Milestones for Tara, Alanna in WSU game

Head coach Tara VanDerveer is at the center of the team's celebration.

Guiding the Stanford women’s basketball team to an 85-64 victory over Washington State on Jan. 20, head coach Tara VanDerveer hit another milestone in her illustrious career.

It was her 900^th victory at Stanford and the 1,052^nd in her 40 years of college coaching.

As the players gathered for their traditional post-game circle at center court, they made sure Tara was inside that circle for hugs and plaudits.

Alanna scores career-high 34

Her next stop was the TV broadcast table for an interview by Pac 12 Network announcer Layshia Clarendon. At her side was senior forward Alanna Smith, who had just poured in a career-high 34 points. She also snared 15 rebounds and had three assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes.

Alanna and Tara head back to the locker room after an interview.

The two then walked back to the locker room with their arms around each other.

Also scoring in double figures were sophomore guard Kiana Williams with 19 and junior guard DiJonai Carrington with 11.

Everyone gets into the act

All 11 available players got into the game, and seven scored. Those who didn’t score made other contributions like rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. The crowd of 2,908 cheered loudly when two of those blocks were by two of the team’s shorter players, junior guard Mikaela Brewer and freshman guard Jenna Brown.

The starters were the usual five: Alanna, Kiana, DiJonai, sophomore forward Alyssa Jerome and freshman forward Lacie Hull.

Boosting the point total were the team’s 10 three’s. Alanna had four, Kiana three, Lacie two, and junior guard Anna Wilson one.

Game stresses Human Trafficking Awareness

The afternoon’s theme was Human Trafficking Awareness, spearheaded by Alanna and announcer Betty Ann Hagenau, founder of the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition.

During the halftime, Alanna explained in a video how she had become interested in the issue. She said was taking a fall class about it when Betty Ann was a guest speaker one day. The two spoke and decided to do more.

Dancers from Love Never Fails entertain during halftime.

Halftime entertainment featured the Love Never Fails Dancers from Stop Human Trafficking. Several of the seven women were survivors of human trafficking.

During a break in the third quarter, Betty Ann interviewed Jessie Brunner of Stanford’s Handa Center for Human Rights and International Justice.

Senior guard Marta Sniezek, junior forward Nadia Fingall and sophomore forward Maya Dodson were still out with injuries. Unlike recent past games, Maya, who had a foot injury, wasn’t wearing a boot.

WSU’s only lead came with a basket early in the first quarter. Lacie and DiJonai responded with successive three’s, and Stanford never trailed thereafter.

Next up is a trip to the mountains with Colorado at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 and Utah at 11 a.m. Jan. 27, followed by Cal at Cal at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 and Cal at Stanford at 4 p.m. Feb. 2.

Photos by John Lozano/Stanford Athletics

Easy win over Washington

Players on the bench help cheer their teammates to victory.

Playing at home, the Stanford women had their way against Washington and won 91-54 on

on Jan. 18.

All 11 available players joined the action for at least six minutes, and no one played more than 29 minutes.

Alanna goes for two.

Even so, senior forward Alanna Smith poured in 27 points and had 13 rebounds to go with three blocks. Sophomore guard Kiana Williams wasn’t far behind with 22 points and four steals.

Junior guard DiJonai Carrington had 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Junior guard Anna Wilson (five points) also had five assists to add to the team’s total of 18.

By way of contrast, the Huskies had only eight assists and, hounded by smothering defense, no one in double figures. They snagged only 32 rebounds compared with the Cardinal’s 45.

After Kiana’s three, team surges ahead

Stanford led from start to finish as Kiana scored from beyond the arc almost immediately. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Stanford had made 13 three’s, led by Kiana’s four. Alanna had three.

Freshman forward Lacie Hull had two, as did little-used junior guard Mikaela Brewer in just six minutes. Anna and freshman forward Lexie Hull had one each.

Washington had 22 turnovers compared with Stanford’s 13, several of which seemed to come from passes that went astray.

Kiana accounted for two of Washington’s turnovers in a row as she sped down the court for easy layups.

The starting lineup was familiar with Alanna, DiJonai, Lacie, Kiana and sophomore forward Alyssa Jerome.

Still missing in action were senior guard Marta Sniezek, who hasn’t played at all because of a hand injury; junior forward Nadia Fingall, who has a season-ending torn ACL; and sophomore forward Maya Dodson, who has a foot injury. She’s expected to return, but there’s been no specific timetable. Unlike past games, she was walking without a boot.

The crowd of 2,535 was bolstered by the full student contingent of band, Tree, Dollies and cheerleaders.

Everything started on the right note when the Fisher Middle School choir of Los Gatos sang a harmonious national anthem.

Girls wearing the colorful headbands join the team at attention during the national anthem.

Bright new source of red for fans

Then there was a new note to the starters’ introduction. Stanford Federal Credit Union, the game’s sponsor, had set up a mobile branch outside the southwest entrance and tables in the concourse to hand out unique souvenirs. They were black plastic headbands to which were attached long red ribbons and red translucent tubes that flashed.

They were a big hit with fans, some of whom wore them around their necks to drape down their chests like flashing bibs.

When the lights dimmed for the starters’ introduction, announcer Betty Ann Hagenau asked fans to make sure their headbands were turned on. The result was an awe-inspiring sea of blinking red throughout Maples.

Now with a 15-1 overall record and an unbeaten record at home, the team hopes to continue that streak when Washington State visits at noon Jan. 20. 

If the Cardinal prevail, head coach Tara VanDerveer will have notched 900 wins on the Farm. Her overall win total is more than 1,000.

The team heads for the mountains to play Colorado at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 and Utah at 11 a.m. Jan. 27.

Photos by Karen Hickey/Stanford Athletics

Short-handed Stanford still handles UCLA

Alyssa, DiJonai, Alanna and Kiana celebrate during the game.

No Nadia, no Maya, no Marta, no Alexa. No problem, right? Wrong.

The Stanford women’s basketball team managed to defeat visiting UCLA 86-80 on Jan. 6, but the outcome wasn’t decided until the last minute or so.

Almost all of the credit goes to the starting five: senior forward Alanna Smith, sophomore forward Alyssa Jerome, freshman forward Lacie Hull, junior guard DiJonai Carrington and sophomore guard Kiana Williams.

Playing all or the majority of the game, they were the only Cardinal players to score. Four players came off the bench, but made minimal contributions.

Junior guard Mikaela Brewer high-fives Marta (left), Nadia and Maya after a teammate's trey.

Cardinal ranks were thinned because junior forward Nadia Fingall is out for the rest of the season because of a torn ACL suffered in the USC game two days earlier. She was wearing a brace on her left leg.

Sophomore forward Maya Dodson was wearing a boot on her left foot because of an injury. She’s expected back, but there’s no timetable.

Senior guard Marta Sniezek has been out all season because of a hand injury. Senior guard Alexa Romano “is not playing on our team due to personal reasons,” head coach Tara VanDerveer said after the game. She is no longer listed on the roster posted by Stanford Athletics.

Lexie drives against a Bruin in her welcome return.

Lexie returns to action

On the other hand, freshman forward Lexie Hull saw her first action after missing nine games with a foot injury. The medical staff allowed her to play a maximum 10 minutes, Tara said. She was in for eight minutes and had three rebounds.

With 30 points, DiJonai was the game’s high scorer. She came close to a double-double with nine rebounds.

Alanna did have a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Kiana also had a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists.

With winter quarter classes starting Jan. 7, the team got extra student support from the band, Tree and cheerleaders. The crowd totaled 3,231 and became quite loud in its support, too.

The first half saw the Cardinal lagging 23-24 after the first quarter and 38-45 after the second.

Second half better than first

The second half was a different story with the Farm team leading 64-57 after the third quarter and then winning 86-80.

Success beyond the arc helped with a total of 12 three’s. Alanna, DiJonai and Kiana each had three, Alyssa two and Lacie one. Free-throw shooting also was a big factor. The team made 14 of 17, or 82.4 percent.

UCLA, not necessarily known as a three-point machine, made 11 treys, but was only seven of 15, or 46.7 percent, at the free-throw line. The Bruins had 21 fouls, the Cardinal 10.

Stanford also excelled in assists, 21-10, and in steals, 10-six.

The Bruins edged the Cardinal in rebounds, 38-37, and had fewer turnovers than the Cardinal, 13-15.

UCLA’s largest lead was 12 points, Stanford’s 11. The score was tied three times, and the lead changed seven times.

Team, fans see tribute to two backers

At the Behind the Bench after the game, the entire team joined fans in watching video tributes to two beloved members of the Stanford family. Marian Cortesi, 88, a longtime fan, managed the Fast Break Club website for 12 years before her death from cancer Dec. 2.

DeeDee Zawaydeh-Johnson was the women’s basketball administrative assistant 30 years and welcomed fans to the annual spring banquet. She died of cancer at age 69 in May.

Tara then excused most of the team and said, “UCLA has a terrific team. … It was an awesome win for our team.”

Coach praises players

She praised Alyssa for replacing Nadia in the starting lineup and making some crucial three’s.

“I like it when Di scores 30,” she said, and praised Alanna for coming on strong in the second half after a less than stellar first half. “She kept playing hard,” Tara said.

“We knew we had to play hard,” Alanna said, noting the team’s improved defense.

“We played with such heavy hearts knowing that Nadia would be out,” DiJonai said.

Tara acknowledged several family members of players at the game as well as highly regarded recruit Haley Jones, who will be with the team next season. “We’re very excited about the incoming freshmen,” Tara said.

The 12-1 team takes to the road to face Arizona State at 6 p.m. PST Jan. 11 and Arizona at 11 a.m. PST Jan. 13.

Then it’s back home to host the Washington schools the following weekend. Pac 12 Networks will televise all four games.

Photos by Don Feria/ISIPhotos.com

Team opens conference season with victory

Kiana shoots over a USC player on her way to a 22-point game.

USC didn’t make things easy when it visited the Stanford women’s basketball team Jan. 4, but the home team prevailed at the final buzzer, 72-64, to begin Pac 12 play.

Thus AP’s No. 6-ranked Stanford extended its record to 11-1 while dropping USC to 10-3.

Aside from the ups and downs in this seesaw battle, the game marked player gains and losses for Stanford. On the plus side, both freshman forward Lexie Hull and junior guard Anna Wilson were back in uniform after missing some games. Anna played for five minutes, but her stat line was empty.

On the minus side, sophomore forward Maya Dodson was in street clothes for the first time this season because of a foot problem. Senior guard Marta Sniezek remained out of action with the thumb injury that has kept her out all season.

Moreover, junior forward Nadia Fingall had to retire to the locker room after reportedly hyperextending a knee early in the third quarter. She returned to applause several minutes later. She got back into action in the fourth quarter only to apparently hurt a knee in a collision with a USC player.

That’s when she went back to the locker room for good. She had played a total of 18 minutes, scoring two points, snaring four rebounds, dishing out two assists and blocking one shot.

Changes in score lead to nail-biting

In a reflection of the game’s inducement of nail-biting, the lead changed 13 times and the score was tied seven times. Stanford trailed by two points after both the first and second quarters but finished the third with a seven-point lead before polishing things off with the eight-point victory.

Playing all 40 minutes, sophomore guard Kiana Williams poured in a game-leading 22 points.

Alanna fights her way through the USC defense.

Senior forward Alanna Smith contributed 19 points (to go with 11 rebounds) in 39 minutes. Junior guard DiJonai Carrington also was in double figures with 14.

Favoring Stanford were free throws, 10 vs. 7, and three’s, 8-5, along with rebounds, 46-40; blocks, 7-5; and assists, 12-10. It had fewer fouls, 11-18. On the other hand, it had more turnovers, 15-13, and fewer steals, 3-8.

Kiana had four three’s, Alanna three and freshman forward Lacie Hull one.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer stuck with the same starters as in previous games with Alanna, Nadia, Lacie, DiJonai and Kiana.

Each team used only nine players.

Crowd loud in support of home team

Even though the usual student contingents like the band, Tree, Dollies and cheerleaders were still on the holiday break, the game drew 2,557 fans. The pro-Stanford crowd was loud in supporting the team and sometimes vocal in disagreeing with the officials in this very physical game.

Among the fans were girls from Torch Basketball Academy, who scrimmaged at halftime. Their families were there, too, including my next-door neighbors.

Stanford alum Melanie Murphy, ’11, is Torch’s founder and CEO. She was there coaching one red squad.

Ros returns to her alma mater to annouce the game.

Another alum on hand was Mel’s teammate and fellow New Yorker, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, ’10. Ros was an announcer for the Pac 12 Network’s TV coverage.

UCLA, Arizona teams are next

The Cardinal will return to Maples at 1 p.m. Jan. 6, when UCLA comes calling after knocking off Cal 84-79 in overtime on Jan. 4. The game will be covered by Pac 12 TV.

A Behind the Bench will follow the game.

The team is off to the desert the following weekend to face Arizona State at 6 p.m. PST Jan. 11 and Arizona at 11 a.m. PST Jan. 13. Pac 12 TV will show both.

Photos by John P. Lozano, isiphotos.com

Team ends the year on a high note

Coasting to a 69-43 victory over Cal State Northridge in Maples on Dec. 29, the Stanford women’s basketball team completed its pre-conference schedule and 2018 with a 10-1 record.

All 12 available players had at least five minutes on the court. Everyone except sophomore guard Kiana Williams scored, something unusual for the usually prolific shooter.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer gives Maya some tips before she returns to action in a previous game.

Sophomore forward Maya Dodson led the way with 16 points, most of them in the paint. She blocked three shots and had one steal.

Also in double figures were senior forward Alanna Smith with 14 and freshman forward Lacie Hull with 10. 

With three each, Lacie and junior guard DiJonai Carrington accounted for six of the team’s seven steals, while DiJonai was the leading rebounder with 12.

Rebound total exceeds visitors’ point total

The Cardinal were so dominant around the basket that they snared more rebounds, 53, than the Matadors had points, 43.

Unavailable players were senior guard Marta Sniezek, who hasn’t played at all this season; junior guard Anna Wilson, who had missed three games previously; and freshman forward Lexie Hull, who had missed the past seven games. CSUN had only 10 available players.

Starters were Alanna, junior forward Nadia Fingall, DiJonai, Lacie and Kiana.

Jenna and Tara show off Jenna's USA Basketball plaque.

Jenna honored for USA U18 play

Prior to the game, freshman guard Jenna Brown received a USA Basketball plaque honoring her role with the gold-winning U18 team during the summer. Jenna played the point for much of the CSUN game.

Stanford fans among the 2,520 people at the game got a bit of a scare early in the first quarter when Alanna limped toward the locker room. However, she returned to action a few minutes later.

The first quarter ended with Stanford up 19-4.

Then came the traditional Conga on the Court. Usually it’s led by Stanford students like the cheerleaders or Dollies, but no student groups were at the game because of the holiday break. Therefore, a young girl led the way.

Halftime saw the host team up 41-12, while the third quarter ended with a 31-point lead, 54-23.

Starters rest during the fourth quarter

With no doubt about the outcome, some fans started leaving early, and all of the team’s starters were on the bench for the entire fourth quarter.

Both teams made only five of 21 three-pointers.  Stanford’s total was below its average of 10+ per game, but 46 points in the paint helped to fill the gap.

Lacie had two of the three’s. The others came from DiJonai and sophomore forwards Alyssa Jerome and Estella Moschkau.

Jennifer Azzi gives the team some advice after the game.

After the game, Jennifer Azzi, ’90, who attended the game with her wife and their infant son, talked to the team in the locker room.

The arrival of 2019 will signal the start of the Pac 12 season, beginning with USC at 8 p.m. Jan. 4 and UCLA at 1 p.m. Jan. 6, both at Maples. The latter game will feature a Behind the Bench afterward.

Stanford Athletics photos

Team celebrates signature win over Baylor

Players on the bench cheer their teammates as they amass points against Baylor.

Maybe it was the fright wigs. Maybe it was the lock-down defense. Maybe it was the scouting report. Maybe it was the sharp-shooting from beyond the arc.

Most likely it was all of these factors and more as the Stanford women’s basketball team upset visiting Baylor 68-63 on Dec. 15.

It was a signature victory for the Cardinal with its No. 11 ranking by AP and 6-1 record over the 8-0, No. 3 Lady Bears. It also snapped the Bears’ 36-game regular season winning streak.

Welcome back to Maples

And it was a welcome return to Maples after a month. The Nov.18 game against Ohio State had been canceled because of smoke from the destructive wildfire in Butte County.

Then the team spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii for three wins. It was on the road again for a 73-77 loss at Gonzaga on Dec. 2, followed by two weeks off for Dead Week and finals.

The usual student groups -– band, cheerleaders, Dollies and Tree -– weren’t there, but they had a good excuse. They were in Minneapolis backing the women’s volleyball team as it won its unprecedented eighth national championship later in the day.

The game still attracted a vocal crowd of 3,440 even though the fall quarter had ended the previous day.

Baylor comeback falls short

These fans had plenty of reason to cheer as the Cardinal led 17-13 after the first quarter, 41-24 at the half and 58-42 after the third quarter.

Baylor tried to mount a comeback in the final quarter, giving fans some palpitations, but Stanford prevailed. Its largest lead was 18 points in the second half.

With senior guard Marta Sniezek and freshman forward Lexie Hull out with injuries, head coach Tara VanDerveer used 11 of the 13 available players.

Her starters were senior forward Alanna Smith, junior forward Nadia Fingall, junior guard DiJonai Carrington, freshman forward Lacie Hull and sophomore guard Kiana Williams.

Three of the starters were in double figures: Alanna with 21, Kiana with 13 and DiJonai with 10.

Nadia and DiJonai team up on defense of a Baylor player.

Defense holds tallest, highest scorer to five points

One example of the team’s defense was holding Baylor’s leading scorer, 6’7” Kalani Brown, to only five points. Only two Bears were in double figures. Another example –- steals –- 7-4 in the home team’s favor.

Stanford’s three’s, 13 of 30 for 43.3 percent, went a long way toward assuring the win. Alanna had five. Kiana and senior center Shannon Coffee, playing with a protective face mask for 19 minutes (more than usual), each had three. DiJonai and Lacie had one each.

On the other hand, free-throw shooting was sub-par, nine of 21, or 42.9 percent. Baylor made 16 of 20, or 80 percent. Baylor also led in rebounds, 43-30.

Back in Stanford’s favor, Baylor had 15 turnovers, Stanford 10. Fouls were  close: 19 for Stanford, 18 for Baylor.

Alyssa, Estella and Mikaela model the wigs. (Stanford Athletics)

Fans get fright wigs, a.k.a. rally wigs

As fans arrived, they could help themselves to what Stanford called rally wigs, but others called fright wigs. T-shirts were tossed into the crowd at various intervals.

At the half, fans could cheer the football team before its New Year’s Eve day matchup against Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Coaches Tempie Brown, Kate Paye, Lindy La Rocque and Tara, along with basketball administrator Amy Tucker, welcome Jayne and her daughter, Shea.

Also watching the game were Jayne Appel-Marinelli, ’10, and her husband, Chris Marinelli, who played football at Stanford; their 10-month-old daughter, Shea; and Jayne’s parents, Joe and Pam. They received a loud ovation when they were shown on the video board during the first quarter.

The team faces its next tests on the road against No. 9 Tennessee on Dec. 18 and against unranked Buffalo on Dec. 21. The latter game might draw some cross-border contingents from Ontario, home of sophomore forward Alyssa Jerome and junior guard Mikaela Brewer.

Except for wigs, photos by Don Feria/ISIPhotos.com

Team chalks up win over USF

Wearing a turquoise uniform, Jenna goes in for a layup against USF. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Three things made the Stanford women’s basketball team’s 96-62 defeat of the Dons from the University of San Francisco special on Nov. 15 --- two of them positive, the other not so much.

The positive aspects were the honoring of Native American Heritage Month with turquoise uniforms trimmed in red and the signing of three players in the No. 3 nationally ranked (by espnWHoopGurlz) 2018 recruiting class.

Destined for the Farm next fall are Fran Belibi of Aurora, Colo., Hannah Jump of nearby Los Altos Hills and Ashten Prechtel of Colorado Springs, Colo. They signed letters of intent on Nov. 14.

Ohio State game canceled because of unhealthy air

The negative aspect was the Bay Area’s unhealthy air caused by the fire raging in Butte County. Some people wore masks as a precaution. Others  might have stayed home, for attendance was only 2,077. Many schools closed, including Stanford, and many athletic events were moved, postponed or canceled.

They included the Nov. 18 home game against Ohio State, according to a Nov. 16 announcement from Stanford. It will not be rescheduled this season. Games in other sports were affected, too. See the announcement at www.gostanford.com.

Now for the best part --- the win that gave the Cardinal a 3-0 record to start the season.

Once again the starters were senior forward Alanna Smith, junior forward Nadia Fingall, freshman forward Lexie Hull, junior guard DiJonai Carrington and sophomore guard Kiana Williams.

Sophomore forward Maya Dodson and freshman forward Lacie Hull were first off the bench, followed by junior guard Anna Wilson, freshman guard Jenna Brown and sophomore forward Alyssa Jerome in the first quarter.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, all 14 players had seen action. Three were in double figures: Kiana with 21, Alanna with 18 and Maya with 10. USF used its nine available players with eight scoring.

Seven players contribute to team’s 15 three’s

Boosting the host’s score were 15 three’s from seven players: Alanna with five, Kiana four and Lacie two. Nadia, DiJonai, Alyssa and sophomore forward Estella Moschkau had one each.

The team boasted 24 assists with only nine turnovers, while USF was eight and 15 in those categories.

Eleven blocks were impressive, too, with four each by Alanna and Maya, two by Alyssa and one by senior center Shannon Coffee.

Each team had four steals. However, in a stat unusual for Stanford, USF had 39 rebounds to Stanford’s 34. Many of the Dons’ rebounds seemed to come when Stanford missed a three and no Stanford players were close enough to the basket.

Quick start for the Cardinal

The Cardinal came out blazing. Alanna got the opening tip, and the team immediately made four three’s in a row, starting with DiJonai, followed by Alanna, Kiana and Nadia. Just slightly over three minutes into the quarter, Stanford led 14-4 with 100 percent shooting.

That total accuracy didn’t last. It ended at 51 percent for the game, compared with USF’s 33 percent. Free-throw shooting was 60 percent, compared with USF’s 73 percent.

Fans had a few minutes of anxiety when Kiana limped off the court and headed for the locker room shortly before the end the first quarter, but she quickly returned to action for the second quarter. She limped off again in the third quarter but returned to action.

Starters become fans for final 10 minutes

Like the other starters, she stayed on the bench to cheer her teammates during the fourth quarter with the game firmly in hand.

Only two kids showed up for Conga on the Court after the first quarter. Cardinal Categories in the second quarter featured a fan trying to name as many musical instruments as possible in 15 seconds, followed by a video of Mikaela doing the same.

A lucky fan won $100 by emulating Mikaela’s underhanded free throw as Copy the Cardinal started halftime. Next came Stanford’s Polynesian dance troupe of eight women and four men, one of whom lost his sarong but continued to dance the final moments in his black shorts.

The game was a mini-reunion for head coach Tara VanDerveer, as she welcomed two of her former players: USF head coach Molly Goodenbour, ’93, and associate head coach Katy Steding, ’90.

Next on the schedule is a three-game tournament in Hawaii on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving.