After falling to Cal, team returns to winning column

 

More than 1,500 school kids cheer the team to victory against UTSA. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos)

After enduring a 63-83 loss at Cal, the Stanford women’s basketball team returned home to defeat UT San Antonio 62-57 on Dec. 16.

Stanford led throughout the game except for early in the third quarter, when UTSA briefly had a 2-point lead that senior forward Brooke Demetre quickly erased with a 3-pointer.

The Cardinal had its biggest lead, 15 points, about halfway through the fourth quarter, but the Road Runners kept chipping away. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty,” head coach Kate Paye said at the post-game Behind the Bench.

Stanford was clinging to a 60-57 lead with 13.5 seconds left and UTSA with the ball. However, referees stopped action because the clock hadn’t advanced when ball went into play

After checking, they took about three seconds off the clock. UTSA then inbounded the ball, but redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel stole the ball, ran down the court and scored a buzzer-beater, icing the victory.

Ironically, she had opened the game with a 3-pointer, thus bookending the win.

Finishing with 12 points, she was one of three Cardinal players in double figures. Senior guard Elena Bosgana was the high-scorer with 13 points plus a team-high 11 rebounds. Brooke, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter, had 11 points.

Sophomore guard Nunu Agara, usually among the high scorers, was bottled by the UTSA defense and scored only 9 points.

Stanford had eight 3’s, with three each by Brooke and Jzaniya and two by junior guard Tess Heal.

The crowd of 4,600 included more than 1,500 students from area schools. They filled most of the upper areas and cheered mightily for the home team.

Cal prevails over Stanford

Friday the 13^th is reputed to be unlucky.

That certainly was the case for the Stanford women’s basketball team, which lost 63-83 at Cal on Friday, Dec. 13, just after the end of finals.

It was the first meeting of the longtime rivals as part of the ACC following the demise of the Pac-12.

Part of the reason for the Cardinal’s undoing was the Bears’ success beyond the arc – a school record 18 3’s resulting in 54 points, more than half of their final score.

Stanford had what has become its typical 3-point success with nine, not enough to counteract its opponent.

Also hurting the team were 12 turnovers to Cal’s nine. Cal also had more rebounds, assists and blocks.

Among the five starters –Nunu, Elena, Brooke, Jzaniya and Tess – only Brooke with a team-leading 18 points and Nunu with 13 were in double figures. Sophomore guard Chloe Clardy had 10 off the bench.

The 3’s came from Brooke with four, Elena with three and one each by Nunu and Chloe in this game attended by more than 3,100.

Next up for the team is Ohio State at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Chase Center in San Francisco. It will be televised on FS1.

This will be followed by a short holiday break that ends with an ACC road trip to SMU at 5 p.m. PT Jan. 2, shown on ACCN, and Clemson at 11 a.m. PT Jan. 5, shown on CW Network. Winter quarter classes start Jan. 6.

 

 

Cardinal lose to LSU in OT after leading most of the way

 

Brooke defends against an LSU layup. (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)        

Playing in front of more than 10,000 fans, most of them rooting for the host, Louisiana State University, the Stanford women’s basketball team went toe-to-toe with the undefeated and then-ranked No. 5 LSU on Dec. 5 only to lose 94-88 in overtime.

Except for the first 15 seconds, when LSU hit a three-pointer, Stanford surged ahead and led 28-15 at the end of the first quarter. The team held a lead until the fourth quarter’s final seconds, when LSU scored two points to tie at 80-80.

Sophomore forward Nunu Agara led the charge with 29 points and 13 rebounds. According to Sports Reference, Nunu is the first DI player to have 29 points and 13 rebounds in a true road game against an AP top-five opponent since Nov. 21, 2021.

Three of her teammates scored in double digits with 19 by senior guard Brooke Demetre, 16 by senior guard Elena Bosgana and 15 by redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel.

The four top scorers were again joined in the starting lineup by junior guard Tess Heal, filling in for junior guard Talana Lepolo, who reportedly has knee and ankle problems. The TV announcer said she didn’t make the trip to Baton Rouge.

Her absence left 13 available players, with eight getting into the game.

Stanford out-rebounded LSU, but 15 turnovers led to 14 LSU points. It also hurt that Brooke was bothered by leg cramps in the final moments.

The visitors made nine 3’s, with three each by Brooke and Jzaniya, two by Nunu and one by Elena.

Among those cheering for Stanford was Nneka Ogwumike, ’12, who plays professionally with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. She was wearing a Stanford sweatshirt.

The next game is at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at Cal, just an easy drive across the bay. This will be the team’s first ACC contest.

The team stays home to host UT San Antonio at noon Dec. 16, and then takes a bus to Chase Center in San Francisco to play Ohio State at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 20 before the holiday break.

ACCNX will stream the Cal and UTSA games, while FS1 will carry the Ohio State game.

Another lopsided home win; Tritons fall

 

Elena brings the ball upcourt on her way to a record performance. (Stanford Athletics)

Stanford women’s basketball completed its three-game home stand with another lopsided win, 84-54, over the UC San Diego Tritons on Nov. 29.

Senior guard Elena Bosgana led the charge with a career-high 26 points on 10-for-10 shooting, tying the school record for single-game field goal percentage, Stanford Athletics reported. Her performance included 5-5 from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds, three assists and four steals.

Sophomore forward Nunu Agara was right behind her with 22 points, including another two of the team’s nine threes.

Both of the others were provided by junior guard Tess Heal with two, leading to 13 points. Senior guard Brooke Demetre was the other Cardinal in double figures with 12.

Attendance was reported at just over 3,000 with contingents of UCSD fans behind its bench and in an upper northeast section.

Few students were there because the school was on Thanksgiving break. Thus no band, Tree, etc.

The game started with Nunu, Elena, Brooke, redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel and Tess, who was again filling in for unavailable junior guard Talana Lepolo.

Four more players got into the action during the first quarter as the team surged to a 32-4 lead. Still others joined in during the second quarter, in which junior guard Stavi Papadaki intercepted the ball and raced across the court to score. This action was selected as the Pepsi Refreshing Moment of the Game.

By the end of the second quarter, 12 of the 13 available players had gotten in, and Stanford led 48-16. All 13 eventually got in.

The story changed in the third and fourth quarters as UCSD tightened its defense and sharpened its shooting to outscore Stanford by one point in each quarter. Stanford’s turnovers from its sloppy passes and UCSD’s steals marred its performance.

In all, the team had an uncharacteristic 25 turnovers. That won’t work against tougher opponents.

At the Behind the Bench, recently retired head coach Tara VanDerveer praised her younger sister, Heidi, UCSD’s head coach.

Speaking about the game, Heidi said, “I knew what we were getting into,” especially in the first quarter. “Stanford showed us the pace we have to play with.”

It helps when teams play well, Tara said, adding that UCSD “competed well in three quarters.”

Since the game came the day after Thanksgiving, Heidi said that the two teams had Thanksgiving dinner together in the Stanford Hall of Champions.

The team takes to the road to play Louisiana State at 6 p.m. PT on Dec. 5 and cross-bay rival Cal at 7 p.m. PT Dec. 13 to start ACC competition.  ESPN2 will televise the LSU game. The Cal game will be streamed on ACCNX.

 

Team posts two more wins after loss to IU

 Returning from its first road trip and first loss of the season, the Stanford women’s basketball team righted the ship with two wins.

The first was a 91-49 blowout over Morgan State on Nov. 22, the second an 81-45 defeat of Cal Poly on Nov. 25.

For the record, the 79-66 loss came to Indiana University three time zones away on Nov. 17. Playing in front of more than 10,000 fans, the team lost its three-point touch, making only two.

The story was different against Morgan State as four players teamed up for 10 3’s, with three each by senior forward Brooke Demetre and redshirt junior guard Jzaniya Harriel.

Played in front of more than 2,500 on a rainy, rainy night, the game featured several firsts. One of them saw junior guard Tess Heal getting her first start, filling in for unavailable junior guard Talana Lepolo. She finished with a game-high 14 points.

Another was that freshman center Kennedy Umeh had her first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, all in less than 11 minutes.

Finally, junior guard Lauren Green, who rarely gets to play, scored her first-ever collegiate basket, much to the delight of her teammates and the fans.

Tess started again against Cal Poly and went on to score 14 points, behind Brooke’s 17 and sophomore forward Nunu Agara’s 15.

Brooke accounted for half of the team’s six 3’s while senior guard Elena Bosgana had two and Tess one.

In this game attended by more than 2,700, Stanford dominated the first quarter, but Cal Poly matched its points output, 18, in the second. Nevertheless, Stanford surged ahead in the final quarters, leading to the 81-45 victory.

Next up is UC San Diego, coached by Tara VanDerveer’s sister Heidi, at 2 p.m. Nov. 29. ACCNX will stream the game.

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.