Summer means more school for most players

By FBC reporter Judy Richter

It may be summer, but for 10 of the 14 players on the Stanford women’s basketball team, that means summer school, not summer vacation.

As is traditional, the three freshmen – posts Tess Picknell of Oregon and Aly Beebe of California plus guard Kiran Lakhian of Texas – are getting a head start on their college lives by attending summer school.

Joining them on campus are senior forward Mikaela Ruef, junior guard Sara James, junior forward Chiney Ogwumike and four sophomores: forwards Bonnie Samuelson and Erica Payne and guards Alex Green and Jasmine Camp. All of them have helped part-time at head coach Tara VanDerveer’s hoops camps, said associate head coach Amy Tucker.

Besides attending summer school, Chiney has been traveling. She has gone to some games played by her older sister, Nneka, ’12, who’s having a stellar rookie season with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Chiney also went to Colorado Springs earlier this month and was chosen for USA Basketball’s 3x3 National Team, which will compete in Athens, Greece, in late August.

Senior forward Joslyn Tinkle has been at home in Montana, but she has returned to the Farm to help at the next camp session. Junior guard Toni Kokenis has been traveling between her Illinois home and Stanford to help at camp.

Sophomore guard Amber Orrange is at home in Texas. Likewise, sophomore forward Taylor Greenfield is summering at home in Iowa.

Mikaela and Jasmine, who missed most of last season with injuries, have been cleared for basketball activities, Amy said, but Alex is still rehabbing after an Achilles injury.

Players who are on campus have been working with strength and conditioning coach Susan Borchardt and have been organizing basketball sessions on their own. According to NCAA rules, the coaches cannot work with them during the summer. The rules have been relaxed to allow male players to work with their coaches two hours a week, but so far that change hasn’t applied to women’s teams, Amy said.

Sara, Aly, Mikaela, Alex, Tess, Kiran, Bonnie, Jasmine, Susan and ?? on a grocery run.

Besides running Tara’s hoops camps, the coaches have been on the summer recruiting trail. They’ll get a break in August, then return in September, ready to begin the next season.