Cardinal edges out the Huskies

Jeanette's sprained ankle kept her out of the game today – it would have been her 93rd straight game and 54th start. JJ was out too, resting her swollen knee.

Their teammates played an uninspired game against Washington. They did not meet their own standards of excellence, but there were some bright spots:

• They won 66-51.
  
  
• Nneka had a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double and four steals.
  
  
• Kayla added 14 points and had five assists with just two turnovers.
  
  
• Joslyn sank two of two from beyond the arc.
  
  
• As Tara said at the postgame tent, "At least we're not peaking too soon."

Here are the game reports:

• Stanford women stuggle but win with top two guards sidelined by Jake Curtis
• Cardinal not satisfied with 66-51 Pac-10 victory over Washington by Rick Eymer, Palo Alto Online
• Stanford Whips Washington, 66-51 by Janie McCauley, Associated Press
• WBB: Stanford 66 UW 51 from the Card Board
• Stanford women not happy with their victory over Washington by Elliott Almond, Mercury News

The box score and play-by-play,

The press conference video with Tara, Jayne, Ros and Nneka.

The game highlights video,

And more photos:

The tipoff Jayne fights her way to the basket Kayla passes the ball over Kingma and Jayne Mel eludes the defense

Huskies face tough challenge

The Cal Bears ended the Washington Huskie's 3-game winning streak on Thursday night. Here are some articles about their facing up to the Cardinal this afternoon:

Washington women face tough challenge at Stanford by Jayda Evans, Seattle Times

Whitcomb, Washington in a better place by Michelle Smith, Left Coast Hoops

How Can Anyone (Not Named UConn) Beat Stanford? by Q McCall, Swish Appeal

Cardinal tames the Cougars

The Cougars' quick guards rushed the Cardinal into being a little bit sloppy at times, but they got the job done: 80-43.

There was plenty to celebrate at Maples:

Nneka's sixth double-double of the season – 22 points and 13 rebounds, each the game-high.

Kayla's fifth double-double of the season – 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Jayne's six blocks (matching her career-high), 14 points, nine rebounds and four steals.

Ros's three three-pointers.

A three-pointer apiece from Jeanette, Lindy, Grace and Ashley (the first of her college career).

24 minutes of solid guard play from Lindy.

Here are the game reports:

• Nnemkadi Ogwumike's dominating presence gets Stanford women's rout on early by Alex Pavlovic, Mercury News
• Stanford women top WSU for 49th straight time by Tom FitzGerald, San Francisco Chronicle
• Stanford women improve record against Washington State to 49-0 by Jake Curtis
• Ogwumike puts on a show in Stanford Pac-10 hoops win from the Palo Alto Times
• WBB: WSU 43 Stanford 80 from the CARDBoard
• Cardinal Overpower Cougars, 80-43 from the Associated Press

The box score and play-by-play,

The press conference video with Tara, Jayne and Nneka,

The game highlights video

And more photos:

Nneka drives to the basket Kayla looks to shoot Jayne looks for her shot Carly Noyes keeps the ball away from Joslyn Mel goes up for a shot Nneka scores Jayne scores

Jayne & Kayla named to midseason Wooden Award list

Jayne and Kayla have been named as two of the 21 top candidates for the Women's John R. Wooden Award. The midseason list is based on individual player performance and team records during the first half of the season. Read more...

This is the second straight year in which Jayne has been named to the Wooden Award's midseason list. Her achievements at midseason are:

• She makes 50.7% of her field goal attempts (#6 in the Pac-10 and #53 in the nation).
• She makes 9.4 rebounds per game (#4 in the Pac-10 and #45 in the nation).
• She has made 1074 rebounds in her career and needs just 70 more to break the Stanford record, which was set by Nicole Powell.
• Her assist to turnover ratio is 1.23 (#9 in the Pac-10 and #173 in the nation). She is the only center in the top 250.
• She blocks 1.86 shots per game (#1 in the Pac-10 and #55 in the nation) and now has 241 in her career.
• She has scored in double-digits in 13 of 14 games.
• She has had five double-doubles in 14 games.

This is the first time that Kayla has been named to the Wooden Award list. Her achievements at midseason are:

• She plays an average of 34.1 minutes per game (#3 in the Pac-10).
• She scores 17.6 points per game (#2 in the Pac-10 and #59 in the nation).
• She makes 47.6% of her field goal attempts (#12 in the Pac-10 and #93 in the nation).
• She makes 1.86 three-point field goals per game (#5 in the Pac-10) at a rate of 40% (#4 in the Pac-10).
• She makes 81.5% of her free throws (#8 in the Pac-10 and #94 in the nation).
• She makes 9.2 rebounds per game (#5 in the Pac-10 and #52 in the nation).
• She has scored in double-digits in 13 of 14 games.
• She has had four double-doubles in 14 games.

It seems odd that Nneka isn't on the list too. Jake Curtis suggests some reasons in this article.

Next up: Cougars and Huskies

Tara warns us not to be complacent, "Everyone brings their A-game against Stanford." But fans hope that next weekend's games at home against Washington and Washington State will be a respite for our battle-weary Cardinal.

Washington State Cougars

Many predicted that WSU, led by June Daugherty in her third season as head coach, would jump up in the conference standings this season, but they are not quite there yet. They have been hampered by injuries and youth.

Two key players are out for the season with knee injuries. 6'8" sophomore center Jessica Oestreicher was needed to help take the place of centers Ebonee Coates and Heather Molzen, who graduated in 2009. 5'10" freshman guard Ireti Amojo, who is perhaps the most athletic player on the team, has played on the German U16, U18 and U20 National teams.

The Cougars' best players are quick guards, but they're very young. WSU starts three sophomores and two freshmen. On the bench are two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. Daugherty said, "I think they are working extremely hard to understand our system. I certainly like the direction we are going, [but] it's a work in progress for us."

5'8" freshman guard KiKi Moore is, according to Daugherty, "... one of those special kids who don't come along too often." She is second on the team in points per game (13.5). She has scored in double digits in 13 of 15 games. She leads the team in steals (3.3 per game, the best in the Pac-10) and assists (3.6 per game), but unfortunately also has the most turnovers (4.7 per game).

5'8" sophomore guard April Cook is the Cougars' top scorer with 13.7 points per game. She too has scored in double digits in 13 of 15 games. She is the best three-point shooter (1.4 per game at a rate of 26.6%).

5'10" sophomore guard Jazmine Perkins is the best rebounder (6.1 per game), second-best three-point shooter (1.3 per game at a rate of 26.0%) and third-best scorer (11.1 points per game). She takes better care of the ball than Moore – 2.1 assists and 2.3 turnovers per game.

6'1" sophomore guard/forward Rosie Tarnowski is the second-best rebounder (5.9 per game). She averages 5.1 points per game and sinks a three less than once a game.

6'5" freshman center Carly Noyes is the Cougars' only active "big". She's not a great rebounder (just 4.5 per game), but does get 1.8 blocks per game.

The five reserves play from eight to 18 minutes each and contribute a total of 15.4 points and 14.6 rebounds per game:

• 5'8" freshman guard Kati Grad gets the most minutes off the bench.
• 5'6" sophomore guard Danielle LeNoir (yes, Camille's sister)
• 6'0" junior guard/forward Katie Calderwood
• 6'0" junior forward Katie Madison
• 6'1" sophomore forward Lexie Pettersen

Although individual defensive statistics aren't impressive, the team as a whole does a good job on defense. They average 42.3 rebounds a game, 3rd best in the Pac-10, just 3.5 less than Stanford. They have the 3rd most steals in the conference (10.3 per game). They have the 3rd fewest turnovers (16 per game), and their opponents have almost six more, giving them the best turnover margin in the conference.

WSU's win-loss record (5-10 overall, 0-4 conference) places them 10th in the Pac-10, their RPI (159) places them 10th, and their strength of schedule (70) places them 8th.

Their performance has been better than the win-loss record indicates. They had a fairly tough non-conference schedule, and six of the ten losses were by no more than ten points. So don't count the Cougars out yet. They have talent and a very good coach — there's lots of room for improvement.

Here are their 2009-10 statistics and their roster.

University of Washington Huskies

2009 wasn't a good year for the Huskies. They finished last in the Pac-10, were picked to finish last again this season and ended the non-conference season in 9th place with a 5-5 record. Third-year coach Tia Jackson said, "We know what it takes to win. It’s important that we capitalize on our aggressive defense – which is kinda what our signature is." They may have known, but they weren't doing it.

It didn't help that they lost four players to injuries. Senior forward Lydia Young, sophomore forward Liz Lay and freshman guard Amanda Johnson (the Huskies' top recruit) had season-ending knee surgeries. Senior guard Sara Mosiman is out indefinitely after undergoing right shin surgery.

But things started to change a couple of weeks ago. There was a new energy about the team. They finally began playing together as a unit. Jackson thinks she knows why, "We learned a lot in our preseason games and in the month of December being away we were together as a team and we learned a lot. We learned how to gel, how to deal, good days, bad days. I think it's a credit to being away and bonding as a group."

They have won their last three games and are now 5th in the Pac-10. But they're not out of the woods yet. They still have the fewest rebounds in the Pac-10, score the second-fewest points per game, have the fewest assists and have the lowest assist-to-turnover ratio.

5'10" senior guard/forward Sami Whitcomb is Washington's star player. She is their top scorer (14.0 points per game), rebounder (6.0 per game) and three-point shooter (1.6 per game at a rate of 37.9%). She's the only Husky who averages double-digit scores. She has scored in double digits in nine of 14 games, over 20 in five of them. She has the best free throw percentage in the Pac-10 (91.7%)). She averages 2.6 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game.

5'10" sophomore guard/forward Kristi Kingma is still rehabbing from an ankle injury. She joined the starting lineup after Sara Mosiman had her surgery. She is the second-best scorer (9.5 points per game) and three-point shooter (1.0 per game at a rate of 33.3%). She and Whitcomb are the only ones who attempt more than one three-pointer per game.

5'8" junior guard Sarah Morton averages 5.6 points. 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists with 3.1 turnovers per game.

6'3" redshirt sophomore forward/center Mackenzie Argens is Washington's biggest threat in the paint. She redshirted her freshman year after tearing her ACL, and she played with a brace last year. This season she feels freer on the court and is a lot more aggressive. She averages 7.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

6'3" redshirt sophomore center Regina Rogers sat out last season after she transferred to UW from UCLA. Although she's in the starting lineup, she plays just 16 minutes a game, during which she averages 7.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. She is working hard to improve her physical conditioning.

The Huskies get 16.1 points off the bench from five reserves who play between seven and 18 minutes per game:

• 6'2" senior forward/center Laura McLellan
• 6'2" sophomore forward Mollie Williams
• 5'10" sophomore forward Charmaine Barlow
• 5'8" senior guard Christina Rozier
• 6'0" freshman forward Jeneva Anderson

The Huskies' win-loss record (8-6 overall,3-1 conference) places them 5th in the Pac-10, their RPI (106) places them 8th, and their strength of schedule (63) places them 7th.

Here are their 2009-10 statistics and their roster.

Game On

The cover story in this month's issue of Stanford Magazine is all about Tara:

Tara VanDerveer took the Cardinal from doormat to dynamo and helped boost women's athletics. But as far as she's concerned, it's still a work in progress. Read more...

There is also a video of the making of the cover picture.

Nneka is Pac-10 Player of the Week

Nneka averaged 21.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game against USC and UCLA , going 14-for-20 from the floor for a 70% shooting percentage and a solid 93.3% from the charity stripe.

No doubt about it — she is the Pac-10 Player of the Week — for the third time this season.

Congratulations, Nneka!

Cardinal survives bear traps

It looked so easy for 20 minutes. There was little evidence of the Bruins' vaunted pressure defense; their star freshman, hampered by an injured nose, couldn't find the basket; Ros was having a fabulous game; the Cardinal took a double-digit lead into the second half.

Then the Bruins cranked up the defense – cranked it way up – and the Cardinal's game started to fall apart. They missed shots; they got into foul trouble (Nneka got her fourth foul with 12 minutes left to play; Jayne fouled out at 2:44). The Bruins narrowed the lead little by little – to two points on Doreena Campbell's three-pointer with a 1:40 left to play. But Nneka made her free throws, and Ros made her free throws, and the Cardinal won 65-61.

The Cardinal had two MVPs in this game – Ros and Nneka.

Ros was shooting the lights out. She scored a career-high 18 points. She made 41.7% of her field goal attempts, 66.7% of her three-pointers (four of six!) and 100% of her free throws, including two that sealed the victory with four seconds left to play.

Nneka played hard and well throughout the game, even after she got that fourth foul. She was the top scorer, with 21 points, and had nine rebounds. Crucial to the Cardinal's victory: she made 11 of 12 free throws, four of them in the last two minutes of the game.

Here are the game reports:

• UCLA misses mark on complete effort against Stanford by Michelle Smith
• Stanford women get a scare from UCLA by Jake Curtis
• Stanford women escape Bruin trap with a 65-61 Pac-10 victory from Palo Alto Online
• No. 2 Stanford Holds On Against Bruins, 65-61 from the Associated Press

The box score and play-by-play,

And more photos:

Mel goes up for a shot Kayla drives to the basket Jayne fights for a rebound Kayla on defense

Cardinal cleans Galen glass

The Cardinal beat the Trojans in the paint — 82-62 points and 54-27 rebounds.

Kayla led the team with a 24-14 double-double. Nneka was next with a 21-12 double-double. Then Jayne with 11 points and nine rebounds.

It was a reassuring game for Cardinal fans, about 200 of whom were at the Galen Center. Stanford started strong, took an early lead and kept control of the game. When USC began to nibble away at the two-digit lead in the second half, Stanford went on a 19-6 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Jeanette and then another from JJ.

On the injury front, Jayne played 29 minutes and looked livelier and more assured than she has recently. Jeanette's ankle didn't seem to be bothering her; her shots weren't falling, but she played hard and fast for 36 minutes. JJ played for 20 minutes and looked comfortable; when she wasn't playing, she was on the exercise bike, apparently keeping her knee limber. Mel warmed up with the team, but didn't play; that may have been to rest her knee in preparation for UCLA, but I don't know that.

Joslyn played very well for 17 minutes. When she sank a three, some of her well-behaved fans cried, "Ding-dong, ding-dong!" but that wasn't nearly as satisfying as Tinkle Bells.

Here are the game reports:

• Stanford women use a simple equation for big win from Palo Alto Online
• Stanford Stymies USC, 82-62 from the Associated Press
• Stanford's early surge too much for USC women by Jake Curtis

The box score and play-by-play,

And more photos:

Ros guards Ashley Corral Nneka drives past Aarika Hughes Jeanette shoots over Heather Oliver Kayla lets one fly Jayne drives past Kari LaPlante JJ sinks a three Joslyn passes around Aarika Hughes Jayne & Nneka grab a rebound

Cardinal heads for Hollywood

Stanford women hope to grab hoops spotlight in Hollywood : Rick Eymer, Palo Alto Online, reports on the Cardinal's upcoming games against USC and UCLA.

Heading south: Nate Adams, The Stanford Daily, writes that the Cardinal will face one of the tougher tests of its still-young Pac-10 season this weekend , but is optimistic of the outcome.

Cardinal guards remain on sidelines: Michelle Smith, LeftCoastHoops, gives an updated injury report.

Caldwell carries UCLA to 2-0 conference start: Mechelle Voepel, ESPN, writes about UCLA's improvement under Nikki Caldwell's guidance.