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| Assistant coach Jeanette Pohlen (in red) with her Stanford coaches, from left: now head coach Kate Paye, retired head coach Tara VanDerveer and retired associate head coach Amy Tucker at Jeanette's induction into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame. |
Optimism was the prevailing mood as head coach Kate
Paye and five players talked about the upcoming Stanford women’s basketball
season during a reception Oct. 21 in the Hall of Champions.
“You will love watching our team play,” Kate told
several hundred supporters.
Announcer Kevin Danna served as emcee and interviewed
three of the 10 returning players and two of the five freshmen.
Junior forwards Courtney Ogden and Mary Ashley
Stevenson along with sophomore guard Shay Ijiwoye said that during the off-season
they worked on conditioning and shooting. Shay added that she focused on
defending without fouling. All three had nothing but praise for their freshman
teammates.
Freshmen
praise returners
The feeling was mutual as freshman forwards Lara
Somfai and Nora Ezike said that returning players helped them adjust to college
ball.
Lara, the team’s second Australian player, following
Alanna Smith, ’19, said she was born in Hungary and speaks Hungarian. However,
she moved to Australia with her family when she was 2 years old and learned
English in school. She has played for the Australian national team.
Nora also has international experience, having played
for Nigeria, where her parents lived before moving to the U.S. During the
summer she played for Nigeria at the FIBA U19 World Cup and recorded 25 points, six rebounds, four assists,
two steals while going eight-for-eight in field goals.
Kevin noted that Shay
is interested in broadcasting and is being mentored by Ros Gold-Onwude, ’10.
But the ties go back to Shay’s childhood when Ros’ mother and aunt were her
babysitters, Shay said.
Taking the microphone,
Kate said that “our freshmen have elevated our returners.”
This is Kate’s second
season as head coach and Stanford’s second season in the ACC. Playing in the
ACC involves cross-country trips.
Last season the team
flew in a chartered plane that needed to refuel once going east and twice going
west, leading to long hours in the plane. This year the team will fly in a
larger plane that won’t need refueling, Kate said.
This year the team also
is enjoying its new locker room after two years of construction. Even though
it’s underground on the west side of Maples, it has natural light from
skylights.
“It’s gorgeous,” Kate
said, adding that includes a lounge, nutrition center and film room.
The men’s basketball
team and women’s volleyball team also have locker rooms in the addition.
On the injury front,
Kate said that senior guard Talana Lepolo is back in action after missing most
of last season with an injury.
Sophomore forward
Harper Peterson also was out with an injury last year, but she was at the
reception minus the boot she had worn.
Karlie celebrating a tournament victory.
Karlie returns
However, Karlie
Samuelson, ’17, who’s back with the team as an intern after playing in the
WNBA, was walking in a boot. As she returned to her car in the Maples lot, she
was using a knee scooter.
In another bit of
trivia, her return reunites her with classmate and teammate Erica “Bird”
McCall, now an assistant coach. Bird’s position recently was endowed by
longtime supporters Celia Oakley and Craig Barratt.
Another assistant
coach, Jeanette Pohlen, ’11, recently was inducted into the Stanford Athletic
Hall of Fame. Her photo, along with the other new inductees, is displayed in
the Hall of Champions.
Fans will have an early
look at the team during an open scrimmage at 10 a.m. Oct. 25 in Maples.
Preliminary action
starts with an exhibition game against Cal State LA at 7 p.m. The regular
season opener is at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 against UNC Greensboro. Both are home games.
(Photos by Stanford Athletics)
