First Game - First Win

 Kiki Showed the Way

Iriafen gives postgame interview

        Stanford opened the official season with an 87 to 40 win over the University of Hawaii. This year’s edition of the Cardinal was dominant from the start — taking a 24 to 12 lead in the first quarter and never being seriously challenged after that.  None of the starting five played in the 4th quarter and the starters mostly sat on the bench for the whole second half.  

        

        The Card was led by Kiki Iriafen.  She demonstrated the talent and tenacity that has led us to believe she will be Stanford’s next shinning star in the Brink-Jump constellation.  She scored a career best (so far) 23 points, picking up a double-double with 13 rebounds while only playing 24 minutes.  Those 23 points were remarkably efficient; Kiki was 10 of 14 from the floor (over 71%) and 3 for 3 at the free throw line.  Although Stanford out rebounded Hawaii 60 to 18, rebounding was mostly a team effort with every member of the Cardinal snagging at least one rebound while Iriafen was the team’s only double digit rebounder. Kiki was joined in double figure scoring by freshman Nunu Agara with 18 points, Brooke Demetre with 12, and Elena Bosgana with 10.  

Expectations Confirmed

        The trends and expectations that started from the open practice continue to play out.  We expected the Cardinal to hit their free throws — they hit 19 of 20.  We expected the Card to shoot a lot of three pointers - 17 of the teams 66 shots (over 25%) were from three.  We expected that if teams guarded the three point line aggressively, the Card’s interior would make them pay - and they did.  Over 56% of Stanford’s 87 points were scored by the Cardinals three post players — Iriafen, Brink, and Agara.  Additionally, as defenders harassed her at the three point line, Hannah Jumped showed her versatility by hitting 60% on her drives to the basket. Finally, we expected the frosh TREE-OS to see a lot of action — and they did.  Of course, in this game everybody played at least four minutes and Stanford had 10 players rack up double digit minutes. Nonetheless, it is clear that for now Stanford is using a 10 player rotation with the freshmen fully embedded in that rotation.  

One Answer

        At this point it does appear that Nunu Agara is this year’s “pleasant surprise.”  She has looked poised and talented — appearing to be a solid third option in the paint.  Agara has strength and agile moves down low while also showing the ability to hit most shots she tries from within six to eight feet from the basket. Her 18 points are the most points scored by a freshman in a season opener since Candace Wiggins — and Tara says Nunu can hit from three! The other two freshmen have shown talent and flashes of brilliance, but they look like freshmen.  The flashes are often followed by freshman mistakes.  Agara has shown the sort of consistency that causes Tara to say of her, “she doesn’t look like a freshman, she looks like a basketball player.”

Questions

1. How will this team do against stronger opponents?

        Thus far we have seen Stanford play against two teams.  Dominican had some quick players, but they lacked the size to play against the Cardinal.  Hawaii had size — three players listed at 6’4” — but they weren’t quick enough to cause real problems.  None of Hawaii’s players reached double figure scoring and the Hawaii team shot below 24% overall and from three.  By contrast, six of the seven Stanford players who scored hit 50% or more of their shots.  So, we can be fairly confident that against teams that lack size or quickness, this year’s Cardinal will dominate.  But, the question remains, how will they do against teams with both size and quickness?  We should get our first answer to that question on Sunday when Stanford takes on 9th ranked Indiana at 2:00 pm.

2. Can the team stay healthy?

        The next question/concern is can this team stay healthy?  While last year’s team had so much (too much?) talent that they could truly have a “next player up” attitude towards injury or foul trouble, this year’s team probably doesn’t.  It was concerning to see Cameron Brink’s back being worked on from the bench after she asked to be substituted out in the second quarter.  She obviously wasn’t her normal self — missing six of her eight shots from the floor.  It was frightening to see Kiki Iriafen being helped off the floor from the bench — although she later confirmed that it was just a cramp.  It is hard to imagine this year’s team being successful without Brink, Iriafen or Jump.  

WOW!

 The Exhibition

        

        Webster defines an exhibition as “a public showing (as of…athletic skill.)”  That is certainly what the Stanford Women’s Basketball team provided for fans on November 1.  The 2023-24 version of the Cardinal hit the century mark well before the end of the 3rd quarter, coasting to a 126 to 53 victory over Division 2 Dominican University that wasn’t as close as the final score suggests.  Every player on the team had the chance to display her skill for at least eight minutes and 60 of the teams 126 points were scored by bench players!  Of course, things will undoubtedly be harder for the Cardinal once the season begins and they play against Division 1 teams, but the display was impressive nonetheless. 

Expectations Confirmed

Celebrating the win

        We have expected Cameron Brink and Hannah Jump to be special — and they provided reassurance that we won’t be disappointed.  Despite taking a shot to the face and playing only 14 minutes, Cam scored 10 points, was perfect from the free throw line, had four blocks, and six rebounds, and two assists. Hannah Jump went 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and 5 of 6 overall with three assists, one steal, and zero turnovers in just under 13 minutes on the floor.

        All indications have been that this year’s Card team will make it rain three pointers and the exhibition continued that narrative.  Stanford shot 46% from 3 point range for the game.  Five different players: Jump, Elena Bosgana, Talana Lepolo, Jzaniya Harriel, and Courtney Ogden, hit over 50% of their three point attempts!  Of course, things will undoubtedly be harder for the Cardinal once the season begins and they play against Division 1 teams, but the display was impressive nonetheless.  

        For this game at least, free throws were not a problem.  Stanford players only missed two of their 17 opportunities at the charity stripe.  Given the number of games in recent years where missed free throws have been the difference between a win and a loss, this performance with comforting.

This is a talented team

        The pundits who have ranked the CARD 15th or 16th in the country suggest that beyond Brink and Jump, this team doesn’t have much.  This exhibition suggests otherwise.  There are a number of talented players on this team.  And, perhaps more importantly, the exhibition gave us a chance to see that this is a talented TEAM!  There was joy and evident camaraderie among the players — this group likes playing together.  The “senior” leaders are special — but the rest of the team is pretty darn good and may well be “special” by the time they are done.  That “rest of the team” includes last year’s surprise — point guard Talana Lepolo who started her college career with 11 assists and no turnovers.  Talana looked comfortable and ready to lead the team in her 13 minutes on the floor - scoring 5 points on 2 of 3 shooting, grabbing a rebound and making one assist while having zero turnovers.

The Next Leaders

        The junior class showed up and showed that they can be leaders.  Kiki Iriafin and Elena Bosgana led the team in scoring with 19 points each.  Kiki also had 14 rebounds for a nifty double-double despite playing less than 17 minutes.  In addition to scoring 19 points in her first career start, Elena Bosgana had five rebounds, four assists, and three steals! A very nice stat line — with the team leading four assists being perhaps the most impressive number — it’s an indication that this is a team where players are willing to share the ball. Brooke Demetre struggled with her shot, but pulled down 12 rebounds along with two assists and two steals, a nice way to help a team win when your shot isn’t falling.  The other “junior,” redshirt sophomore Jzaniya Harriel scored 13 points, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, 5 of 8 overall, with 3 steals, two rebounds, and an assist.

Kiki Iriafen has reasons to smile

        The Tree-o’s are for real!  Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden both scored 16 points, right behind Kiki and Elena for the team lead.  Agara continues to impress with her strength inside — she isn’t going to get pushed around — but she also demonstrated some shooting touch from the middle of the lane.  Ogden had 10 rebounds to give her a double-double, but four of them came in one almost humorous sequence where she missed on four straight attempts at a “bunny” — persevering with rebounds until finally successful on the shot.  It seems very likely that Courtney will have a number of more legitimate double-double’s before her career is over. 

The third Tree-o, Chloe Clardy scored eight points on 2 of 5 shooting and a perfect 4 for 4 from the line.  Like Harriel, Chloe showed good point guard skills, providing some assurance that Talana won’t need to be an “iron-woman” this year. 

Ogden’s first chance to throw a victory ball!

Questions and maybe Answers

1. How will the team do against stronger opponents?

Last year’s edition of the Cardinal blew out less talented teams but often struggled against more evenly matched teams.  Those are the games where coaching, leadership, and chemistry make the difference.  We know Stanford has the coaching — but do we have the leadership and team chemistry.  It looks like it — but the final answer is a few months away….

2. How many times will multiple players hit double-doubles in the same game?

Last year Cam was almost a double-double machine, with a triple-double thrown in for good measure. On Wednesday Kiki and Courtney had double-doubles.  Several other players had stat lines that suggest a double-double is possible.  So — how often will there be multiple double-doubles for this team — proving that the CARD isn’t just Cam and the Cammets?

3.  Are we closer to knowing who is this year’s pleasant surprise? 

There are at least four players I could nominate — but let’s wait a while to say for sure….

        

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.

About the Final Four

 Dear Stanford Fans,

This post isn't the tribute to the Funky Four I promised after the Mississippi game.  That commentary will happen but it has been delayed due my travels to Seattle for the Regionals and Dallas for the Final Four along with the illness and death of a beloved animal companion. What I am sharing today is a letter I wrote in response to Ann Killion's April 3rd commentary on the National Championship game in the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Dear Ann Killion, 

            The flaw in the Final Four was the racism in the media's treatment of the largely Black teams from South Carolina and LSU versus the treatment of the almost totally White team from Iowa (which only had one woman of color on its roster).  You - and the rest of the media -- were distraught over the 37 fouls called in the National Finals (18 on LSU and 19 on Iowa).  But the media was totally silent about the 38 fouls called in the Semi-Final game, 20 on South Carolina and 18 on Iowa.  In Iowa's two games there were 75 fouls called -- 37 against Iowa, 38 against Iowa's opponents.

            Egged on by the media's questions, Lisa Bluder bemoaned how "unfair" it was that Czinano's career ended with her on the bench having fouled out.  But nobody cried about how unfair it was that Bree Beals ended her career the same way or that South Carolina's historic season ended with a loss in part due to Aliyah Boston spending most of the first half on the bench due to early fouls.  Big Ten fans all know that Catlin Clark -- undeniably a generational talent -- often uses a quick shove to get free for her stunning three pointers.  That move is a foul, but Clark rarely gets called for it -- perhaps due to her quickness, perhaps due to "All-star deference," perhaps due to something else. 

            Social media blew up over Angel Reese making a gesture at Catlin Clark as time ran out on Iowa in the Finals -- but nobody had called out Clark for making the same gesture towards Boston as time ran out on South Carolina's historic season.  In fact, Reese says she only did it because of Clark's actions towards Boston. Clark's trash talking and, some would say disrespectful, encouragement of cheers from the crowd is called passionate.  But when Black women do similar things they are called "low class" or worse.

            Iowa's play is called "physical" while South Carolina's is called "street fighting."  This is a slightly toned-down modern version of Imus's 2007of description of the Rutgers team coached by C. Vivian Stringer.  There seems to be a special problem for the media when a largely Black team is coached by a Black woman.  

            This isn't just about Iowa.  In the 40 minutes of game time, Kim Mulkey had both of her feet inside the court boundaries for at least 30 minutes, but she is allowed to do that even though the rule book says she can't.  On at least one occasion an official ON the court had to run around Kim Mulkey and didn't call the technical.  Can you imagine Dawn Staley being allowed to spend virtually the entire game with her feet firmly planted INSIDE the court and never being called for the technical foul that behavior deserves?

            It is disappointing that a commentator who often notices the racism of our culture got sucked into this racist narrative about the Final Four.  Yes, foul calls have an impact on basketball games. And, yes, foul calls are particularly difficult for a team that doesn't have a deep bench, and Iowa didn't. But this issue was alive and well throughout the entire tournament -- indeed throughout the season.  It shouldn't suddenly be the lead story just because the media darlings didn't win. I thought you were better than that.

 

Sincerely,

Nancy Baker

Stanfordfangirl.blogspot.com

Not The Ending We Wanted!

A Rough Ending Against a Tough Team

 

            Stanford's season ended tonight -- not the ending we expected or wanted.  Certainly not the way the Funky Four wanted to end their Stanford career.  Stanford battled back from what looked like certain defeat to give themselves a chance to win but came up short.  I will leave it to the professional pundits to dissect the game, beyond saying that when a team has five more turnovers than made baskets, it is remarkable to only lose by five points. There were too many layups that didn't fall -- including some that were halfway down and came back out.  This incredibly talented team won't play again this year.

 

            There is a reason this Blog is called the Stanford Fan Girl -- because at the end of the day -- I am a fan.  Like, I suspect, most of the team and its fans, I am in shock. So, beyond these few comments, I will say that I will be posting again later in the week.  That post will be a summary of the year and, even more, a tribute to the Funky Four -- an amazing class who leave an incredible legacy.  The most difficult thing, for me, is that this loss means that we will never see those four amazing women together in Stanford uniforms. Hannah Jump - the only member of the Funky Four who wasn't a McDonald's All American is coming it for her COVID year--and that is FANTASTIC.  But, it looks like this was the end for the rest of the Funky Four.

 

            For now, it's hold your head up Cardinal -- you are amazing on the court and off!  You are warriors!

Jump sets a record

 

Hannah's Mom celebrates her daughter!

Round #1: Stanford 92 - SHU 49

 

            Stanford took the floor for the first round of the NCAA Tournament without All-American Cameron Brink.  As one of the ESPN Analysts said in the half-time show, "No Cameron Brink, no problem."  Stanford had too much talent and too much height for a gallant but over-matched Sacred Heart team.

          SHU scored the game's first basket and played the CARD basically even for the first eight-and-a-half minutes. But by the end of the first quarter the CARD was up by five. Defense ruled for the first four minutes of the second quarter, with Stanford's first basket not coming until nearly three-and-a-half minutes had passed.  But once Haley Jones took the lid off the basket, scoring on a beautiful pass from Talana Lepolo, the CARD was off to the races, scoring 22 points in the quarter while holding SHU to only 8. By the end of the first half, Haley had 17 points -- on seven of ten from the floor including several highlight reel layups.

 

            Stanford dominated in all areas - rebounds, scoring percentage, assists, steals, blocks, and points-in-the-paint. But a big part of what allowed the CARD to run away with the game was turning up the defensive intensity.  Sacred Heart got here by turning teams over and scoring off those turnovers.  But in this game, Stanford only turned the ball over seven times (resulting in four SHU points) while scoring 19 points off SHU's 11 turnovers. The only stat category where Sacred Heart came out ahead was free-throw percentage. Without Cam's nearly perfect contributions from the charity stripe, Stanford regressed to a 57% mark. 

 

            One of the big side moments of the first half was Hannah Jump's three-pointer with three seconds left, assisted by Talana.  Hannah's two three-pointers in the first quarter had moved her into a tie with Karly Samuelson and Jeanette Pohlen for the three-pointers in a season.  That buzzer beater gave Hannah 97 for  the year and sole possession of the season record.  Another big moment came when Sacred Heart star 5'3" Ny'Ceara Pryor thought she had a layup and Lauren Betts just stuffed the ball. Pryor went down and the ball went out of bounds off her. 

 

            With the game under control, all available players were able to get minutes on the floor. Only point guards Talana and Indya Nivar played more than 20 minutes -- 23 for Talana and 21 for Indya. Additionally, five players (Haley, Hannah, Fran, Indya, and Lauren) scored in double-figures while Kiki Iriafen and Elena Bosgana both had nine.  Twelve players participated in pulling down Stanford's 57 rebounds, with only Fran reaching double figures in rebounds, part of the CARD's only double-double for the game. Ten CARD players recorded assists, led by Talana's seven assists with no turnovers!  Hopefully this team win has the CARD ready to make a run in the tournament.

 

Next Up: Ol' Miss

 

            It is unlikely that Stanford's next game will be as easy.  Eighth seed Ol' Miss dominated nineth seed Gonzaga, winning 71-48.  That margin suggests that Ol' Miss is seriously under seeded.  This is, after all, the other team that has taken South Carolina to overtime!  They are fast, physical, and aggressive.  They play the type of physical defense that can give the CARD trouble.  They play team basketball.  In the win over Gonzaga, nine of the ten players who entered the game scored.  Stanford's size and talent should be enough to carry the day -- but it promises to be an intense game.  How the CARD handle this matchup may tell us a lot about how the tournament will go.  

 

            See you SUNDAY.  Let's show up big to cheer the Funky Four in their last game at Maples!!! ESPN has the game at 6:30!

 

 

            

March Madness

FEAR THE TREE

            On Friday night the Stanford Women's basketball team will take the floor in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament for the 35th consecutive year! It's MARCH MADNESS time!  For the last two years women's basketball teams have been officially included in that "March Madness" designation, a privilege the NCAA had previously reserved only for the men's tournament.  But for women's basketball fans March has always been exciting! Given the number of upsets in conference tournaments, this year may be even more exciting than usual.

 

            The collegiate basketball season has three segments: the "pre" season, the conference season - these days including a conference tournament, and the "post" season for teams that are good or lucky enough to get a "ticket to the dance." As much as every team always wants to win every game, in the first two segments a loss, even a painful loss can help a team get better - get ready for March. Now it's "exam" time -- win or wait for next year.  

 

            The good news is that the CARD players are Stanford students -- so hopefully they have learned the lessons from the season and are ready to ace this exam. Stanford has a great track record in the NCAA tournament.  In the 35 years that Tara has guided Stanford to the NCAA tournament the CARD has been to 15 Final Fours and has only failed to advance to the Sweet 16 six times.  That amazing level of sustained excellence is why in a recent confidential poll of 30 top coaches conducted by the Athletic asking who is the "best x's and o's coach in women's basketball" Tara VanDerveer came out on top -- receiving nearly three times as many votes as the next coach on the list.

 

            For fans concerned about Stanford's two losses in their last three games, it useful to look at the season's stats.  Among all D1 teams, Stanford ranks #3 in Field Goal Percentage Defense, #2 in Blocks per game, #3 in Rebound Margin, and #6 in Scoring Margin.   There is some room to be concerned about the CARD having fewer assists per game than usual (Stanford only ranks 25 -- but South Carolina is only 20th) and a lower Scoring Offense rating than usual, but that last figure reflects how difficult it is to score against the stingy defenses of the Pac-12 Conference. 

 

            Stanford will be taking on Sacred Heart, the winner of the First Four game at Maples Wednesday night.  This will give the CARD a chance to demonstrate that they have grasped the first lesson from the season:  Don't take anything for granted (4th quarter doldrums after big leads)- Don't overlook any team (U. of Washington). It will also give the CARD a chance to address an issue many pundits have made a focus -- finding a scorer in addition to Haley and Cam.  It's time to get Hannah Jump more open looks and to get our other three-point-shooters, particularly Agnes and Talana, to take more of their open threes. Frequently in the 4th quarter teams play five on three against Cam, Haley, and Hannah. The best way to stop that is for other players to hit their open shots.

 

            As tempting as it is to look ahead to the potential Regional Final matchup between Stanford and Iowa, the Pac-12 tournament tells us why we shouldn't look so far ahead.  That Stanford vs Utah rematch didn't happen.  So, this column will take it one game at a time.  See you at Maples, when Stanford takes on Sacred Heart, as we celebrate the last weekend at home for the Funky Four (Fran, Haley, Hannah, and Ash).

Upset

 

            The 2023 PAC-12 tournament has been a tournament of upsets.  There were two upsets in each round!  Unfortunately for Stanford, there were only two games in the third round and Stanford was the higher seed.  

Stanford 76 - Oregon 65

             On Thursday Stanford avoided the upset in a tight game against Oregon. Against Oregon, the CARD took the lead from the first minutes and held on to it. One of the most positive notes from the Oregon game is that all of Stanford’s starters scored at least eight points.  The team was led by Cameron Brink’s 22 points (along with 11 rebounds for another double-double) and Haley Jones’ 13 rebounds (with eight points and eight assists). Hannah Jump and Talana Leopolo also scored in double figures. Off the bench Belibi added eight points with 10 rebounds and Betts scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds. Additionally, all of the CARD’s starters were perfect from the free throw line! 

            In the Oregon game Stanford had more rebounds (56 -39), more assists (16 -11), more points-in-the-paint (30-14), and more bench points (15-11). Interestingly, although they led the entire game, the CARD won the first quarter by seven, the second by six, played Oregon even in the third, and Stanford lost the fourth by two.  This second half loss of fire pre-shadowed an even bigger second half let-down on Friday.  

UCLA 69 — Stanford 65

            Against UCLA the game started out with Stanford looking strong.  The CARD took the lead at roughly 90 seconds into the game and led the entire first half; wining the first quarter by 9 and the second by 4 to take a 13 point lead into halftime.  Several of Cameron Brink’s first half field goals were elbow jumpers, not her usual layups.  That development of her game, along with her continued perfection at the free-throw line, should be a big plus for Stanford going forward.  Many teams try to stop the CARD by clogging the paint.  The best ways to stop that are having three point shooters draw the defense out and other players hit elbow jumpers.  In the first half against UCLA Stanford did just that.

            The second half was a different story.  UCLA started to find their range in the third quarter, but Stanford continued to hold on.  The CARD only had four made baskets in the quarter, but went 6 off 6 from the free-throw line.  Stanford lost the quarter by three but still took a 10 point lead into the fourth quarter.  UCLA came out on fire in the fourth and Stanford seemed to run out of gas, at least at the defensive end of the floor.  The Bruins out scored the CARD by 14 in the fourth quarter, 29 to 15.  UCLA took their first lead with just over two minutes left to play and Stanford was unable to answer.  That inability was aided by several calls by the referees that seemed questionable at best.  One was on a Brink rebound which was ruled a jump ball while Cam was trying to call a timeout.  There were several others, in the last few minutes that hurt Stanford — but of course, it’s never a good idea to let things get so close that the referees can decide the game.  Given the five weeks Stanford has just gone through, perhaps the best news in that Sunday the CARD will be home sleeping in their own beds.

            

          

Co-Champs

Coming Up Short In Utah

            It is a testament to how "classy" Stanford's coach is that, in commenting on the Cardinal's loss at Utah, Tara simply said that Utah was the better team in the game.  She didn't point to the insane schedule the CARD had endured -- 3 ranked teams in six days (4 in eight), two plane trips (including one with a multiple hour delay), and a 43-hour turnaround after winning a double overtime game -- 43 hours that included that multi-hour travel delay.  If the CARD had pulled off a win against a highly motivated Utah team seeking a share of the Pac-12 title for the first time on the Utah home court, it would be time to start passing out Superhero capes.  Even with all that adversity, the CARD kept it close, trailing by only one point with less than two-and-a-half minutes to go in the 4th.

 

            The effect of fatigue on Stanford players was evident -- usually sure handed players had difficulty holding on to the ball, great shooters missed layups, and players moved a step too slow on defense.  Utah won the turnover battle, turning the ball over only 10 times while the CARD turned the ball over 21 times! But, in the final analysis, Utah won the game at the free-throw line, hitting 26 of their 33 free-throws while the CARD hit only 11 of 17.  The huge disparity in free-throws taken belies the fact that Stanford was only called for five more fouls (28 to 23).  To admittedly partisan eyes, it seemed that in some cases Utah players were ruled "in the act of shooting" when they were merely "on their way to the basket," while Stanford players getting knocked down while shooting didn't get an "and-one."

 

            Of course, Stanford players and coaches won't make any excuses for the loss.  They will simply learn what there is to be learned (mostly get a good night's sleep before a big game) and use it as motivation should they meet Utah in the Pac-12 Tournament Finals as they will if seeding holds. However, we certainly hope that the NCAA Committee takes that adversity into account.  Winning the Pac-12 Tournament would resolve that issue.

 

Bright Spots

            Perhaps the brightest spot is the fight that Stanford demonstrated.  After the gauntlet Stanford had faced, just showing up and jumping out to a 9-0 lead and battling back time and again -- pulling to within one, two-, or three-points numerous times after going down by more ten points -- is impressive. This team has heart!

 

            Another bright spot was the continued prowess of Cameron Brink at the free-throw line.  She only missed one free-throw for the ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.  Cam hit 8 of 8 against Utah, 15 of 15 against UCLA, 4 of 4 against Arizona, 5 of 6 against Arizona State, 4 of 4 against Washington, and 2 of 2 against Washington State (she did not go to the line against Colorado). Impressive for a player whose FT average was in the 60% range in her first two years! It was also a positive to see Hannah Jump score 24 points, including 6 threes. Those threes may put her back into the top 5 nationally. (Hannah is currently 7th nationally.)

 

            This game, coming at the end of a grueling stretch, also gave Stanford a chance to employ its depth.  Many of the players who have had fewer minutes during the Pac-12 season got a chance to show what they can do, and they all contributed. Stanford's bench contributed 24 points compared to Utah's 15.  

 

Questions

 

1. What will be the first upset of the Pac-12 Tournament?

Reflecting the conference's strength, the Pac-12 tournament regularly sees upsets. With the conclusion of the final regular season games, the tournament bracket is set -- but we can expect that the seeding will not hold perfectly.  Stanford is the #1 seed while Co-Champion Utah is the #2 seed. Stanford's first game, scheduled for 2:30 on Thursday, will be against the winner of Wednesday's game between Washington and Oregon. If that is Washington it would give the CARD the chance to avenge one of its three Pac-12 losses. Who knows what comes next.

Miracle in the Mountains!

 Never quit on the CARD 'cause they don't quit!

Stanford 73 -- Colorado 62

 

            Things looked dark for Stanford down by one with six seconds left in the game and Colorado's Jaylyn Sherrod going to the free throw line for two shots. Sherrod, a 75% free throw shooter, missed both.  Fran Belibi grabbed the rebound.  With three seconds left, Lauren Betts was fouled while shooting from deep in the paint. She made one of the resulting free throws, sending the game into a second OT. Despite the fatigue one would expect for a team playing at altitude against their third ranked team in less than a week, Stanford outscored Colorado 13 to 2 in the final five minutes of this 50-minute game! 

 

            When Pac-12 Player-of-the-Year candidate Cameron Brink fouled out early in the first OT, All American Haley Jones stepped up! She was directly involved in seven of Stanford's points in the final OT (four points and an amazing assist on a Hannah Jump three-pointer), while playing the point and -- even more -- being the team's leader.  Haley played every minute of the game, scoring seven points in the first OT to help keep the CARD in the game.

 

            Stanford reserve stars from Colorado -- senior Fran Belibi and freshman Lauren Betts -- were key players in this victory, partly due to Brink's foul problems!  Both played roughly 20 minutes over their season average.  Between the two, they accounted for 20 of the team's 73 points, 5 of the team's 10 blocks, 6 of the team's 16 assists, and 16 of the team's 53 rebounds.  Fran also had a critical steal.  She reminded us why we will miss her, and Lauren showed us how dominant she is going to become!

 

HARD TRIP!

            Trips to the mountains are always hard due to the need to play at altitude after plane rides.  This trip also has the difficulty of coming at 2 pm after a Monday night game, that was followed by an emotional Senior Night ceremony.  Stanford didn't even take the normal morning shoot-around.  That may have contributed to Stanford's slow start -- the CARD didn't score their first points until Haley Jones hit two free throws with 74 SECONDS remaining in the first quarter and didn't hit their first basket until 12 seconds left in the quarter! Stanford's defense kept the CARD in the game.  Despite Stanford's poor shooting, the CARD was only down by eight at the end of the first quarter.

 

            Once the Stanford offense got warmed up, the CARD outscored Colorado by two in the second quarter and 12 in the third quarter.  Fatigue may have caught up with Stanford in the 4th quarter when a motivated and well coached Buffalo team outscored the CARD by six to even the game at the end of regulation.  Having survived what looked like almost certain defeat in the first overtime, Stanford came out with new determination in the second OT.  They showed the heart of champions, scoring 13 points while holding Colorado to only two points over the final five minutes.

 

SNAKE BIT!

            Colorado star Jaylyn Sherrod must be feeling a little snake bit as this is at least the third time Stanford has turned what appeared to be a Colorado victory into a loss.  First it was Ashton Prechtel hitting a catch and shoot basket with only seconds to go four years ago.  Then it was Kianna Williams scoring six points in less than16 seconds to steal another win.  In this game Sherrod gave it more than her all but may have nightmares about those missed free-throws at the end of the first OT.  It is a tribute to J.R. Payne's coaching that Colorado is always one of the toughest challenges Stanford faces every year.

 

First Goal Accomplished!!!

            With the win Stanford wraps up at least a share of the Pac-12 title and the #1 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament next week.  (If Stanford and Utah end the season with equal 15-3 Conference records, Stanford wins the tie-breaker with the Utes.) That meets the team's first goal. Beating Utah to take sole possession would be sweet!  Then it's on to the Pac-12 Tournament with goal number two being winning that tournament.  

 

Questions

 

1.  Did Tara see something nobody else saw?

At the start of the season Pac-12 coaches were polled on who would win the Conference.  The rule is you can't pick your own team.  Stanford got 11 votes, Utah got one...so we know who voted for them.  The coaches picked Oregon second, Arizona third, UCLA fourth, and Utah fifth! Tara claimed her vote was purely based on Utah's second place finish in last year's Pac-12 tournament.  But one wonders if she saw something other's missed.

 

2.  Are the CARD getting ready to "gel?"

Stanford clearly has all the pieces of a championship team.  But a lot of those pieces are very young players.  And, the one problem with having so many fabulous pieces is getting the team to gel.  This team has great chemistry among the players but isn't playing like a well-oiled machine (yet). There have been flashes -- but not 40 consecutive minutes. If the CARD can bring all the pieces together for full game (and it is looking more likely), they will be lifting three trophies before April 3...

Funky Four Go Out With A Win

Senior Night

 

            Senior night is always interesting - especially when it marks the regular season home finale for four amazing seniors.  Everybody wants a send-off victory, although according to Haley Jones, the players try to put that out of their mind and stay within the game.  

 

            In the first half, it looked like the game was going to be easy. Stanford had an eight-point lead after one quarter and a 13-point lead at the half.  Unfortunately, the third quarter was not easy. UCLA came out on fire and Stanford did not.  Going into the 4th quarter, Stanford was down by one.  But the team stepped up to win by five.  The CARD was led by their All-Americans Jones and Brink, who scored 19 of Stanford's 21 points in the final ten minutes.  But lots of players made important contributions in that final quarter.  Seniors Fran Belibi and Hannah both had key steals and rebounds.  Freshman point guard Lepolo added a rebound, an assist, and scored the other two points on critical free throws giving Stanford a four-point lead with 13 seconds left in the game. 

 

            It was an interesting game statistically. Stanford was out rebounded 36 to 33, with an even greater disparity on the offensive boards. UCLA took 15 more shots than Stanford, but only had one more made basket.  The Bruins also took 14 more three-pointers than Stanford, hitting 7-25 while Stanford was 4 of 11.  The stats say that points-in-the-paint were even at 28 apiece but that stat doesn't include the 17 made free throws by Stanford "bigs" Betts and Brink. Stanford won this game at the charity stripe, going 23 of 25 while UCLA made 13 of 18. Cameron Brink was perfect from the line, hitting a Stanford record 15-straight free throws. 

 

Interesting Improvements

 

            It is exciting to see the improvements players have made.  In this game we saw again the gains that Lauren Betts has made. She looked confident in her 15 minutes on the floor, scoring 12 points, collecting six rebounds, and getting an assist on a great pass out of a triple team. Both Nivar and Lepolo also showed that they should no longer be considered freshmen. 

 

Saying Good Bye (sort of) to the Funky Four

            

            The hardest thing about the night was realizing that this was the last "official" home game for the four Stanford seniors who came in as the #2 recruiting class in the country.  Of course, their senior year is not really over.  There are two more regular season games, the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas, and the NCAA tournament.  Stanford will certainly be a top 16 seed (probably a Regional #1), so there will be tournament games scheduled at Maples -- but this was the last regular season home game.  They have been a joy to watch -- but more of that later when the season is closer to being truly over. 

 

First Goal: Winning the Pac-12 Regular Season Title

 

            With the win against UCLA, Stanford moves within one victory of clinching a share of the Pac-12 regular season title and the #1 seed for the Pac-12 tournament. Tara's team is heading to the mountains intent on grabbing two more victories.  Those wins would properly build the Cardinal's momentum for the Pac-12 tournament. 

Questions

1. Did you miss my column?

I was away in New Zealand and wasn’t able to watch any games after the Oregon sweep until I returned home.  Who knew that New Zealand would show the Super Bowel but not Stanford Women’s Basketball?!! Since returning, I have bing-watched all the games.  I will update this column with some comments.

2. How much will we miss watching the four seniors at Maples?

Of course, the four plus Agnes and Cameron all have Covid years….just saying.