Hall of Fame News Conference

Tara is in Springfield, excited about being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame tonight. On seeing fellow inductee Dennis Rodman, she joked she was so excited she was "gonna go out and get a tattoo."

Tara's press interview inspired these two stories:

• Player's anguish coach's gain by Mark McGuire (Times Union).

  The anguish refers to Tara's pain in only being able to watch basketball as a kid growing up in Schenectady. The story tells about serendipitous events in Tara's life as a girl and as a young woman that started her on the path to a Hall of Fame coaching career.

  So many what-ifs.

  "You never know where your life will take you," Tara said. "I think with basketball, I was determined basketball was going to be part of my life, no matter what."

• VanDerveer, Mullin have pre-Hall history by Matt Steinmetz (CSNBayArea)

  This story tells about a little-known connection between Tara and fellow inductee Chris Mullin. Hard as it might be to believe, they both might have helped each other get to where they are now -- on the brink of the game of basketball's highest honor.

  The story is accompanied by two video clips. The first clip is a different part of Tara's press interview than the one embedded above, in which she recounts the Vanderveer/Mullin connection. The second clip is of the inductees arriving at the Hall of Fame for the press conference — it includes brief glimpses of Amy and Tara.

Here are a few more stories and/or photos:

• Tara VanDerveer fits right in at Hall of Fame 'dress rehearsal' by Tim Kawakami (Mercury News
• Hall of Fame welcomes latest class by Dick Vitale (ESPN)
• Hoophall Class of 2011 from WWLP
• The Hall of Fame Career Of Tara VanDerveer - The 2010s from Stanford Athletics

  The conclusion of the week-long review of Tara's Hall of Fame career looks at the first year of the current decade during which Tara earned her 800th career win, led the Cardinal to its fourth consecutive Final Four, was named national coach of the year by the WBCA, Associated Press and Atlanta Tip-Off Club and selected for induction as a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2011.

  The review concludes:

  There are still many, many challenges, achievements, and milestones remaining in the career of Tara VanDerveer. Friday night in Springfield, Mass. will recognize VanDerveer for everything she has accomplished, and provide a springboard for everything she will continue to accomplish in her long, storied career.

Tonight's events will be televised on NBA TV:

    3:00 pm PT: 2011 Hall of Fame Special
    4:00 pm PT: 2011 Hall of Fame Red Carpet Show
    5:00 pm PT: 2011 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

The programs will be re-run later in the day. See the NBA TV schedule.