

Because it was an exhibition game, there were no cheerleaders, band, Dollies or Tree.

The real season starts at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 when Maryland’s Morgan State comes to call.

Texas is next on the schedule at noon Nov. 14. During a post-game ceremony, the national championship players will receive their rings. The Texas game will be shown on ESPN/2/U.

As the 2,338 fans were leaving Maples, one of them said, “This is going to be an exciting year.” Judging by what the team displayed in the Clarke game, she was exactly right.

 

 

 

 

Team likely to scare opponents

 

Players go through a drill during a previous practice.

Oct. 31 was scary, but not because it was Halloween. Instead it was scary for the teams that will face the Stanford women’s basketball team during this season.

The roster boasts not only 12 of the 13 players who won the 2021 NCAA national championship but also four promising freshmen and a graduate transfer --- a total of 17 players.

Those freshmen are guard Elena Bosgana, the program’s first Greek player, along with guard Brooke Demetre, guard Jzaniya (“Jazzy”) Harriel and forward Kiki Iriafen. The graduate transfer is guard Jordan Hamilton.

Season ticket holders were treated to their first look at this new and expanded version of the team during an open practice and scrimmage on Halloween.

All 17 players were in uniform, but only 16 took part in the practice drills and 14 in the scrimmage.

Anna is back.

Redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown, who missed all of last season with an injury, saw no action. Sixth-year guard Anna Wilson and Jazzy were sidelined during the scrimmage.

While the at least 200 fans consulted their rosters to keep track of everyone,  players were divided into red and white teams for the scrimmage. Several  switched sides during the four highly competitive quarters.

It appeared that junior guard Haley Jones, sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek and Jordan shared point guard duties.

Defense is a strong point

My overall impression is that this team is a defensive juggernaut. One player who seemed especially dogged on defense was sophomore guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu.

I didn’t keep track of scoring, but it’s noteworthy that at least six players hit from beyond the 3-point line. Even more did so during the drills that started the session.

The action often was fast-paced with numerous passes and some nifty assists.

This practice mimicked the real thing with three referees and a time clock. Adding to the reality, announcer Betty Ann Hagenau provided commentary for her 23^rd year behind the microphone.

During timeouts she delved into some history, noting that assistant coach Katy Steding was on Stanford’s first national championship team in 1990, and associate head coach Kate Paye helped the Cardinal win its second national championship in 1992.

They joined head coach Tara VanDerveer and assistant coach Britney Anderson for the team’s third championship last season. Now in her 36^th season at Stanford, Tara helmed all three national titles.

Jeanette returns to her alma mater

Making her return to the Farm is Jeanette Pohlen, ’11, serving as a coaching intern. Fans remember her as a formidable guard.

During another timeout, Betty Ann asked first-time season-ticket holders to stand. There was a smattering. Many, many more stood when she asked for those who had had season tickets for at least five seasons. Many of them remained standing during the calls for 10 years, even 15, 20 years and more.

After the scrimmage, Tara spoke briefly, saying, “It’s great to have fans back in the gym.” The team played in front of empty seats last season because of COVID restrictions. (Fans filing into Maples now must show their IDs and proof of vaccination and wear masks.)

She introduced the players and staff before thanking the crowd for coming and reminding them of three upcoming home games: an exhibition against Clarke at noon Nov. 6 and regular season games against Morgan State at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 and Texas at noon Nov. 14.

As the fans left, she talked to the team and staff in a circle at center court.

And while they left, fans talked among themselves about how impressed they were with what they had seen. This team is deep and talented.

Photos by Stanford Athletics

 

 

 

 

 

Veterans, newcomers sow excitement for coming season

 Haley (in Giants jersey) tossed the first pitch at an SF Giants game. (Stanford Athletics)

With 12 of its 13 national championship players returning and five highly regarded newcomers arriving, the outlook for the Stanford women’s basketball team’s 2021-22 season looks bright.

Kate

  “There’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of excitement,” associate head    coach Kate Paye said in a recent phone interview.

These feelings are heightened by the expectation that campus life will be close to normal for the fall quarter. By then coronavirus vaccinations will be required for everyone, with exceptions only for medical or religious reasons.

Team faced adversity last season

The coronavirus pandemic played havoc with everyone in the nation starting in March 2020.

Forced out of its Maples Pavilion home for most of the ’20-21 season, the team had to be flexible, a trait that paid off in games. The players faced a lot of adversity, but “they really rose to the challenge,” Kate said.

She believes that the team’s chemistry and culture along with its flexibility were the biggest factors in its success.

Game after game, someone different, often a bench player, might come through with a winning play. It’s called “benergy.  It’s all about our team,” Kate said.

Now the players are enjoying being on campus. Sixteen of the 17 are there. Most of them recently were honored at a San Francisco Giants game when junior guard Haley Jones threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Agnes visiting family in Australia

The only player not on campus is sophomore guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu. She’s visiting her family in Australia while taking classes remotely.

She hadn’t been home in a year, but when she arrived in Australia, she had to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks before being allowed to go home. She’s expected to return to campus in about a week, Kate said.

Point guard Kiana Williams, who graduated and opted to turn pro, is the only player not returning from last season. She’ll be missed, Kate said.

Finding someone to fill her spot at point guard is the team’s biggest question mark for now, Kate said. Possible replacements are sophomore guard Jana Van Gytenbeek, sixth-year guard Anna Wilson and graduate transfer guard Jordan Hamilton.

Besides Jordan, who comes from Northwestern University, the team's other newcomers are all freshmen: guards Brooke Demetre, Jzaniya Harriel and Elena Bosgana, and forward Okikiola (Kiki) Iriafen. Elena, who hails from Greece is the program's first European player.

Kate praises newcomers

Kate had high praise for all of them and noted that they’ve been welcomed and mentored by the returning players.

Both Anna and fifth-year forward Alyssa Jerome are returning thanks to an NCAA rule that grants an extra year of eligibility to last year’s winter sports players who were affected by pandemic restrictions. Jordan also is taking advantage of the rule.

Redshirt junior guard Jenna Brown hasn’t been cleared to practice while recovering from a knee injury that kept her out all of last season, but “she’s making a lot of progress,” Kate said.

Andrea Hayden confers with Sergio Romo of the Minnesota Twins in 2020. (Minnesota Twins photo)

Yet another newcomer is strength and conditioning coach Andrea Hayden, who recently had a similar role with Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins.

“We are thrilled with Andrea,” who was one of the first women in MLB, Kate said. Well organized with a good personality, she replaces Ali Kershner, who was named director of creative strategy for The Art of Coaching, based in Beaverton Ore. 

Internships offer experience

Several players are getting valuable experience from internships. Anna is with a firm that does creative work for Nike. Jordan is in commercial real estate.

Junior  forward Fran Belibi is doing research at a hospital. Two other juniors – forward Ashten Prechtel and guard Hannah Jump – are working at youth sports camps.

  

Tara at the ESPYs (Getty Images)

There was a special honor for head coach Tara Vanderveer, who won the ESPY award for 2021’s Best   Manager/Coach on July 10. The team is proud of her, Kate said. “She's a phenomenal coach and leader.”

 Summer classes end Aug. 27. Fall classes start Sept. 20.

 Championship players to get rings

 Championship rings for the ’20-21 team are being ordered,   but Kate wasn’t sure when or how they will be presented.

 Although the season schedule won’t be announced until late summer or early fall, Kate said exhibition games will   probably start in late October or early November.

Fans, who will be in Maples, too, can expect “an extremely challenging schedule,” she said.

With an unusually large roster, Kate expects things will be “extremely competitive (but) we consider depth a plus.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adversity can't stop this championship team

 

The players react with joy after clinching the NCAA crown. (Stanford Athletics)

Through a season buffeted by unprecedented external forces, Stanford women’s basketball players not only survived but thrived and prevailed.

Playing their way to a 31-2 record, they won the Pac-12 season championship, the Pac-12 tournament championship and the crown jewel – the NCAA national championship.

In her 35^th season on the Farm and her 42^nd year of college coaching, head coach Tara VanDerveer steered them with a steady hand.

In the process, she became the winningest women’s basketball coach ever, amassing 1,125 wins overall. The total would have been even greater if she hadn’t taken a year off to coach the USA team to an Olympic gold medal in 1996.

Tara wins three coach of the year honors

She was rewarded by being named Pac-12 coach of the year, Naismith women’s coach of the year and U.S. Basketball Writers Association coach of the year.

True to her nature, she was quick to credit her fellow coaches --associate head coach Kate Paye and the two new assistant coaches, Katy Steding and Britney Anderson – as well as the other staff people who helped to make the season so successful.

She also credited the mature leadership of fifth-year guard Anna Wilson, senior guard Kiana Williams and senior forward Alyssa Jerome.

External forces facing the team were social unrest, the contentious presidential election and the COVID pandemic, which upended everyone’s lives. Masks and social distancing became the norm along with testing for the players.

COVID changes everything

COVID was the biggest disrupter, starting back in the 2019-20 season when it caused the abrupt cancellation of the NCAA tournament.

Then cancellations and postponements in 2020-21 forced the team to be flexible, ready to adapt seemingly at a minute’s notice while taking classes remotely.

During the summer, the players were home, working out on their own and following individual plans crafted by strength and conditioning coach Ali Kershner.

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

There were weekly calls with notables like Nneka Ogwumike, ’12, and small group Zoom calls.

At one time a 15-player roster was envisioned, but, as allowed by NCAA rules, senior forward Maya Dodson elected to stay home in Georgia to focus on social justice. She later said she would transfer to Notre Dame as a grad student in the fall.

Guard Estella Moschkau graduated a year early and played as a grad student at the University of Wisconsin, her home state.

Roster reduced to 12 active players

Junior guard Jenna Brown became unavailable when she suffered a season-ending injury before competition began. Thus the roster was pared to 12 active players.

They returned to campus for the fall semester in September and lived in the same housing complex.

Cutouts of some former greats take the place of live fans. (Stanford Athletics)

Competition started Nov. 25 as the team romped over Cal Poly 108-40 in a fan-less Maples Pavilion. As was true throughout the season, the coaches and players were socially distanced and wore masks on the sidelines. Cutouts of fans and former players adorned the stands.

The starting lineup featured Kiana, Anna, junior guard Lexie Hull, sophomore guard Haley Jones and sophomore forward Fran Belibi, but everyone got in on the action. 

By then the few students who were on campus had left for the quarter break, but SWBB stayed until Santa Clara County health restrictions sent them on their long odyssey.

Lindy hosts team for two games

Lindy La Rocque, former Stanford assistant coach and alum, now head coach at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, gave the team a home for the next two games.

The team reciprocated by defeating her team 101-54 on Dec. 5. The next day, it dispatched Washington 81-50.  

The UNLV game had been scheduled at the last minute after Stanford’s home games against Pacific and San Diego University were cancelled because of the county’s restrictions. The Dec. 8 game against Washington State was postponed for COVID issues at WSU. The Dec. 11 home game against UC Davis also was cancelled.

Then it was back to the Bay Area to defeat Cal 83-38 on Dec. 13,  when Fran dunked, followed by a trip to the University of the Pacific in Stockton for a 104-61 win on Dec. 15.

Tara ties, then tops Pat Summitt’s record

The Cal game meant that Tara had tied the late Pat Summitt’s of Tennessee record of 1,098 wins. The Pacific game topped it at 1,099.

Tara shows off the T-DAWG jacket from her players. (Stanford Athletics)

After the Pacific game, the players clustered around Tara and gave her a black jacket with T-DAWG, their nickname for her, on the back.

Following a short break, the team traveled to Los Angeles to defeat USC 80-60 on Dec. 19 and UCLA 61-49 on Dec. 21, when Fran dunked again.

After a five-day break in Northern California with no official practice, the team continued its winning ways in the desert by defeating Arizona 81-54 on Jan. 1 and Arizona State 68-60 on Jan. 3.

Santa Cruz serves as temporary home

Listed as a home game for Stanford, the Jan. 8 game against Oregon was played in Santa Cruz’s Kaiser Permanente Arena.

Despite missing three players – Alyssa, Lexie and sophomore guard Hannah Jump – for contact tracing, Stanford prevailed over Oregon 70-63 on Jan. 8. Junior guard Lacie Hull replaced Lexie in the starting lineup.

Haley who lives near the arena, said her mother  helped to fuel the team with oatmeal cookies and brownies.

The Jan. 10 game against Oregon State was postponed because of COVID issues there.

Team suffers first and only two losses

With Lexie, Alyssa and Hannah back in action, the team coasted over Utah 82-54 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 15 but suffered its first loss on Jan. 17, falling at Colorado 77-72 in overtime.

Returning to Santa Cruz, the team suffered its second loss, 70-66 to UCLA on Jan. 22, but  bounced back to defeat USC 86-59 on Jan. 24.

Tara tweaked the starting lineup for the USC game, inserting Cameron in place of Fran. Tara stayed with that lineup – Cameron, Kiana, Anna, Lexie and Haley – for the rest of the season.

Traveling to the Evergreen State, Stanford swept Washington State 71-49 on Jan. 27 and 77-49 on Jan. 29, then traveled across the Cascades to brush off Washington 74-48 on Jan. 31.

Home sweet home

Hurrah! The team was allowed to return home to Maples for the first time since Nov. 25. It got revenge over Colorado with a 62-54 win on Feb. 5. It then beat Utah 83-41 on Feb. 7.

After a decisive 83-58 win at Oregon State on Feb. 13, the team gutted out a 63-61 squeaker at Oregon on Feb. 15.

The team was back in Maples for an 80-41 win over Arizona State on Feb. 19 and clinched the Pac-12 season championship with a 62-48 victory over Arizona on Feb. 22.

Tara joins Anna (left), Kiana and Alyssa in Maples for Senior Day on Feb. 28. (Stanford Athletics)

Celebrating Senior Day on Feb. 28, the team completed its regular season with a 72-33 home victory over Cal.

Cardinal capture Pac-12 tournament crown

Next it was off to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 tournament. As the No. 1 seed, Stanford had a bye. It then swept its way to the championship by defeating USC 92-53 on March 4, Oregon State 79-45 on March 5 and  UCLA 75-55 on March 7 to clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Kiana was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Lexie and Cameron were named to the all-tournament team.

Anna shows the grit that made her an outstanding defender. (Jed Jacobsohn/AP)

Earlier in the month, Anna was named the conference’s co-defensive player of the year and part of the all-defensive team. Lacie was named sixth player of the year. Lexie, Haley and Kiana were named to the 15-member all-conference team, and Cameron was named to the all-freshman team.

Six wins and it’s time to celebrate

Six wins at the NCAA tournament in San Antonio gave the team the national championship, the program’s third-ever and its first since 1992.

The championship path started with an 87-44 drubbing of Utah Valley on March 21 and a closer win over Oklahoma State, 73-62, on March 23.

The Sweet 16 was sweet with an 89-62 win over Missouri State on March 28 to advance to the Elite Eight. That’s when things got tougher.

Overcoming a 14-point deficit early in the third quarter, the Cardinal staged an epic comeback and defeated Louisville 78-63 on March 30.

Team ekes out two one-point games to win

Two Final Four nail biters nailed down the championship.

Sophomore forward Ashten Prechtel jumps for joy after the team edged South Carolina. (Getty Images)

First, Stanford defeated South Carolina 66-65 in the semi-final game April 2. One point also proved to be the winning margin against Arizona, when Stanford prevailed 54-53 on April 4 to capture the trophy. 

Both games were decided in the final seconds when the opponents unsuccessfully tried game-winning shots.

Haley and teammates are jubilant after clinching the NCAA crown. (Getty Images)

After the game, Haley was named the tournament’s most outstanding player, and Lexie was named to the all-tournament team, giving the Cardinal two of its five players.

Kiana was named a second team All-American, and Haley received honorable mention.

Stanford set a tournament record for three-pointers with a total of 55 in the six games.

Cameron, with 88 blocks this year, broke the single-season record set by Jayne Appel,’10, in 2007-08.

Kate, Tara and the trophy lead the celebratory parade. (Stanford Athletics)

Parade fetes returning heroines

Returning to campus April 5, the team and staff were greeted by hundreds of cheering fans as they paraded around campus and downtown Palo Alto in convertibles.

Ten days later, Kiana was in the spotlight again as she was claimed by the Seattle Storm in the second round of the WNBA draft.

Virtual banquet wraps up season

Still separated by Zoom, fans joined Tara as she emceed the April 18 virtual banquet honoring everyone who had made the championship season possible.

She gave a quick rundown of the season, when players first had to practice outside. She praised the team’s closeness, saying, “Our team is the definition of sisterhood.”

As is traditional, she introduced each player by class, starting with the freshmen and ending with the seniors. All of them thanked the fans for their support.

Haley spoke from South Carolina, where she was taking part in the 2021 USA AmeriCup Team trials.

Tara chatted with some illustrious former players and talked about the four recruits.

Several times she spoke of returning to Maples next season. She said she has invited Anna and Alyssa to return, as allowed by NCAA rules giving an extra year of eligibility to this year’s players. Kiana was already in Seattle with the Storm.

The other news emerging involved the schedule, which includes games against Gonzaga, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas, a possible tournament in Hawaii and the always tough Pac-12.

The session ended with a slide show of season highlights, evoking happy memories.