Thanks for the memories: Part 1 of 2

Winding up the 2016-17 season with a 32-6 record, the Stanford women’s basketball team posted several major accomplishments. They included the 1,000^th win of head coach Tara VanDerveer’s coaching career, the Pac-12 tournament championship and the first trip to the Final Four since the seniors were freshmen.

Here’s how it all happened:

For most of the team, the 2016-17 season began with practices during the spring and summer.

Returning players had workouts in the spring and were joined by three of the four freshmen for summer school. The other freshman, guard Mikaela Brewer of Canada, was playing for Team Canada, which won silver at U18 competition in Chile.

The freshmen on campus were McDonald’s All-Americans: guards Anna Wilson and DiJonai Carrington and forward Nadia Fingall. Anna and DiJonai couldn’t practice because of injuries. Nadia played in Pro-Am games in San Francisco, as did senior forward Erica “Bird” McCall.

Alexa goes to India

Sophomore guard Alexa Romano was on campus but wasn’t taking classes because she was part of the new Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program. Alexa did some coaching and taught English and computer literacy at a youth center in New Delhi, India.

When the team reconvened in the fall, it was missing two seniors. Guard Lili Thompson had left for undisclosed reasons but remained in school to complete her degree. She later committed to Notre Dame to play as a graduate transfer next season. Forward Kailee Johnson graduated early to begin a career in real estate investing.

Fans got their first look at the team during an open practice Oct. 24. Senior guard Karlie Samuelson, sporting a red cast on her left wrist, took part only in non-contact drills. Anna stayed on the sidelines as she recovered from a concussion suffered in the spring.

After the practice, Tara introduced each player. She said the team was perhaps a month ahead of where it was at the same time a year ago.

The team had its only competitive tune-up at home Nov. 4 when it defeated UC San Diego 85-41 in an exhibition. The Division II school is coached by Tara’s sister Heidi VanDerveer.

Anna and Karlie were still sidelined, but the other 11 players all contributed. Afterward, Tara introduced the freshmen and said that “our future is in great hands with” them.

Season opens with a win over Cal Poly

Competition began for real at home on Nov. 11 when Cal Poly fell 83-55. Senior guard Briana Roberson led the way with 16 points, including four 3’s Also contributing to the team’s eight 3’s were Karlie and Mikaela with two each. Karlie had been cleared to play only a few days earlier.

The starters were Bird, junior forward Kaylee Johnson, Bri, junior guard Brittany McPhee and sophomore guard Marta Sniezek.

Britt is introduced before going on to lead the team over Texas. (Don Feria Isi/Photo)

Texas came calling on Nov. 14 and left with a 71-59 loss. Visiting from Australia, Darren Smith, father of sophomore forward Alanna Smith, said after the game that he had one bit of advice for the team: “Get the ball to Brittany.” Evidently the team heeded him, for Britt poured in a game-high and career-high 28 points.

Gonzaga dishes out first loss

The outcome was different Nov. 18 when Gonzaga left Maples with a 68-63 victory. Still, Britt led the team with 22 points. Bird added 17 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.

The team returned to its winning ways by downing Cal State Northridge 88-54 at home on Nov. 20. The starting lineup featured Bird, Kaylee, Bri, Britt and Karlie for the first time since recovering from her injury.

Perhaps because she was looking ahead to a Thanksgiving tournament with three games in three days, Tara used all available players. Bird led the team with 17 points. Center Shannon Coffee logged only seven minutes but made a career-high 8 points, going 3-for-3 from the floor and 2-for-2 at the free-throw line. She added three rebounds and a steal to her stat line.

Three wins help team celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico

Thanksgiving break found the Cardinal in Cancun, Mexico, winning three games in three days: 74-45 over Northeastern on Nov. 24, 87-39 over Wichita State on Nov. 25 and 78-69 over Purdue on Nov. 26.

Back on the road, the Cardinal visited Bird’s home town on Dec. 1 and came away with a 77-56 win over Cal State Bakersfield, coached by her father, Greg. She helped clinch the win with 18 points.

The team came home to defeat UC Davis 68-42 on Dec. 4. With Kaylee sidelined by a foot injury, the starters were Marta, Bri, Karlie, Britt and Bird. Once again all 11 available players scored.

After the game, season ticket holders adjourned to Dallmer Court to enjoy refreshments and hear from the coaches and players.

After time off for finals, the team journeyed to Tennessee and lost 59-51 on Dec. 18. Then it was off to the nation’s capital for a 71-52 victory over George Washington on Dec. 21. Scoring 13 points, Bird became the 37^th SWBB player to surpass 1,000 points.

Anna cheered in her first action

Anna played for the first time Dec. 28 as the team romped 102-44 over Yale at home. She was one of four players in double figures, racking up 11 points plus one rebound, an assist and a steal in 17 minutes.

Playing the point, she entered the game with about six minutes to go in the second quarter. Less than a minute later, she stole the ball on a Yale inbound pass and scored her first collegiate basket. She followed that up with a trey shortly before the half.

Karlie scored a team high 21 against Yale. (Bob Drebin photo)

Starting were Bird, Karlie, Britt, Bri and, for the first time, Nadia, who had 8 points on 4-for-4 shooting.

Band, Tree, Dollies suffer suspension

Noticeably absent from the game were the band, Tree and Dollies. Administrators had suspended all band activities because of its behavior over the years.

Pac-12 play for the Cardinal began with a 64-57 win at Arizona State on Dec. 30. It was at tight game with six ties and six lead changes. Staying in the desert, the team began 2017 by defeating Arizona 77-55 on Jan. 1.

Back home, Alanna stepped into the limelight by leading her team to an 81-60 victory over Oregon on Jan. 6. She scored 24 points in just 20 minutes, snared four rebounds, dished two assists and stole the ball the twice. She was a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Kaylee and Mikaela were back in action with limited minutes, but Britt was out, reportedly from a sprained ankle.

One well received new twist for fans came between the third and fourth quarters, when T-shirts attached to white mini-parachutes fluttered from overhead into the crowd.

Double OT leads to loss to OSU

The season’s toughest game to date came Jan. 8 when the Oregon State visitors came away with a win in double overtime. It was the first time in 30 tries that the Beavers had defeated Stanford at Maples.

Regulation play ended 51-51, the first OT 63-63 and the second OT 72-69 in the visitors’ favor.

Stanford had a chance to clinch the game at the end of regulation when Britt hit a layup to tie the score and was fouled, but she missed the free throw.

Next it was off to Utah and a 77-58 win on Jan. 13. Colorado was the next host to fall, losing 84-70 on Jan. 15. The game was notable for 11 treys on 20 attempts, 55 percent. Karlie led with five.

Karlie pours in 201^st career trey

Karlie joined some distinguished company on Jan. 20 as she logged her 201^st career 3-pointer during the 73-46 defeat of Arizona at Maples. She tied for seventh all time with Nicole Powell, ’04. The record is 295 set by Candice Wiggins, ’08.

She was a starter, along with Bird, Britt, Bri and Nadia. All 11 available players saw action.

Marta, Britt and Kaylee  team up on defense against ASU. (Nhat V. Meyer, Bay Area News Group)

Stanford completed its sweep of the Arizona schools by defeating Arizona State 66-56 at home on Jan. 22. Stifling defense limited ASU to 29.6 percent shooting, while the Cardinal shot 45.8 percent.

Kaylee resumes starting role

Kaylee returned to the starting lineup after missing several games and coming off the bench for several more. Playing 25 minutes, she logged 6 points and four rebounds. Also starting were Bird, Bri, Karlie and Britt.

Halftime started with the men’s soccer team parading onto the court with two NCAA championship trophies –- one for last season and one for this. A few minutes later, the always-popular agility dogs wove through poles, jumped hurdles and scooted through tunnels.

One scary moment came shortly before the half when Britt fell under the south basket and gripped her ankle. She was assisted to the locker room, so fans assumed she was done for the day, but she was back to start the third quarter.

After the game, Pac-12 Network commentator Mary Murphy assessed the team as “getting better and better.” Associate head coach Amy Tucker cited a little-known statistic: Stanford was leading the Pac-12 in free throw percentage in conference games. Stanford also was the only conference team undefeated on the road to date.

The road record remained spotless with a 76-54 win over Washington State on Jan. 27 and a 72-68 win over Washington on Jan. 29. The Washington game featured a sellout crowd of 10,000, the first in program history. The win also exacted revenge against the team that had knocked the Cardinal out of the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments in 2016.

Tara gets 1,000^th career win

Confetti rained down and cheers resounded from nearly 4,500 fans as the team’s 58-42 victory over visiting USC gave Tara her 1,000^th career win on Feb. 3. She became only the second women’s coach to reach that milestone, preceded by the late Pat Summitt at Tennessee.

  

Tara gets a 1,000-win keepsake from Karlie, Bird and Bri

The team donned “Tara 1,000” T-shirts and held up four giant numerals -– 1000. Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott gave Tara a trophy, and the three seniors --- Bird, Bri and Karlie --- gave her a framed Stanford jersey with 1,000 on it.

As fans left Maples, they were entertained by the band, Dollies and Tree outside the northwest entrance. After being suspended, they were expected to return to action before the winter quarter ended in late March.

In observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the national championship women’s volleyball team was honored during halftime, followed by seven of Stanford’s female medal-winning Olympians of 2016.

The euphoria ended three days later when UCLA left with an 85-76 win on Feb. 6. All 13 players were suited up, and nine played. Starters were Bird, Karlie, Bri, Kaylee and Britt, a lineup that remained constant thereafter.

Britt helps save the day against Colorado

Colorado came to visit Feb. 10 and gave the Cardinal a scare for the first two quarters, but the home team refocused in the second half to win 64-51, thanks in large part to Britt. She scored 20 of her 26 points in the second half and snared a career-high 11 rebounds.

Colorado defenders were glued to Karlie, but her 4 points were enough to raise her career total to 1,003, making her the 38^th member of the team’s 1,000-point club. Twelve players were suited up. Mikaela wasn’t there.

With all 12 players contributing, the team defeated visiting Utah 87-51 on Feb. 12. As Tara has said, this is a team that wins by committee rather than relying on one superstar. Different players step up at different times. This time it was Alanna, who contributed a game-high 16 points in 20 minutes.

Cal falls twice to cross-bay rival

Cal felt Stanford’s one-two punch by losing 72-66 at Haas on Feb. 16 and losing again 72-54 at Maples on Feb. 19.

The latter was a fitting farewell for the seniors, who were playing their last game at home, but of course not their last game.

All 13 players were there, but Mikaela and Anna were in street clothes.

As had been the case in the game at Cal, where she scored a career-high 27 points, Alanna led the team with 17 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, the seniors, joined by their families, were honored. In keeping with tradition, one underclassman was selected to salute a senior. So it was Britt for Bird, Kaylee for Bri and Shannon for Karlie.

Oregon State squeaked by the Cardinal 50-47 on Feb. 24 in Corvallis. For the first time since Feb. 14, 2014, in a 61-35 loss to Arizona State, Stanford had no 3’s. Moreover, no one was in double figures, and the loss meant Stanford had no chance to share the Pac-12 season championship.

The regular season ended with a 65-59 victory at Oregon on Feb. 26.

Two days later, Bird, Britt and Karlie were named to the all-Pac 12 team. Bri was named to the all-defensive team, and Nadia was an honorable mention for the all-freshman team.

Next: Tournament time

Banquet celebrates stellar season

The team gathers for one last group shot. (Photo by Dave Cortesi)

Nearly 250 people celebrated the 2016-17 Stanford women’s basketball team’s accomplishments and honored each player for her contributions to its success April 9 at the Faculty Club.

The spring banquet also was a chance to say farewell to the three seniors, who were so instrumental in guiding their teammates both on and off the court.

The event began with a courtyard reception where fans had a chance to chat with the dolled-up players. Some of the 6-foot-plus posts, like freshman Nadia Fingall, wore high heels to tower over almost everyone else.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer welcomed everyone to the dinner and later presided over the program. Her remarks were laced with thank-you’s to the numerous supporters and staff members involved with SWBB.

Tara cites accomplishments of season

During her initial welcome, she ticked off some of the season’s accomplishments: the program’s 13^th Final Four and its seventh in the past 10 years; its 30^th appearance in the NCAA tournament; the Pac-12 tournament championship for the 12^th time in 15 years; a record 212 blocks; six different leading scorers; six comeback victories; eight Pac-12 All- Academic choices; and many more.

She cited two more statistics to highlight how well the team meshed: It was the first team to go to the Final Four with no All-American player, and it had no Pac-12 Players of the Week.

Shortly before dessert was served, athletic director Bernard Muir commended the team for going to the Final Four and congratulated Tara for her 1,000^th career win during the season, bringing the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation.

He said that when Stanford opens an athletic Hall of Fame in the fall, one area will be devoted to Tara.

Freshmen receive kudos for maturity

Tara then brought the four freshmen to the front. “College is a big, big step,” she said. “Kudos to our freshmen who handled their season with maturity.”

She said guard Mikaela Brewer, who didn’t travel with the team to the tournaments, “can compete for a part in our rotation” next season.

Even though guard DiJonai Carrington missed about two years of high school basketball because of injuries, she brought “a great physical style to our team” and displayed “aggressive defense.”

Nadia played in 36 of the team’s 38 games. Guard Anna Wilson missed most of the season with injuries, but she’s working to get healthy, Tara said.

“I challenge your class to win four Pac-12 championships,” she said to the freshmen.

Sophomores saluted

Next came the four sophomores, starting with center Shannon Coffee, who was a 63 percent shooter and “led our team’s benergy,” the term for the energy generated by the bench during games.

Guard Alexa Romano is a member of the “come early, stay late club” and serves on the scout team.

As for forward Alanna Smith, “What an exciting end of the season Alanna had,” leading to a “super sophomore season,” Tara said.

Guard Marta Sniezek led the team with 169 assists and 51 steals.

Staff members who were thanked included strength and conditioning coach Brittany Keil, whose “season is just getting started” as she helps returning players get ready for next season.

She also commended academic coordinator Shannon Reader for making sure the players could take their final exams in Kansas. They stayed there after the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament because their charter plane had problems and couldn’t take them back to Stanford. Instead they stayed in Kansas and then flew directly to Lexington, Ky., for the Sweet Sixteen.

Juniors excel in rebounding, academics

Next came the two juniors. Even though a foot injury was a challenge for her, forward Kaylee Johnson was the team’s third leading rebounder.

Guard Brittany McPhee was one of the most improved players in the country, Tara said. “She’s a gym rat and also a library rat,” as attested by the Elite 90 award she won for having the highest grade point average among all players in the women’s Final Four.

Tara’s final thank-you’s went to her coaching staff, who joined her. Assistant Tempie Brown works with the male practice players, scouts upcoming opponents and coordinates recruiting. Those recruiting efforts have led to the No. 2 rated incoming class, Tara said.

Associate head coach Kate Paye works with the perimeter players and, like Tempie, scouts and recruits.

Associate head coach Amy Tucker, who has been at Stanford more than 30 years, recruits, too. “She has a great eye for talent,” Tara said.

Seniors acclaimed

Referring to the three seniors, Tara said she was never disappointed in them. “This class has set a new standard for leadership.”

(After the ceremony, I asked the juniors, Kaylee and Britt, if they’re ready to assume the mantle of senior leadership. They responded with an emphatic yes.)

The first senior to be called to the front was forward Erica “Bird” McCall, the team’s leader in points, blocks and rebounds. She brings “energy and enthusiasm to our team every day.” She just graduated with a degree in psychology and has been invited to the WNBA draft April 13 in New York.

Bird responded that these have been “the best years of my life.” She thanked each of the coaches for all the help they gave her. She noted that when she was a freshman and struggling with a psychology class, Tara tutored her and reminded her of the biblical story of Job and his struggles.

Evidently, the tutoring paid off, for Tara said Bird graduated with a 3.7 GPA in psychology.

Calling on guard Briana Roberson, Tara said, “Bri had a super senior season.” The team calls her “Big Shot Bri.” “On defense Bri was our stopper,” ranking with the likes of Kate, ’95; Susan King Borchardt, ’05; and Ros Gold-Onwude, ’10.

Like Bird, Bri praised the coaches, saying each had been integral to her success. “They taught me to battle and get through struggles.”

Guard Karlie Samuelson was one of the team’s and Pac-12 all-time leading 3-point shooters and second in the nation this year at 48.5 percent.

But she’s “not just a 3-point shooter,” Tara said. “She can see things that need to be done on the court” and is “an absolute pleasure to coach.”

Karlie’s thank-you’s extended not just to the coaches but to Brittany Keil and team trainer Katelin Knox. Her teammates are “my favorite players I’ve ever played with.”

Both Karlie and Bri have said they’d like to keep playing for a time, perhaps overseas.

Next the crowd was treated to a video showing season highlights.

What’s in store for next season

Finally, Tara gave a look ahead, saying that the returnees can become the go-to players. They and the incoming freshmen can also look forward to a trip to Italy in September and a Thanksgiving tournament Nov. 23-25 in Las Vegas.

Before then, they’ll take part in the Countdown to Columbus showcase event Nov. 12 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, site of the 2018 Final Four. Stanford will play Louisville, and UConn will play Ohio State.

The team will play at Ohio State on Nov. 10 to open the season, director of basketball operations Eileen Roche said afterward. Contracts for the Thanksgiving tournament haven’t been signed, so the other teams haven’t been announced, she said.

Tennessee at Maples is on the pre-conference schedule Dec. 21.

After the official festivities ended, the players and others stayed to chat some more. Eventually, the entire team lined up for photos. Returning players then gathered in a circle around Tara to hear what’s in store for this off-season.

See Ron Madson’s gallery of photos from the banquet at  http://tinyurl.com/mozgexh.

Hoping from home

Bird, followed by Brittany and Alanna, celebrates the team's first-half lead. (LM Otero/AP photo)

Alternately cheering, cajoling and groaning, several dozen fans of Stanford women’s basketball filled Dan Gordon’s brew pub in downtown Palo Alto as the team took on South Carolina in the semi-final of the Final Four in Dallas on March 31.

Their hopes ended as the 2-seeded Cardinal lost 62-53 to the 1-seeded Gamecocks. There wasn’t another comeback like the ones that had brought the team to this point.

Perhaps the biggest groan came with just under five minutes left in the second quarter when senior guard Karlie Samuelson suffered an ankle injury and had to be carried off the court. The TV broadcast showed her fall several times, sometimes in slow motion, to demonstrate just how much her ankle had twisted.

Karlie goes scoreless for game

The team was up 21-15 at that point and closed the half with a 29-20 lead. Karlie returned for a short time in the third quarter but left quickly. She played some more for a game total of 25 minutes, but she wasn’t moving as well as usual. The player whom head coach Tara VanDerveer called the team’s glue was held scoreless.

The crowd groaned some more about halfway through the third quarter when sophomore forward Alanna Smith had to leave with three fouls. Nevertheless, she later returned, playing a total of 26 minutes and contributing 14 points and 12 rebounds. Senior forward Erica “Bird” McCall had 14 points and 14 rebounds in her final game.

Still, shooting went cold in the second half, contributing to the loss.

Eerie similarity to 2010 in San Antonio

Karlie’s injury evoked memories of the 2010 Final Four when Stanford faced UConn for the championship on April 6 in San Antonio. The Cardinal led 20-12 at the half, but UConn rallied in the second half after senior center Jayne Appel aggravated an ankle injury.

After fresh tape and a pain shot, she returned but finished the game scoreless for the first time in her college career. UConn won 53-47.

UConn wasn’t so lucky this year as Mississippi State stunned the Huskies 66-64 in overtime, ending their record 111-game win streak. UConn hadn’t lost before that since Nov. 17, 2014, when Stanford won 88-86, also in overtime, at Maples Pavilion.

Most media reports are calling UConn’s loss this year the biggest upset in the history of women’s basketball.

In the meantime, the Stanford players and their fans can reflect on how much the team accomplished this year and how much fun they had along the way –- except for this final game.

For the players, it's also back to campus for the start of spring quarter April 3. The only exception is Bird, who is graduating in hopes of going to the WNBA. The draft is April 13 in New York.

Fans will have one more chance to see the team at the spring banquet April 9.

Cheers, tears for seniors and team

After squeaking by Cal by 6 points at the Bears’ home three days earlier, the Stanford women’s basketball team scored the same number of points but delivered a more resounding victory, 72-54, an 18-point margin, at Maples on Feb. 19.

It was a fitting farewell for the team’s three seniors, who were playing their last game at Maples. There are more games to go, but Maples is home.

All 13 players were on hand. Freshman guard Mikaela Brewer was there after missing several games, but she was in street clothes. Freshman guard Anna Wilson was in a boot. The other 11 players saw action.

Seniors in starting lineup

As usual, the starters included the three seniors -– forward Erica “Bird” McCall and guards Karlie Samuelson and Briana Roberson -– plus the two juniors, forward Kaylee Johnson and guard Brittany McPhee.

As the first of more than 4,300 fans arrived, they received Stanford T-shirts and Beat Cal buttons.

Shortly before the game started, head coach Tara VanDerveer presented flowers to Cal’s two seniors.

Except for a 2-point basket to start the first quarter and two ties later, Stanford led the entire way. The score was 20-14 after the first quarter, 37-32 at the half, 54-44 after the third quarter and 72-54 at the final buzzer.

Marta, Alexa and Alanna cheer their teammates from the bench.

Alanna leads the way

As had been the case at Cal, where she scored a career-high 27 points, sophomore forward Alanna Smith led the team with 17 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds plus one assist, two blocks and one steal. As the Australian made one of her signature moves to score at the basket, announcer Betty Ann Hagenau exclaimed, “Alanna Smith from down under!” 

Britt with 16 and Karlie with 11 were the only other Cardinal players in double figures.

During halftime, the football team walked onto the court holding the Axe, a trophy it has had for seven straight years by virtue of beating Cal.

With the game comfortably in hand toward the end of the fourth quarter, the seniors returned to the bench as the crowd stood and cheered.

Families join seniors for post-game salute

After the tossing of victory balls, the seniors were honored. Joined by their families, they walked through an honor guard of their teammates and staff. As each one approached center court, the video board showed highlights of their careers.

Bird, backed by Kaylee, goes for a layup

Bird was accompanied by her parents, brother and grandparents. A psychology major, she will graduate this quarter to be ready for the WNBA draft.

Bri was with her parents, brother and aunt. Majoring in political science, she hopes to continue playing and then go to law school.

Joining Karlie were her parents and older sister, Bonnie, who graduated from Stanford two years ago. Karlie is a human biology major who hopes to earn a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

While the seniors and Tara were at the post-game press conference, associate head coach Amy Tucker brought Alanna to the mike. “She’s been red hot of late,” Amy said.

Freshmen get their turn at the mike

Next Amy summoned the freshmen: Anna, Mikaela, forward Nadia Fingall and guard DiJonai Carrington. Slightly hoarse, Nadia said that the year’s highlight for her has been “being around such a great group. … We really love each other.”

DiJonai quipped, “I’m happy to finally know the plays.”

Anna, who noted that she has been injured a lot, said she likes being around her teammates and learning.

Mikaela, who’s also had her share of injuries, said the come-from-behind win at Washington was this year’s highlight for her. She’s also happy that she scored 100 percent on the mid-term for her favorite class, chemistry.

Tara returned to say, “It’s been a great four years with this group.” The seniors have embraced the team culture as workers. They also provide the team with leadership and maturity while being happy for others’ accomplishments, she said. “It’s a great team to coach.”

Underclassmen praise seniors

In keeping with tradition, underclassmen were selected to honor each senior. Britt said of Bird, “There’s no one else like her on the planet.” A great friend, “she makes everyone happier and … carefree.”

Bird responded, “It’s been a great night for me. Playing at Maples has been a dream come true.” After she ends her basketball career, she wants to return to her hometown of Bakersfield and open its shuttered YMCA. Her father, Greg, who coaches the Cal State Bakersfield women’s team, coached Bird as she was growing up. “She’s so coachable,” he said, thanking the Stanford coaches for helping her.

Bri battles for the ball.

When Kaylee came up to honor Bri, she said, “I’ve been dreading this night,” and called Bri one of her best friends. A hard worker, kind and unselfish, “she makes me want to be a better person,” the teary-eyed Kaylee said. Because they both hope to become lawyers, they’ve talked about their “future law firm, Roberson Johnson.”

After introducing her family, Bri said she hopes to go to law school at Stanford.  The hard work and discipline she has learned in basketball will apply at law school, she said.

Highlights of her four years have been the win over UConn (88-86 in overtime at home on Nov. 7, 2014, to end the Huskies’ long win streak and their last loss since embarking on their current streak of 100-plus) and this year’s win at Washington.

Her father, Kenneth, said that when she was in fifth or sixth grade, she played in an especially rough game in a church league. Afterward, he told her that every part of her body must have been bruised. She replied that only her heart wasn’t bruised.

Tara said that when Bri was recruited, no scholarship was available for her freshman year, but there would be one thereafter. In the meantime, her family would have to pay her tuition, and she couldn’t go to summer school.

However, one week before summer school started, Toni Kokenis took a medical retirement for her senior year, freeing her athletic scholarship for Bri. When Tara called Bri’s mother, Felecia, to let her know, the first thing Felecia said was how sorry she was for Toni and her family.

Karlie shoots for 3 from the corner.

Next up was sophomore center Shannon Coffee, who honored Karlie. Like Kaylee, she said, “I’ve been dreading this day for a while.” She called Karlie a “kind-hearted, sincere person” who became her friend last year.

Karlie thanked the fans and her teammates before handing the mike to Bonnie. “I love watching Karlie play,” Bonnie said. She does all the little things. Noting that the two of them, along with younger sister Katie Lou, now at UConn, often played one-on-one at home, Bonnie said, “Lou and I hate to play against Karlie” because she’s so good defensively.

Tara added, “I told her she has to be a coach. I love her competitiveness.”

Tara again referred to the team culture, which is all about “caring about each other and loving each other.”

Although this was the last home game, there are two more conference games, at Oregon State at 8 p.m. Feb. 24 and at Oregon at 1 p.m. Feb. 26. Both will be shown on Pac-12 Networks.

The Pac-12 tournament is March 2-5 at Seattle’s KeyArena. Given its current conference record of 14-2, it’s unlikely that Stanford will play the first day.  

(Photos by Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle)

Cruisin’ past the Utes

With all 12 available players contributing, the Stanford women’s basketball team defeated visiting Utah 87-51 on Feb. 12.

As head coach Tara VanDerveer has often said, this year’s team wins by committee rather than relying on just one superstar. Therefore, different players step up at different times.

Alanna goes to the basket. 

Stepping up this time was sophomore forward Alanna Smith, who contributed a game-high 16 points along with five rebounds, one block, one assist and two steals in 20 minutes.

Also in double figures were senior guard Karlie Samuelson and junior guard Brittany McPhee with 13 each and senior guard Briana Roberson with 10.

Junior forward Kaylee Johnson led the team in rebounding, snaring six of the Cardinal’s 45.

The team dominated in all categories, but one of the brighter lights was its 90 percent free-throw success, making 18 of 20. Free throws haven’t been a strong point in some previous games.

Nine 3’s from seven players

Seven players contributed a total of nine 3-pointers. Karlie and Bri had two each. Alanna, Britt, senior forward Erica “Bird” McCall, sophomore guard Alexa Romano and sophomore center Shannon Coffee each had one.

Shannon’s trey resulted in some of the loudest cheers from her teammates because she has had limited playing time. This time she made the most of her five minutes by adding an assist and a block to her stat line.

The team got off to a fast start, leading 31-8 after the first quarter. The second quarter was tight, with each team scoring 12, but still giving the hosts a 43-20 lead at the half.

Shannon, Nadia and Alexa scramble for the ball in the fourth quarter..

The third quarter ended 66-41. With bench players carrying most of the load in the fourth quarter, Stanford outscored the Utes 21-10, leading to the final score of 87-51.

The starting lineup was unchanged from recent games with Bird, Kaylee, Britt, Karlie and Bri.

As was the case in the Colorado game, freshman guard Mikaela Brewer wasn’t there. Speaking at the post-game Behind the Bench, associate head coach Amy Tucker said, “Mikaela’s dealing with a personal situation. She’ll be back.”

Since it was Breast Cancer Awareness Day, many fans wore pink. The team’s  white home uniforms had pink accents.

Sophomore guard Marta Sniezek, whose parents were there from McLean, Va., looked gift wrapped with a big pink bow in her hair. She gifted the game with 5 points, two rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 17 minutes.

The game ran into some glitches. First, the tipoff was delayed for a few minutes because of technical difficulties.

Just over four minutes into the first quarter, a referee was injured. He limped to the locker room assisted by trainer Katelin Knox. He sat by the Gatorade bucket after the first quarter with a pant leg rolled up and a crutch behind him. He left later. Thus most of the game was played with only two referees.

The second quarter was momentarily delayed because the clock wasn’t running.

Shannon, Nadia answer questions

To start Behind the Bench, Amy was accompanied by Shannon and freshman forward Nadia Fingall, who answered fans’ questions.

Nadia said, “I still have a lot to work on. I really like getting my teammates involved.” Her goals are to take her game to the next level and avoid mistakes. She also wants to extend her range and improve her free-throw shooting. She had 5 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals in 13 minutes.

Shannon, whose mother was there from Centerville, Ohio, said she’s “working on mobility and getting up and down the court,” along with finishing at the basket.

Amy interjected that she and assistant coach Tempie Brown, who work with the bigs, “have a lot of fun with our post players. I’m really pleased with our young players.”

Asked about academics, Shannon said her favorite class has been sign language. Her most challenging is human biology.

Nadia’s favorite has been African American history, while her most challenging is Breaking Codes and Finding Patterns this quarter.

Tara pleased with everyone

When Tara arrived, she said she was pleased with how the team finished with its young players. She lavished praise on everyone, especially the seniors for their leadership.

She noted that although Utah is one of the top 10 rebounding teams in the nation, it had only 28 rebounds, while Stanford had 45.

She’s hoping that a record seven Pac-12 teams will get bids to the NCAA tournament, but she doesn’t know where Stanford will go.

Its expected high seed would normally allow it to host the first two rounds, which start March 17. However, Pac-12 gymnastics championships are slated for Maples on March 18, precluding basketball.

Cal is next. The Cardinal will cross the bay to face the Bears at 8 p.m. Feb. 16 and will host Cal at 5 p.m. Feb. 19. Since it’s the last home game, it’s also Senior Day. Both games will be shown on the Pac-12 Network.

(Photos by Scott Strazzante, San Francisco Chronicle)

A tale of two halves

Karlie becomes the 38th member of SWBB's 1,000-point club. (Stanford photo)

Fans of Stanford women’s basketball had little to cheer about during the first half of the Colorado game on Feb. 10.

However, the home crowd of 2,546 was energized during the second half as the Cardinal gradually caught up and won 64-51, thanks in large part to Brittany McPhee.

The junior guard scored a total of 26 points, with 20 in the second half, and snared a career-high 11 rebounds. She added an assist and a block to her stat line, so when she exited the game with under two minutes left, she was accorded a standing ovation.

Britt brushes up on free throws

Britt was one of the first players on the court before the third quarter. She stood at the free-throw line and swished one toss after another as her teammates returned.

Free throws haven’t been her strong suit during the season. She made three of six during this game, with all three makes coming in the second half.

“I wanted to get out there. I don't think anybody's ever happy missing free throws,” she said during the post-game press conference.

The first quarter ended in a 9-9 tie, and the half saw the Cardinal down 24-27.  Stanford nosed ahead 46-44 after the third quarter, thanks to a last-second 3-pointer by senior forward Erica “Bird” McCall. Also making 3’s during the game were Britt, senior guard Briana Roberson and sophomore guard Marta Sniezek, each with one.

Turnovers drop in second half

Another improvement in the second half involved turnovers. Stanford had 11 in the first half but only two in the second.

Bird was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 15 points. She also had 10 rebounds and one block.

Colorado defenders remained glued to senior guard Karlie Samuelson, but her 4 points were enough to raise her career total to 1,003 to become the 38^th member of the team’s 1,000-point club. Even without scoring much, Karlie helped out with four rebounds, two assists and a steal along with her trademark defense and hustle.

She, Bird, Bri and Britt were the starters along with junior forward Kaylee Johnson. Twelve players were suited up. The other player, freshman guard Mikaela Brewer, wasn’t there.

The victory moved Stanford into a three-way tie with Oregon State and Washington atop the Pac-12 conference.

Utah is next on the agenda at 1 p.m. Feb. 12. The game will be shown on Pac-12 TV.

From thrill to thud

From left: Nadia, Kaylee, Britt, Kate, Tara and Amy worry as UCLA pulls ahead. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez, SF Chronicle)

It was a hard landing back to Earth for the Stanford women’s basketball team after losing at home to UCLA 85-76 on Feb. 6.

Just three days earlier, the team had joyously celebrated its home defeat of USC and head coach Tara VanDerveer’s 1,000^th career win.

To commemorate that milestone, the Maples floor now has logos saying “TARA 1,000 wins” facing east and west on either side of the center line.

Video tributes from ESPN announcer Holly Rowe and Kristen Newlin, ’07, who is playing professionally in Turkey, were shown during the game.

All hands on deck for Stanford

Once again Stanford had all 13 players suited up, while UCLA had nine. Eight of them got into the game. Tara used nine players.

The starting lineup featured the three seniors –- forward Erica “Bird” McCall and guards Karlie Samuelson and Briana Roberson –- along with the two juniors –- forward Kaylee Johnson and guard Brittany McPhee.

The seniors and Brittany played major minutes and accounted for four of the five players in double figures. Karlie led the way with 15 points, followed by Bird and sophomore forward Alanna Smith with 14 each, Britt with 13 and Bri with 12.

Just looking at the box score, you could point to free throws. Stanford made 13 of 20, while UCLA made 22 of 30, a 9-point difference right there, just like the final score.

But that doesn’t tell the full story. UCLA had nine 3’s, while Stanford had seven. Bri contributed four of them with two by Karlie and one by Alanna.

Turnovers hurt, too. Stanford had 11, with UCLA scoring 10 points from them. UCLA had eight, with Stanford scoring 7 points from them.

Cardinal take lead into locker room

The first quarter ended with Stanford down 22-12, but the team rallied in the second quarter and went into the locker room with a 40-37 lead. Britt and Alanna led the way with Britt making two buckets in a row and Alanna following up with a 3 and then a 2. Bri clinched the deal with a late 3 to give her team the lead.

During the third quarter, Bri fell to the floor after running into a screen and stayed there for several minutes, but no foul was called on UCLA. Instead, Alanna was charged with a foul, much to the dismay of the loudly booing crowd. However, Bri returned to action shortly thereafter.

That quarter ended with UCLA up 55-51, not insurmountable, but not enough. UCLA kept edging ahead in the fourth quarter. If it weren’t for Bri’s two 3’s close to the final buzzer, the Bruins’ margin of victory would have been greater.

Once again a high school band, this one from Silver Creek High in San Jose, provided some of the music.

The theme for the night was recycling and sustainability. Students were stationed around the concourse to explain the effort, recycling containers stood alongside trash receptacles and A-frame signs around the concourse had facts about the effects of Stanford’s efforts.

Some of these efforts were highlighted in trivia questions on the video board. One of them noted that solar arrays being installed on the Maples roof will produce 628 kilowatts of electricity –- the most on campus.

The team will stay home for the coming weekend, facing Colorado at 8 p.m. Feb. 10 and Utah at 1 p.m. Feb. 12. Both games will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.

Tara, team share triumph

Tara talks strategy during a timeout. (Stanford photo)

Confetti rained down and cheers resounded from nearly 4,500 fans as the Stanford women’s basketball team’s 58-42 victory over visiting USC gave head coach Tara VanDerveer the 1,000^th win of her career on Feb. 3.

She became only the second women’s coach to reach that milestone, preceded by the late Pat Summitt at Tennessee.

As photographers crowded onto the floor immediately after the game, two of the team’s seniors, guard Karlie Samuelson and forward Erica “Bird” McCall sneaked up behind Tara preparing to dump an orange bucket of Gatorade on her. But instead of the sticky liquid, it was filled with multi-colored confetti to match the confetti coming down from overhead.

The team donned T-shirts reading “Tara 1,000” and held up four giant numerals -– 1,000.

Congratulations and keepsakes

“Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment,” said Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, ’10, covering the game for the Pac-12 Network. When the season started, Ros said, Bird told her that the team had set four goals: win the Pac-12 championship, go to the NCAA tournament, go to the Final Four and win Tara’s 1,000^th game. Now it’s one down, three to go for the team.

Larry Scott, Pac-12 commissioner, presented a trophy to Tara and praised the “impact she’s had on so many student athletes.”

Bird, Karlie and the other senior, guard Briana Roberson, gave Tara a framed Stanford jersey with 1,000 on it plus a photo of her holding up a championship net and a list of career milestones.

“I am really speechless,” Tara said, but went on to say, “We had a great game. … We want to have even bigger games the rest of the year.”

She noted that she’d remember this game, but “I’ll never forget 999 either.” She was referring to the 72-68 win at Washington on Jan. 29 that moved Stanford into a tie for first in the Pac-12.

“What gives me great pleasure” is the improvement that players make during their years at Stanford and then their accomplishments after graduation, she said.

 “I have more than 1,000 memories, (and) I’m moving on to 1,001 on Monday night,” she said. That’s when UCLA visits.

Video board shows tributes

Joining her mother, Rita, and the rest of the Maples gathering, she turned to the video board to watch a series of tributes, starting with athletic director Bernard Muir and head football coach David Shaw.

More tributes came from former star players: Jennifer Azzi, ’90; Jayne Appel-Marinelli, ’10; Chiney Ogwumike, ’14; Nneka Ogwumike, ’12; Jeanette Pohlen Mavunga, ’11; and Candice Wiggins, ’08.

They continued with Andy Geiger, the retired Stanford athletic director who hired Tara; Brooks Johnson, former Stanford track coach; Mary Murphy, TV commentator; Dawn Staley, South Carolina coach who played on the 1996 gold-winning Olympic team coached by Tara; Carol Callan, USA Women’s Basketball director; and Tara’s sister Heidi VanDerveer, head coach at UC San Diego.

After tossing the traditional victory balls into the stands, the team headed for the locker room.

Band makes welcome appearance outside

As fans left Maples, they were entertained by the band, Dollies and Tree outside the northwest entrance. The band has been on suspension but is expected to be allowed to play for home games before the winter quarter ends in late March.

In the meantime, recorded music has been filling the void, but the Prospect High School band of Saratoga was in the stands to provide some music for this game.

The game started on a positive note with all 13 players available for the first time in several weeks.

As has been the case recently, the starting lineup featured Bird, Karlie, Bri, junior forward Kaylee Johnson and junior guard Brittany McPhee.

Game starts slowly

Things got off to a slow start, especially for USC. Karlie scored her team’s first 2 points on free throws, followed by two more FT’s by Bird and a basket by Karlie. Trailing 6-0, USC finally got on the board with a trey at the 6:45 mark.

The first quarter ended 14-10 in the host’s favor. The margin widened to 31-22 at the half, just after Bird launched a successful 3 with 3.8 seconds left.

Because it was National Girls and Women in Sports Day, halftime honored the national championship women’s volleyball team, which marched onto the court with its trophy. They were followed by seven of Stanford’s female medal-winning Olympians of 2016, and then a performance by the all-girl San Juan Dance of Los Altos.

Karlie shoots for 3 from way downtown. (Stanford photo)

Karlie provided some late third-quarter fireworks with three consecutive 3’s in slightly more than a minute, followed by a last-second 2-pointer, helping to raise the score to 52-32. Bird and Britt also made 3’s during the game.

Karlie finished the game with a team-high 21 points, plus four rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes. Just behind her was Bird with 18 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 35 minutes.

Britt with the grit

Britt aggressively drives toward the basket. (Stanford photo)

Britt, who made a number of gutsy plays that don’t necessarily show up in the stats, was the only other player in double figures. She had 10 points plus five rebounds and one block in 28 minutes.

Kaylee had 11 of the team’s 39 rebounds (compared with USC’s 27), plus 2 points, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 25 minutes.

Tara began her career with two years at Idaho starting in 1978. She went on to Ohio State for five years before moving on to the Farm in 1985.

It’s highly likely that she would have reached 1,000 victories earlier, but she took off the 1995-96 year to coach the Olympic team.

Other highlights of her storied career are detailed elsewhere in the extensive coverage on this Fast Break Club site.