Mikaela, the Energizer

Mikaela has earned a well-deserved shout-out from Kelli Anderson in this Sports Illustrated story: Special Forces.

Chiney named WBCA All-America nominee

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced today the All-Region nominees for the 2013 Division I Coaches' All-America Team. Chiney is one of four nominees from Region 8.

For more details, see:

The WBCA announcement

The Stanford Athletic announcement

Here is lots more about Chiney:

Ogwumike National Player of the Year Infographic
(Click here for original, larger version.)

Chiney Ogwumike #13 "Baller"

The Tinkles go dancing

It was a crazy week for the Tinkle family, who had four basketball championships in 48 hours.

Click here for a story by Donna Ditota (Syracuse Post-Standard).

The road to New Orleans

The Cardinal will set off on the road to New Orleans as the #1 seed in the Spokane region.

Their first-round game is at home in Maples Pavilion against #16 Tulsa on Sunday, March 24 at 2:20 pm. You can buy tickets online now from the Stanford ticket office.

If  they win that game (one game at a time!), their second-round game is against either #8 Villanova or #9 Michigan on Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 pm.

If  they win that game, their next game(s) will be in Spokane at the Veterans Memorial Arena. You'll be able to buy tickets from the Stanford ticket office on Wednesday, March 27.

If  the seedings hold true, they'll play #4 Georgia in the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday, March 30.

If  they win that game and the seedings hold true, they'll play #2 California in the Elite Eight on Monday, April 1.

If  the seedings hold true, the Final Four in New Orleans at the New Orleans Arena will be Baylor vs Stanford and Notre Dame vs UConn.

Cal was selected as the #2 seed in the Spokane Region! Their first game is at Texas Tech in Lubbock against #15 Fresno State.

UCLA was selected as the #3 seed in the Oklahoma City Region. Their first game is at Ohio State in Columbus against #14 Stetson.

Colorado was selected as the #5 seed in the Norfolk Region. Their first game is at home in Boulder against #12 Kansas.

Here is the bracket.

Chiney named to Wooden Award final ballot

The Los Angeles Athletic Club has announced that Chiney is one of the 15 women named to the John R. Wooden Award final ballot

For more information about Chiney and the award, see:

• The Stanford Athletics announcement
• Los Angeles Athletic Club announcement

The trophy presentation

Game over! Stanford wins!!

The winners assemble for the trophy presentation

Amber receives her All-Tourney Team Trophy

Chiney receives her Most Outstanding Player Trophy

Tara receives the Championship Trophy

And the confetti explodes

The winners with their trophies

The seniors with the championship trophy

Amber with her trophy

CLICK HERE for a story & video about the trophies

Cardinal triumphs at the end

... at the very end, as Amber drove to the basket through two Bruin defenders and lifted in a layup that put the Cardinal ahead 51-49 with 8.3 seconds left to play.

The Bruins missed a jumper and a putback at the other end of the court, and Stanford notched its seventh-straight Pac-12 Tournament championship.

The evening began very well for the Cardinal with an 11-0 run in the first eight minutes of the game. The lead dwindled as the Cardinal succumbed to the Bruins' inside strength, and the Bruins took the lead just before the end of the first half.

The Cardinal fell behind by as much as seven points in the second half.The score was tied for the fifth time with 36 seconds left to play. Then Amber took possession, drove to the basket and saved the day.

The Bruins did what no one else has come close to doing all season — shut down Chiney. She couldn't break through the Bruins' strong double- and triple-teams and finished with only three points (her prior low this season was 18) and no assists.

But the Bruins couldn't stop Amber, who scored a career-high total of 20 points, or Bonnie, who sank three of five from beyond the arc, nor did they cope well with the Cardinal defense, which held them to just under 28% shooting.

Amber was voted onto the all-tournament team along with UCLA’s Alyssia Brewer and Markel Walker, Washington’s Jazmine Davis and Colorado’s Chucky Jeffery. Chiney was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in recognition of her tournament-record double-doubles in the prior two rounds of play.

Here are game reports and commentary:

• Stanford Takes Down No. 14 UCLA For Pac-12 Title, 51-49 from the Associated Press
• What. A. Finish. by Sarah Kezele (Pac-12)
• Orrange's career day helps Stanford edge UCLA for Pac-12 championship by Jayda Evans (Seattle Times)
• Stanford women edge UCLA in Pac-12 final by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Stanford women rally to Pac-12 title by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
• Orrange enjoys a fruitful finish in Pac-12 championship game from Palo Alto Online
• Orrange comes through for Cardinal by Michelle Smith (espnW)

The box score and play-by-play,

The press conference video with Tara, Amber and Chiney,

A game highlights video from the Pac-12,

A game highlights video from Stanford Athletics,

A gallery of photos by Elaine Thompson (Associated Press),

A gallery of photos by Dave Cortesi, mostly of the pregame team sendoff and the postgame celebration.

Pac-12 tourney finds home at Key Arena

Michelle Smith (espnW) reports:

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott is in the Emerald City this week, observing the new setting for his postseason women’s basketball tournament. He likes what he sees ...

Click here for the story.

Here is snother report on the same topic from the Seattle Times: Larry Scott says Pac-12 women's tournament could have a permanent spot in Seattle

Pac-12 Tournament, Semi-finals

UCLA 70, California 58

The point differential doesn't begin to reflect the Bears' meltdown against the Bruins' total domination of this semifinal match.

As the teams were warming up, the Bears looked loose and ready for a good game. They were joking with each other, laughing and playing games with shooting practice.

An hour later, they faced a team that took control at the tipoff and never relinquished it. If the Bruins game plan was to shut off the Bears' offense, they executed it to near perfection.

The Bears shot 20% in the first half, missed all eleven of their shots from beyond the arc, and were behind by 21 points at the break.

Here are game reports:

• No. 13/14 UCLA Upsets No. 5 California, 70-58 from the Associated Press
• UCLA beats Cal to reach Pac-12 final by Michelle Smith (espnW)
• UCLA advances in Pac-12 women's tournament; USC done by Chris Foster (Los Angeles Times)
• The gang that couldn’t shoot straight by John Crumpacker (San Francisco Chronicle)
• UCLA runs all over No. 5 California in 70-58 victory by Jayda Evans (Seattle Times)

The box score and play-by-play,

And a gallery of photos by Elaine Thompson (Associated Press).

Stanford 61, Colorado 47

14-point differential: Easy game? Roll over? Not by a long shot!

The Buffs fought hard and well. The score was tied ten times, the lead changed five times, and the point differential was never greater than four in the first 27 minutes of this game.

Then Chiney made a free throw, Mikaela scored a jumper — up by seven! – and the Cardinal increased their lead slowly but surely and dashed the Buffs' hope for the second turnover of the day.

Chiney got her double-double (25 points and 19 rebounds) plus an assist, three blocks and a steal.

But Amber gets my game ball today. She played the point for 36 minutes, always accompanied down the court by the persistent defense of one of the Wilson twins, and turned the ball over only once. She scored 13 points, an assist, two rebounds, two blocks and four steals. She was quick and effective on defense — forcing held balls and recovering loose ones.

Here are game reports:

• No. 4 Stanford rolls past No. 18 Colorado 61-47 from the Associated Press
• Pac-12 semi a tug-o-war by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Cardinal reaches another Pac-12 women's basketball final by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
• CU Buffs come up short vs. Stanford in Pac-12 semifinals from the Daily Camera

The box score and play-by-play,

The press conference video with Tara, Chiney and Mikaela,

Pac-12 Tournament, Round 2

Anticipation

• Cal, UCLA take the court on day two by Nate Parham (Swish Appeal)
• Cal women say goals still unfulfilled by John Crumpacker (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Ogwumike, Stanford look to defend Pac-12 title, earn No. 1 seed by Ashley Westhem (The Stanford Daily)
• UCLA has motivation to thrive in women's Pac-12 tournament by Gary Klein (Los Angeles Times)
• Women’s basketball to face Utah in Pac-12 quarterfinals by Kevin Bowman (Daily Bruin)
• Historic rally as UW women beat Oregon in Pac-12 tournament by Jayda Evans (Seattle Times)

California vs USC

Cal drained any drama out of this game early, opening with an 11-0 run and rolling on to an easy 78-59 victory.

It was a fast-paced sloppy game with lots of turnovers and fouls, the majority by the Trojans, who turned the ball over 16 times to the Bears' 14. The Trojans committed their 10th foul 12 minutes into the game, at which point they had scored eight points.

Both teams shot poorly, but the Bears grabbed rebounds and put them back. They scored 25 second-chance points on 22 O-boards and achieved a 36.8 shooting percentage.

Here are game reports:

• No. 5 Cal Runs Past USC, 78-59 by the Associated Press
• Cal women race past USC by John Crumpacker (San Francisco Chronicle)

And the box score and play-by-play

UCLA vs Utah

The Bruins and Utes fought a very tough defensive battle that seriously restricted access to the basket. The Bruin offense was a bit more successful. They hald a modest lead all through the first half to a score of 29-20.

Alyssia Brewer went to the locker room about halfway through the first half after suffering an apparently serious injury. She did not begin the second half, but re-entered the game three minutes later and played most of the rest of the game.

The game got more interesting in the second half as the offensive tide turned. The Ute shots began rolling into instead of out of the basket. Although the Bruins stepped up their defense, the Utes pulled up to a 35-35 tie at the ten-minute mark and kept it close for a few more minutes. Then they ran out of gas, and the Bruins won 54-43.

Here is a game report:

• No. 14 UCLA Rolls Past Utah, 54-43 by the Associated Press

And the box score and play-by-play

Stanford vs Washington State

The Cougars were, I'm sure, relieved to have June Daugherty back even though Mike Daugherty took her place as head coach while she mostly observed the game from behind the bench.

The Cougars played tough, but the Cardinal won 79-60 without too much trouble, thanks in large part to these notable contributions:

The first 20-20 double-double in Pac-12 tournament history from Chiney, who scored 23 points and grabbed 21 rebounds.

A career-best performance from beyond the arc by Sara, who sank five of eight three-pointers.

Three more three-pointers (of eight attempts) from Bonnie and two of two from Amber.

A career-best seven assists from Mikaela, to which she added eight points, six rebounds and just one turnover.

Here are game reports:

• Stanford Tops Washington State, 79-60 by the Associated Press
• Ogwumike keys Stanford in tourney opener by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Ogwumike has 20-20 vision in Stanford's win over Cougars from Palo Alto Online
• Daugherty returns but WSU women bow out by Chris Derrick (The Spokesman-Review)

And the box score and play-by-play

Colorado vs Washington

This game was well-described by a non-basketball-fan friend of mine who observed, "This is not fun to watch, because they're not very good at getting the ball in the basket."

The Huskies were tantalizingly close to an upset for most of the game, but they couldn't quite pull it off, and the Buffs finally won 70-59.

Here are game reports:

• No. 18 CU Buffs women defeat Washington 70-59 by Mark Moschetti (Associated Press)
• Jeffery Leads Buffs Into Pac-12 Semifinals by B.G. Brooks (CU Athletics)
• Cold-shooting Trumps Grit As UW Loses To CU by Greg Bell (UW Athletics)
• Huskies held down by Colorado in 70-59 loss by Jayda Evans (Seattle Times)

And the box score and play-by-play

Finis

The seeding held again today. The semi-finals tomorrow are:

UCLA vs California at 6:00 pm
Colorado vs Stanford at 8:30 pm