The Season Begins Soon

 Time to Go!!!!

        Fans of Stanford women’s basketball had two chances to see the 2023-24 team in action before their season opening exhibition against Dominican, Wednesday, November 1. First there was an open practice followed by a student athlete panel and a reception on Monday night.  Then, season ticket holders were invited to a scrimmage on Saturday morning.  

   Impressions from the Open Practice

        Watching a practice is always interesting because it is an opportunity to see coaching/teaching in action.  The whistle blows to allow players to get instruction, especially on how to move in the offense.  Knowing what is “supposed to happen” can be helpful to a fan when watching a game — seeing what the opposing team is doing or not doing to prevent Stanford’s offense from flowing….One “bonus” at the practice was seeing new coach Erica “Bird” MaCall back in action a part of the “scout” team.  Having a coach just a season removed from playing in the WNBA must be an inspiration for the team.

        Cameron Brink didn’t participate in the practice as she was still nursing an ankle injury, although it appeared to be healed. Given how critical Cam will be for this team, that made it a bit harder to assess the team. However, three things were clear — this team is going to shoot a lot of threes, Tara cares about free throws, and the three freshmen are going to see playing time.  During the practice scrimmage action, six different players connected on three point shots, several of them on multiple threes. Towards the end of practice, one of the teams’ timed drills had two players at each of the gym’s six baskets shooting three pointers.  As Kiki Iriafin said in the post practice interview panel, not all the players have the “green light” to shoot threes but they are all working on getting there. Another drill had all the players shooting free throws, most went through the net.  

        Red and White or Black and Gray?

        With Stanford only going 12 deep this year dividing the team for a scrimmage, as Tara has done in previous years, wasn’t really an option.  So, this time it was the Gray team — 10 of the teams 12 players, against the Black team — the full quota of male practice players plus scholarship athletes Lauren Green and Stavi Papadaki.  Coach “Bird” had the “Black” team all by herself while the team’s other four coaches directed the “Gray” team.  

        It was an exciting game!  Almost too exciting as Coach McCall’s team led for much of the game, several times by double digit margins.  However, the ten players who are likely to see the most action for this year’s Cardinal fought back to take leads at end of each half — including a big lead by the game’s end.  The scoreboard wasn’t tracking individual player stats, but as expected, there were THREES!  Hannah, Talana, Cameron, Brooke, and Elena were among the many successful three point shooters.  Laureen Green’s multiple threes were part of her rather impressive offensive output and Stavi also hit from three.  It was good to see that Cameron Brink is Cameron Brink!  That is to say, watching Brink move around the rim was almost like watching poetry.  She has so many moves and such amazing body control.  And, she continues to be almost automatic at the free throw line.

Confirmation

        The scrimmage confirmed all of my impressions from the open practice.  This team is going to shoot a lot of threes.  There are multiple players who are legitimate three point threats!  So, if teams decide to cover Hannah Jump like a second skin, the three pointers will continue to fall.  And, if opposing coaches decide to just blanket the three point line, Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafin, and freshman Nunu Agara will make them pay.  Agara was impressive with her almost bumper car moves down low — she has the strength to move opposing players our ot the way as she heads for the rim.  As the game progressed, Iriafen also showed a willingness to bang inside but without picking up the offensive foul calls she often received last season.

        This team should do well from charity stripe. There weren’t a ton of foul calls in the scrimmage, but when they went to the line, players responded well.  Not only did Cam continue to hit her foul shots, but free throw misses were not really on the menu for any of the players. My memory isn’t perfect, but I don’t recall seeing a Cardinal player miss from the free throw line.  

        The freshmen are going to see plenty of action.  Tara reports that the three freshmen have given themselves the name, Treeos!  I don’t want to jink things, but I will note that the last time we heard that a freshman class gave themselves a name, they also ended up with a National Championship (although that was a year later).       

How good will this team be?

        Pundits rank this year’s version of the Cardinal as the 15th or 16th best team in the country, the 3rd best in the PAC-12.  That is the lowest ranking for a Stanford team in years.  But, I think the pundits are focused on what the Cardinal have lost from last year — not on what they have.  It’s true that the Card lost a first and a third round WNBA draft pick - not to mention the amazing Fran Belibi - to graduation, and lost Betts, Nivar and Emma-Nnopu to the transfer portal.  That is a boat load of talent.  But, focusing on what was lost misses what Stanford has back and has added.

        Let’s start with Cameron Brink, listed as 6’4’’  — last year’s WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, a regular on the All American list.  Brink shot blocking total was second in the country to graduated senior Brooke Flowers last season — making Cam the leading shot blocker among returning players.  She hit roughly 85% of her free throws last season and a more than respectable percentage of her shots from the floor.  This summer Cam picked up a Gold Medal with USA Basketball playing 3x3, an experience that Tara says helped make her a better three point shooter.  Beyond that, Cam is a fierce competitor and a great teammate. I wouldn’t count out a team being led by Cameron Brink.

        The team’s other “senior” leader is 5th year player Hannah Jump.  Coach VanDerveer describes Hannah’s return for a fifth year as “what lets me sleep at night.”  Not only did Hannah set the Stanford single season record for three pointers made last year, with 100, but she hit those three pointers at a higher percentage (44%) than Catlin Clarke (39%). In fact only one player in the country (Iona’s Kate Mager) scored double digit threes with a higher percentage of accuracy than Hannah.  What may be the most impressive part of Hannah’s leadership is her work ethic.  She is the first person in the gym and the last person to leave.  It is that work ethic that has transformed Hannah from a three point specialist to a three level scorer and from a defensive liability to a lockdown defender.  Hannah’s three level scoring was on full display during the scrimmage as she made multiple baskets from drives to the rim including several beautiful teardrop buckets over taller defenders.

        Junior Kiki Iriafen is the team’s third captain.  That is a sign that her teammates recognize her importance to this year’s team — and a recognition of her enthusiastic and unselfish character.  Kiki’s stat line from last year makes it clear that, if she can clean up the foul trouble that hobbled her last year, she will be a major contributor to this team’s success.  Her performance during the preseason scrimmage suggests that she is ready.

        Sophomore point guard Talana Lepolo, last year’s biggest surprise, returns after gaining experience with USA Basketball where she won a Gold Medal with the Under-19 team. Talana’s play in the scrimmage was solid, including a timely three pointer and some nice passes.  This year’s team is returning to some of their older offensive sets — including the triangle offense.  It will be interesting to see how well Talana manages the new looks — as a team’s success depends heavily on the point guard play.

        In addition to Kiki, Stanford’s juniors are Brooke Demetre and Elena Bosgana.  Both have the potential to be elite level three point shooters and great scorers at all levels.  Brooke has shown that she can be a go-to-scorer several times in her career — including against South Florida in her freshman season and against Gonzaga last year when she hit five threes!  Elena’s shooting percentages are slightly better than Brooke’s — which is somewhat remarkable since Tara describes her as a player who has never seen a shot she didn’t want to take.  What neither has shown yet is the ability to be a lockdown defender — something they will need to do if either wants to be the team’s fifth starter.

 Next Up: The Exhibition Game

        NCAA regulations allow teams to schedule one official exhibition game.  Stanford’s will be Wednesday, November 1st against Dominican.  After that the regular season starts, with Stanford playing two nationally televised games in November — November 12th against 9th ranked Indiana and November 19th against a Duke team that will be fresh off an exhibition game against the USA National team.

Questions:

Who will be the Fifth Starter?

      It seems pretty clear that at least for the foreseeable future, this year’s starters will include Captains Brink, Jump, and Iriafen along with point guard Lepolo.  It also seems extremely likely that the fifth starter — again for the foreseeable future, will be either Demetre or Bosgana.  Harriel, a redshirt sophomore, has served primarily as a backup point guard and may well play that role again this year.  The presence of sophomores Green and Papadaki on the “Scout” squad for the scrimmage strongly suggests that neither is likely to break into the starting lineup (although Green’s play suggests that she is another individual for whom hard work can pay big benefits). That leaves the freshmen and, well, they are freshmen.  While it is likely that Agara’s strength under the basket will earn her key minutes as a reserve, she is highly unlikely to replace either Iriafen or Brink in the starting lineup. The situation is less clear for the other talented members of the Treeos, Clardy and Ogden.  The 6’1” Ogden was the highest rated of the Stanford freshmen (10th nationally by Hoopgurlz) and maybe the strongest candidate to break into the starting lineup by the end of the season.  Clardy is also a talented player but at 5’9” is more likely to be slotted into the point guard role, competing with Harriel for the job of backup to Lepolo.  

Who will be the biggest surprise?

        Most years there is at least one player, either a returning player whose game has take a huge leap or an incoming freshman whose performance is much better than the pundits predicted, who surprises fans and perhaps even coaches.  I don’t yet know who that player will be — that’s why we call it a surprise.  Stay tuned.  Nominations accepted…. 

Heading for the “BEST Year Ever”

    A lot has happened since Stanford played its last game last season and I posted my last blog -  the good, the sad, and the ugly.  The good included gold medals with USA Basketball for Brink and Lepolo, international experience for Bosgana, some great incoming freshmen, and several verbal commits from top recruits. The sad was the loss of three talented players to the transfer portal. The ugly was the slow motion train wreck otherwise known as the unraveling of the PAC-12 Conference. For an alum who has spent over 55 years cheering for Stanford against PAC-8, PAC-10, and finally PAC-12 foes in a variety of sports, the end of the PAC-12 was depressing.  I can only imagine how it feels for people intimately involved in those sports.  But, now isn’t the time for dissecting the end of the conference.  It is about celebrating the Stanford women’s basketball journey through the upcoming season. The past can’t be changed but the future can be shaped.  The one silver lining for the new alignment will be that Stanford will be playing games that East Coast sports writers actually will need to watch….

     At the final PAC-12 Women’s Basketball Pre-Season Media Day, Tara VanDerveer described the team’s goal this year as making it the best year ever.  For a program that has won three national championships, 26 regular season conference championships, and 15 conference tournaments, having the best year ever is a lofty goal. Of course, Tara’s measuring stick has never been just about the wins — it is also about has each woman on the team been able to develop as a player, as a woman, and as a leader.  Perhaps that larger frame is why Stanford teams have been so successful in the win column.  But, now isn’t the time for nostalgia or philosophy — it’s the time for excitement about the upcoming season — the PAC-12’s last.

Senior Leaders

    This year the team will be led by senior All-American Cameron Brink and 5th year player Hannah Jump — both veterans of Stanford’s 2021 National Championship team.  Cam is a do-everything dynamo who averaged over 15 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.  Brink also became deadly at the free throw line — hitting 84.8% including a team record 15 of 15 against UCLA. This year we look for her to correct her one remaining weakness, a tendency to foul.  With the fouls under control the sky will be the limit for Brink and the Cardinal.  

    Stanford’s other “senior” leader, Hannah Jump is taking advantage of her “COVID year” to return for a 5th year.  Last year Hannah set the Stanford record for 3 pointers in a season with an even 100!  Equally important, Jump became a three level shooter and a lock down defender. That development is a testament to Jump’s incredible work ethic. We look forward to seeing her continued development. 

    Traditionally Stanford teams rely heavily on seniors to provide leadership for the team — communicating the Stanford culture. As they take on that role, we would expect Brink and Jump to be aided by other returning veterans, especially sophomore point-guard Talana Leopoldo.  Their challenge will be to ensure that this year’s team has a positive chemistry - a return to the Stanford “sisterhood” environment that fueled the team’s recent national championship and final four appearances. It is a task made more difficult by NCAA basketball’s new world order of NIL, the transfer portal, and legalized betting on college sports.  The lure of individual attention over team success when the pay-offs land in six and seven figures can be hard to resist. Ultimately any team’s success depends not just on the talent of the players but on their success in functioning as a team.  We saw that in action last year from the University of Washington team’s run through the PAC-12 Tournament. We hope this year’s Cardinal will play with that sort of joy and camaraderie — if they can they could be the best ever.

New “old faces” on the Coaching Staff

    The task of helping make this year’s group of talented players into a terrific team will be aided by the addition of two new “old faces” on the coaching staff.  Tempie Brown returns to the Stanford coaching staff and former Stanford star (and WNBA player) Erica “Bird” McCall starts her first coaching job — another branch on the growing VanDerveer coaching tree.  Bird, herself the daughter of a coach, was a fan favorite during her years at Stanford.  Her WNBA experience will undoubtedly be a plus for a team with a number of players anticipating a professional career in basketball. Tempie brings excellent skills coaching the “bigs.”

Twelve Players     

    This year there are only twelve women on scholarship - not Stanford’s usual 15 - making each player a more critical part of the team.  This situation reduces the potential strain that situations like last year’s embarrassment of riches with five outstanding post-players all vying for time on the floor can create.  Unlike last year, when Stanford had more “tall trees” than could be in one starting line-up, this year’s team has limited height beyond All-American Cameron Brink. That isn’t to say that the team will be short.  Brink is joined by two players listed at 6’3” - juniors Kiki Iriafen and Brooke Demetre — and two others listed at 6’2” — junior Elena Bosgana and freshman Nunu Agara.  

    Kiki Iriafen is a very talented player who averaged nearly seven points and four rebounds despite playing only twelve minutes a game last year. Her performance will likely be major key to the team’s success.  If Kiki can consistently deliver on the potential she has demonstrated, she could be a break out star. 

    Another key will be the continued improvement of last year’s surprise, point guard Talana Leopolo.  Despite being one of the least heralded members of last year’s freshman class, Talana became one of the few freshman point guards to receive the “keys to the car” from Tara VanDerveer.  Leopolo had the chance to play for USA Basketball where she won a gold medal.  

Questions:

Who will be the Fifth Starter?

    One of the biggest questions for the preseason is who will join Brink, Jump, Leopolo and Iriafen in the starting line-up? Those four seem like a lock — but the fifth starter is less clear.  And, who will be the key reserves?  How will the minutes be spread out? 

How good will this team be?

    It is hard to predict how good this team will be.  PAC-12 coaches have predicted that Stanford will be third in the Conference.  Various pundits have projected Stanford as 15th or 16th in the country.  But history tells us that Tara’s teams have often exceeded the pundit’s expectations.  Led by a legitimate player-of-the-year candidate and a Hall-of-Fame-Coach, this is not a team to count out!  See you at Maples.