Road Trip: Junior Jubilee

 

Warren Grimes

In a preseason statement to the press, Coach Kate Paye, after praising the talented incoming freshmen, said that the team, when the going got tough, would still rely on its veteran players to get it done.   That statement was prescient for the two-game road trip to the Northwest.   The veterans, particularly four junior players, played a huge role in victories over Washington State and Gonzaga.

Let’s start with Chloe Clardy, a player who has yet to start a single game this season.  Don’t be fooled.  Clardy comes off the bench to be, arguably, the most productive player on the team.  Clardy leads the team in minutes (30 min. per game), in scoring (13.2 per game), and in three-point conversions.  That’s just for starters.  Clardy has more than twice as many steals as any other teammate.  She’s a close second to Talana Lepolo in assists.  And she’s shooting free throws at 87.5%.  How many times have you seen statistics like that for a player that isn’t in the starting lineup?

If you are an opponent, Clardy will break your heart.  Against Gonzaga, a lurking Clardy stole an inbound pass and immediately put in an under-the-basket, falling-down shot that sparked a late first half turnaround for Stanford, closing a 12-point Gonzaga advantage to just 2 points at the end of the half.  Clardy scored a team-high 20 points against the Zags.

The list of juniors who excelled on this road trip goes on.   Nunu Agara showed fire and intensity in putting up a double-double against the Zags.   She had 16 points and 11 boards to go along with 2 blocks and 3 steals. Her focused second-half performance was vital to Stanford overcoming a deficit and pulling away to a comfortable margin.

Next on the list is Courtney Ogden.  It’s worth recalling that Ogden was the highest ranked high school recruit (5 stars) in her Stanford freshman class.  Always competitive, Ogden began showing moxie at the end of last season, earning a starting position in the final game.  This season, Ogden started all 5 games but had so-so stats for the first two games.  That changed against Cal Poly where a more intense Ogden appeared.  She had 12 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals in that game.  That more motivated Ogden reappeared against Gonzaga with 14 points and 6 boards accompanied by a block and a steal.  Ogden showed shot-making creativity in several drives to the basket. Over the last three games, Ogden is averaging double digit scoring (10.3 per game).

The last junior to make a major contribution was Mary Ashley Stevenson whose unselfish but intense play led to 24 minutes against Washington State and 31 minutes against Gonzaga.  She contributed points, boards and assists in both games.  Collectively these four juniors contributed 54 of the team’s 65 points (83% of the team’s total) against the Zags.

Meanwhile, the freshmen aren’t going away.  Hailee Swain led the team with 10 points against Washington State.  Inspired by their junior teammates, interior players Lara Somfai and Alexandra Eschmeyer can only get better.

After Three Games, Balance, Depth and Some Questions

 

Warren Grimes

Stanford has won its three opening games.  All were home games against talented but unranked opponents.   The average margin over these three opponents was 33.6 points.  In the most intense of these contests, Santa Clara managed to hold Stanford to a single digit lead until the final 4 minutes of the game. 

This young Stanford team has balance and depth.  Seven players are averaging 17 or more minutes on the floor.  Four players have double digit scoring averages, including freshmen starters Lara Somfai and Hailee Swain.   No one is dominating scoring stats.   Somfai leads the way with a double-double average (14.3 points and 10.3 boards), followed by veterans Nunu Agara (13 points), Chloe Clardy (12.7 points) and freshman Hailee Swain (12.3 points).  Just below the double-digit threshold are Talana Lepolo (8.7 points) and Alexandra Eschmeyer (8 points).

Although this margin will likely fall as stronger opponents are scheduled, the team is averaging 19 more boards than its opponents.   Two of the top three rebounders are freshmen: Somfai is averaging 10.3 followed by Agara’s 7.3 and Eschmeyer’s 6.7.

Two of the team’s top performers have come off the bench in all three games.  Chloe Clardy has more total minutes than anyone else (29.5 average), is third in scoring, leads the team in steals, and is tied for the lead in three-point conversions.  Clardy is a personal favorite – smooth and relentless.  Eschmeyer is also coming off the bench to be an interior force who has converted from the outside (2 of 3 three-pointers so far).  Eschmeyer failed to score in the Cal Poly game but still contributed (3 boards and 3 impressive assists). 

Another strong point so far is the team’s 81 percent free throw shooting.  I expect this team to draw its share of fouls, so conversions will be vital for success.  Stanford also has go-to players who can create as the shot clock winds down.  Nunu Agara is a proven asset but is now joined by freshmen Hailee Swain and Lara Somfai.

There are still questions.  The team has played multiple minutes with three guards on the floor (Lepolo, Swain and Clardy).  That offense should work well depending on the opponent.  Against taller teams, a different lineup may be needed.  At 6’1”, starting forward Courtney Ogden showed moxie at the end of last season but has started slowly this season.  She came alive against Cal Poly scoring 12 with 7 rebounds.  Her defensive skills, height and flexibility on offense are vital parts of the starting lineup.  Ogden is second on the team in blocks (after Eschmeyer).  To be a top team, Stanford needs consistency from Ogden. 

There is still much improvement to be had, including from players who have yet to leave a significant mark.   Freshman Carly Amborn has played less than 9 minutes so far, but she’s 3 for 3 from three-point range.  Will she win more playing time against zone defenses?

The biggest question facing  this young team is how they will perform on the road against tougher opponents.  That question will be answered shortly as Stanford heads north to play Washington State and Gonzaga.

Building a Great Team: Getting the Most From What You Have

 

Warren Grimes

Imagine a school for coaches.  Students attend this school to hone their coaching skills.  Each might be given a group of young athletes with the challenge of developing them into a great team.  A student’s success would be measured by how well their team performed.

The challenge that Kate Paye and her staff confront in guiding the diverse and talented members of this young Stanford women’s basketball team would be a great exercise for the students at the school. Of course, there is no such school.  Last Wednesday, however, we were given a window into the team-development process in Stanford’s exhibition game victory over Cal State LA.  The exhibition game reveals some of the coaches thinking about who the strong players are and how to fit the pieces together.

As outsiders, we learned in the exhibition game which players got major minutes.  The starters were three veterans and two freshmen: Talana Lepolo and Hailee Swain at the guard positions, Courtney Ogden and Lara Somfai as forwards and Nunu Agara as a center/forward.  Four other players came off the bench to get extensive minutes: freshman Alexandra Eschmeyer and veterans Chloe Clardy, Shay Ijiwoye, and Mary Ashley Stevenson.  For now at least, while not foreclosing others, the coaches are banking on this group of nine.

The overall goal of the process is getting the most from what you have.  The most minutes were given to veterans Clardy (28 minutes), Agara (25 minutes) and Lepolo (24 minutes).  Roughly 20 minutes of playing time went to each of three freshmen (Eschmeyer, Somfai, and Swaine).  A closer look suggests how the coaches hope to exploit the inherent strengths of these players.

Exploiting the Speed, Defensive Skills, and Offensive Potential of Stanford Guards

In a post game press conference, Coach Paye spoke of a strong four-guard rotation.  Indeed, this is an exceptional group, made up of freshman Swaine and veterans Lepolo, Clardy, and Ijiwoye.  Defense, speed, and transition appear to be high on the list of the coaches’ strategic goals.

Swaine is a top ten high school recruit with exceptional speed and a flair for defense.   In the exhibition game Swaine used her quickness to score the game’s first points and a total of 8 points in the first quarter.  On defense, Swain had 2 steals.  Swain’s shooting percentage could improve – she missed some creative breakaway shots.  Speed disciplined by a determined finish should solve this problem.  Swain has great potential to be a go-to player and a defensive leader.    

Chloe Clardy was not in the starting lineup, but she ended up playing a game high 28 minutes.  That was well deserved, and not unanticipated.  Clardy was the team’s top scorer in the ACC portion of last year’s schedule.  In the exhibition, she scored a team high 20 points along with 6 boards, 2 assists, a steal and a block.  In her junior season, Clardy is on course to be one of Stanford’s all-time great guards.

Lepolo was an underrated high school recruit who as a freshman earned the starting point guard position because of her court vision, leadership, and passing skills.  After an off-year hindered by injuries, she’s back in her final year and competitive as ever.  She was given 24 minutes for good reason. 

Ijiwoye is a favorite because of her fire and quickness.  The shortest player on the team at 5’ 6”, she is one of the best rebounding guards (she had 5 boards in just 13 minutes in the exhibition).  She had 3 assists and 2 steals to go along with her two points. Ijiwoye is everywhere and a spark plug.

Exploiting the Talent, Size and Unselfishness of Stanford Interior Players

Looking at the interior, Stanford has more height and prowess in the interior than last year.  Three veterans are back, starting with junior Nunu Agara, a preseason ACC all conference pick.  Agara is powerful and quick, a very difficult one-on-one assignment for opponents.  She can score with power inside and shoot from the outside.

Courtney Ogden and Mary Ashley Stevenson are veterans who can shoot, rebound, and defend.  They have real game experience and will be part of the interior rotation. 

Additional excitement comes in the form of two high school All-Americans in the freshman class.  Lara Somfai is strong, athletic, and gifted.  At 6’3”, she has a good handle to drive the basket, can shoot the three-point shot, and can battle on the interior.  In 21 minutes of exhibition play, Somfai got a double-double (13 points and 10 boards).  Agara will no longer be the only strong rebounding presence.

More help comes from Alexandra Eschmeyer.  At 6’5”, she can shoot the three ball and score on the inside.  Eschmeyer used her 20 minutes of exhibition play to score 8 points, grab 5 boards, and demonstrate passing skills to assist on 3 baskets. 

All these inside players are unselfish and excellent interior passers.  The more dominant Stanford’s interior game, the more opportunity there will be for perimeter shooting (something not yet clicking in the exhibition).

Exploiting the Intangibles of Individual Players

Lexie Hull is one of my favorites of the past.  Speaking of intrasquad games, Coach VanDerveer once remarked that the team that had Lexie Hull always won.  Hull could score, rebound, and defend (she was a theft artist), but wasn’t usually the best in any of these categories.  What really set Hull apart was focus and competitiveness.  In the 2021 national championship run, Stanford had Kiana Williams, Haley Jones, and Cameron Brink, but could not have won the NCAA championship without the focused and never-say-die contribution of Lexie Hull (another soft-spoken exceptional and essential player on that team was Anna Wilson).

The intangibles that Hull brought to the game are part of the chemistry of this year’s squad.  Look at Shay Ijiwoye’s spark plug contributions in 13 minutes in the exhibition.  Or look at Talana Lepolo’s quiet leadership in her 24 minutes.  She took only one three-point shot (and made it), had 7 total points and 3 boards, and is credited with only one assist.  Hardly mind-boggling stats, but Lepolo is one of these players that seems to make everyone around her better.  She makes few mistakes (no turnovers in the exhibition). 

The coaches who observe daily practices are in the best position to assess these intangibles--and put these players on the floor to help build a winning team.