April 29, 2014
Looking back at 2013-14
Stanford Athletics has published its retrospective of the 2013-14 season: Looking back at 2013-14.
April 23, 2014
Cardinal Channel turns 5
The Cardinal Channel, Stanford's creative video department, turned five this season.
In celebration, director Bud Anderson and his staff selected their Top 25 of the more than 1,200 videos they've produced.
You'll find some of your women's basketball favorites among the top 25, and surely you know which one's #1.
Here's the story, and here are the Top 25:
April 22, 2014
A very early look at 2014-15
Charlie Creme (espnW) says, "It's never too early to take a look at next season," and gives us a pre-preseason look at his top 25.
He has a very dim view of an Ogwumike-less Stanford and puts us at #20 with this evaluation:
With the Nneka/Chiney Ogwumike era now over, the Cardinal will be without a bona fide superstar for the first time in a decade. Much more will be needed from the backcourt of Amber Orrange and Lili Thompson, but the key to winning a 15th straight Pac-12 title might depend on the kind of leap 6-3 sophomore-to-be Erica McCall makes.We'll see. What is certain is that the Cardinal and several other Pac-12 teams will be very different next season, and it's going to be very interesting.
Click here to read about Creme's other 24.
April 12, 2014
The best for the best
They left the best until last, honoring Stanford's shining stars with the most prestigious college basketball honors.
TARA VANDERVEER OF STANFORD CHOSEN 2014 JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® “LEGENDS OF COACHING” RECIPIENT — Tara is the second women’s coach to receive the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honor, and the second Stanford coach chosen.
STANFORD’S CHINEY OGWUMIKE WINS 2013-14 JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD®.— Chiney is the first Wooden Award winner from Stanford, and the first from the Pac-12 Conference as well.
Nneka accompanied Tara and Chiney to the Wooden Award Gala last night. Here are a couple of selfies taken in the elevator.
April 11, 2014
In the record book, 2013-14
Chiney set ten Stanford records and seven Pac-12 records this season.
Mikaela earned two entries in the Stanford record book in her senior year.
Lili earned four entries in Stanford freshman records, Karlie earned two and Bird earned one.
Chiney Ogwumike
She scored those points at a rate of 26.1 per game, which breaks the Stanford record of 22.5 set by Nneka in 2011-12 and the Pac-12 record of 26.1 set by USC's Cherie Nelson in 1988-89 (The Pac-12 ranks this as a tie, but Chiney's average was 26.135, Cherie's was 26.077.)
She scored 2,737 points in her career, which breaks the Stanford record and the Pac-12 record of 2,629 set by Candice Wiggins in 2003-08.
She attempted 669 field goals this season, which breaks the Stanford record of 602 set by Candice Wiggins in 2007-08 and the Pac-12 record of 617 set by UCLA's Rehema Stephens in 1990-91.
She made 402 of those attempts this season, which breaks her own Stanford and Pac-12 record of 317 that she set in her junior season.
She made 1,100 field goals in her career, which breaks the Stanford record of 965 set by Nneka in 2009-12 and the Pac-12 record of 973 set by USC's Lisa Leslie in 1990-94.
She made 58.9% of her field goal attempts in her career, which breaks the Stanford record of 58.6% set by Jeanne Ruark Hoff 31 years ago.
Free throws were sometimes a problem for Chiney, but she shot a lot of them — 755 in her career, which breaks the Stanford record of 718 set by Nneka in 2008-12.
Chiney retains three Stanford rebounding records that she set in her junior year — single-game rebounds (24), season rebounds (466) and season rebounds per game (12.9). She lost the Pac-12 record for season rebounds to Oregon's Jillian Alleyne, who made 519.
Chiney made 1,567 rebounds in her career, which breaks the Stanford record and the Pac-12 record of 1,266 set by Kayla Pedersen in 2006-11.
Her career rebounding rate was 10.8, which breaks her own Stanford record of 10.4 that she set in her junior season.
She combined her scoring and rebounding in her junior season for 28 double-doubles — the Stanford record. She made only 27 this season and ended with 84 career double-doubles, which breaks the Stanford record of 51 set by Nneka in 2007-12.
Chiney joined Nneka, Jayne Appel, Val Whiting and Nicole Powell as the fifth Stanford player with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She is the 34th member of the Stanford 1,000-Point Club.
Chiney also earned entries in the NCAA National Record book.
She stands in the top 25 in eight national record categories — fourth in career rebounds (1,567), fourth in career double-doubles (84), sixth in season rebounds (967), seventh in career double-digit point games (126), eighth in season double-doubles (28), 15th in career 2,000-points/1,000-rebounds (ranked by points), 17th in season rebounds (466) and 24th in career points (2,737)
She came close to joining the exclusive 1,000-Point-Season Club, which has only two members — Jackie Stiles with 1,062 points and Odyssey Sims with 1,054.
Chiney also places in three other Stanford career record categories — second in points per game, third in free throws made and second in blocked shots ‐ and in three other Stanford season record categories — sixth in field goal percentage, fourth in free throws attempted and seventh in free throws made.
Mikaela Ruef
She made 345 rebounds this season, which places her ninth in that category, behind Chiney and Nneka (who own the top five places), Kayla Pedersen, Jayne Appel and Nicole Powell.
Lili Thompson
She played in 36 games this season, which places her in a seventh-place tie with Milena Flores for games played by a freshman.
She started in 33 of those games, which places her in a fourth-place tie with Virginia Sourlis and Rachel Hemmer for games started by a freshman.
She played for 899 minutes, which places her in eighth place, between Lindsey Yamasaki and Jamie Carey, for minutes played by a freshman.
Karlie Samuelson
She made 32 of them, which places her in ninth place, between Candice Wiggins and Taylor Greenfield, for 3-pointers by a freshman.
Erica McCall
The 2013-14 Team
The team did not set any records this season, but it retained the Pac-12 records for most 20-win seasons (25), most conference championships (23) and most tournament titles (10).
April 09, 2014
Postseasons of the past, 1997-2014
By Dave Cortesi
Remember when Nicole Powell drove, turned, and dished to Kelly Suminski who fired a game-winning trey to eliminate Vanderbilt? Remember when Susan King-Borchardt led a defensive effort that took UConn out of the tournament? Remember Jayne Appel setting a scoring record? Remember Nicole Powell getting triple-doubles in back-to-back games?
Sure you do.
But what year did those things happen? And where were those games played?
Questions like these during the recent post-season inspired me to compile this article of 18 consecutive years of post-season play, including appearances at two Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights, and seven Final Fours. Which of these games do you remember? Which ones did you attend? (The link in each paragraph goes to a game recap where you can find a longer description, a box score, and sometimes pictures.)
2014
The NCAA Selection Committee decided to surprise Taylor Greenfield with a trip to her home town, sending the Cardinal to Ames, Iowa to play the first and second rounds. In the first round the Cardinal handled the University of South Dakota Coyotes easily for an 81-62 win, highlighted by Bonnie Samuelson's six treys.
Two hours earlier, Florida State defeated the host team. This was significant because it silenced the University of Iowa Cyclones' 10,000 vocal, local fans for the next game. In that second round game Florida State started fast and Stanford was trailing 11 minutes into the first half. Then they clamped down the defense and went on a 22-2 run, and won 63-44.
The next games were at Maples. In the Sweet Sixteen game Stanford defeated Penn State 82-57 behind 29 points from Chiney Ogwumike and 18 from Amber Orrange. The story of the game was how Lili Thompson's dogged defense held Penn State's All-American senior Maggie Lucas to 15 points fewer than her season average.
The Elite Eight game against North Carolina was, in the opinion of many, the most thrilling game they'd watched since the defeat of UConn in 2010. Maples was packed and roaring; the lead changed several times and the game was tied with less than 3 minutes to play before clutch free throws by Bonnie Samuelson ended it 74-65. Mikaela Ruef had a career game, hitting three threes (bringing her career total to eight) and was named Tournament MVP.
Off to Nashville for the Final Four! In the first Semifinal, Stanford faced arch-nemesis UConn. They opened well, holding a slim lead through much of the first half and trailing only by four at the half. But in the second half UConn woke up and quickly put the game out of reach, beating Stanford 76-57.
2013
In the first round at Maples, Stanford got a momentary scare from the hustling defense of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane but took control for a 72-56 win. Chiney Ogwumike had 29 points and Amber Orrange, 14.
The second round was a 73-40 cruise past Michigan. Joslyn Tinkle starred in her final Maples appearance, with 21 points on 5 of 5 long range shots, and Sara James held Kate Thompson, the nation's second-best 3-point shooter, to seven points, mostly free throws.
Moving on to Spokane, Stanford ended their season with a 59-61 loss to Georgia. Chiney had 26 and Amber, 17, but more was needed. The loss prevented a much-anticipated rubber match with Cal. The Golden Bears beat Georgia in overtime to move on to the Final Four.
2012
Stanford went to Norfolk for the first round, where they beat Hampton 73-51 behind 28 points by Nneka Ogwumike. Chiney Ogwumike fell hard on her right knee and we all worried if she could play on.
In the second round, Stanford beat West Virginia 72-55. Amber Orrange had a career-high 18.
In Fresno for the Sweet Sixteen, everyone for Stanford was slowed by South Carolina defense except Nneka Ogwumike who scored 39. This game produced one of my all-time favorite Baranduin Briggs compositions:
In the Elite Eight game against Duke, Nneka Ogwumike scored 29, had 9 rebounds (awww, no double-double), three assists and a steal. Chiney Ogwumike, despite a heavily-wrapped knee, had a double-double.
At the Final Four in Denver, Stanford lost the semifinal game to Baylor 47-59.
2011
The first rounds were at Maples. In the first game, Stanford dominated UC Davis, out-rebounding the Aggies 33-19.
In round two Stanford beat St. John's 75-49 behind the efforts of Nneka Ogwumike (22), Kayla Pedersen (14) and Chiney Ogwumike (13).
In Spokane for the Sweet Sixteen, Stanford got a tough game from the UNC Tar Heels but won 72-65.
In the Elite Eight game Stanford had an easier time against the local heroes, Gonzaga, in front of a record crowd of 11,646. Jeannette Pohlen broke Krista Rappahahn's record for 3-pointers. In other news, Baylor lost to Texas A&M, eliminating an expected Baylor matchup.
In Indianapolis for the Final Four, Stanford was turned back by Texas A&M, a disappointing end to Jeanette's and Kayla's careers. Fans who were present took some slight comfort from Notre Dame beating UConn, sending Maya Moore home early.
2010
For the first round at Maples Stanford crushed UC Riverside 79-47 with double-doubles by Nneka Ogwumike and Kayla Pedersen and 4-of-5 three-pointers by Jeanette Pohlen.
In the second round, Stanford defeated Iowa with a barrage of 3-pointers. Ros Gold-Onwude had a career game with seven. Nneka Ogwumike and Jayne Appel dominated inside.
For the Sweet Sixteen at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Stanford demolished Georgia 73-36 with big games by all the main players: Jayne Appel (17), Kayla Pedersen (13), Jeanette Pohlen (12), and Nneka Ogwumike (11).
That set up a close, tough game with Xavier that was won by Jeanette Pohlen's historic 4.4-second drive to the basket. (Here's the video, and yes, you do want to watch it again.)
At the Final Four in San Antonio (remember the Riverwalk?) Nneka Ogwumike went off with 38 points and 16 rebounds to beat Oklahoma 73-66. (Only Sheryl Swoopes ever scored more in a Final Four.)
In the Championship game against UConn, Stanford was hampered by Jayne Appel's injured foot (she basically could not jump, and played flat-footed) and lost 47-53 after leading at the half.
2009
The first round was at Cox Arena in San Diego. There Stanford easily defeated UCSB 74-39. The Gauchos tried to defend the paint but were not successful: Jayne Appel and Nneka Ogwumike both had double-doubles.
In the second round the San Diego Aztecs, playing at home in front of a supportive crowd, stopped the Cardinal perimeter game but Nneka had a career-high 27 points and Stanford won 77-49.
Round three was at Haas Pavilion. Ohio State kept it close until the last 5 minutes when Jillian Harmon and Jayne Appel took over to finish 84-66.
In the Elite Eight game the Iowa State coach, perhaps recalling how Stanford's 3-point game burned them in Hawaii in a pre-season tournament, set up a game plan of defending the perimeter while single-covering Jayne Appel. Iowa State clung to that plan while Jayne feasted, running up 46 points to set a Stanford record that eclipsed the Wiggins-Starbird record of 44: Stanford wins 74-53.
In the semifinal game at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, Stanford lost to UConn, 64-83. Maya Moore had 24 points and Renee Montgomery, 26.
2008
Round One was at Maples, and Stanford ran over Cleveland State 85-47 behind a career-high 33 points from Jayne Appel.
In Round Two, Stanford beat UTEP 88-54, this time behind Candice Wiggins' record 44 points (tying Kate Starbird).
In the Sweet Sixteen game in Spokane, Stanford beat Pittsburg 72-53. Jayne had 22 points and Ros Gold-Onwude 15, including 3 for 4 beyond the arc.
The Elite Eight game was against the Maryland Terrapins led by Kristi Toliver (35 pts). Stanford won 98-87, Candice Wiggins scoring 41 and JJ Hones, 23 (4 for 10 in threes).
In Tampa for the Final Four, Stanford's semifinal was against the Maya Moore/Tina Charles UConn squad. Stanford won, 82-73. Candice Wiggins had 25 points, Kayla Pedersen 17, and Jayne Appel 15. This was the "bookend" game on UConn's record 90-game streak that ended at Maples with the other bookend, two and a half years later in 2010.
The Championship game pitted Stanford against the Tennessee squad with Candace Parker and Nicky Anosike. Their defense held Stanford to a loss, 48-64.
2007
First and second rounds were at Maples. In the first game, Stanford blew out Idaho State 95-58. Brooke Smith had 29 points, Candice Wiggins 16, and Cissy Pierce, 14. Freshman Jayne Appel had 8.
The second round game was a stunning disappointment, a loss to Florida State 61-68.
2006
Stanford, undaunted by a loss to UCLA in the PAC-10 championship game, went to Denver for the first and second rounds. (If Denver's Pepsi Center seemed familiar to you when we played the Final Four there in 2012, this is why: we were there in 2006.
The first game, against Southeast Missouri State, was no challenge; Stanford won handily 72-45. Candice Wiggins had 21; Brooke Smith, 14.
The second game was against Florida State and Stanford had no trouble winning 88-70 behind 34 points from Candice Wiggins and 22 from Brooke Smith. (FSU got revenge the next year.)
In San Antonio for the next rounds, the Sweet Sixteen game had Stanford facing the Courtney Paris Oklahoma squad. Paris had been scoring double-doubles routinely all season but the Cardinal defense of Kristen Newlin and Jillian Harmon stifled her while Stanford ran out to a 15-0 start and never trailed. Paris eventually scored 26, but Brooke Smith answered with a career-high 35; Candice Wiggins had 26, and Krista Rappahahn hit 5 of 10 three-point attempts. Stanford wins 88-74.
The Elite Eight game was against LSU and Seimone Augustus. This was the game that was at 60-59 with four seconds left when Candice Wiggins drove on the basket, upended Augustus, and dished out to Krista Rappahahn who swished a three. "No basket," said the ref, who whistled a charge. Seimone celebrated while lying supine. Final score 62-59.
2005
The first rounds were in Fresno. In the first game, Stanford played Santa Clara in a game that had the Kimyacioglu sisters facing off for the first time in a college game; Yasemin for SCU and Sebnem for Stanford. Sisterhood aside, the Cardinal won in a rout, 94-57.
The second round was against Utah, and Stanford rolled, 88-62. Brooke Smith led the way with 20 points. Seb Kimyacioglu hit 3 of 4 treys.
The next rounds were in Kansas City, in the charming Art Deco styled Municipal Auditorium. First up was UConn, and Stanford took care of business nicely, 76-59. Candice Wiggins had 21 points; Susan Borchardt led a lock-down defense and also scored 16.
In the Elite Eight game against Joanne P. McCallie's Michigan State, Stanford fell 69-76. This was the Michigan State of Kristin Haynie and Liz Shimek; they went on to lose to Baylor in the championship game.
2004
The first and second rounds were at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. Stanford, unhappy to be seeded 6th, opened against Missouri and won 68-55. Nicole Powell had 17 points, Susan Borchardt 13, and T'Nae Thiel 14.
The second round was against Oklahoma and Stanford rolled, 68-43. Nicole Powell led with 29 points; Kelley Suminski had 19 (3 of 5 from three) and Chelsea Trotter 10.
In Norman, OK for the Sweet Sixteen, Stanford faced Vanderbilt. The game was close right up to the end, when with time running out, Nicole Powell drove, spun, and dished to Kelley Suminsky who fired a three-point game winner with 0.3 on the clock.
The Elite Eight game brought Tennessee and a close match. Tasha Butts scored with 1.7 seconds left to put Tennessee up 62-60. Nicole Powell caught a long inbound heave from T'nae Thiel and fired a three that clanged off the front iron. Many there thought she was fouled on that shot, but no whistle blew and the game was over.
2003
First and second rounds were at Maples. In the first round, Stanford faced Western Michigan and won 82-66. Nicole Powell had 21 points, Chelsea Trotter 16 and Susan King, 13.
In the second round, Stanford was upset by the Minnesota Golden Gophers led by Lindsay Whalen. Sebnem Kimyacioglu scored 3 of 4 beyond the arc in the second half to start a come-back but it wasn't enough to prevent Stanford's first home loss in over two years,
2002
In the first round, at Maples against Weber State, Nicole Powell had a triple-double: 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. With 15 more from Cori Engusen the Cardinal won handily, 76-51.
In the second round, versus Tulane, Nicole repeated her triple-double performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Lindsey Yamasaki scored 24 and Bethany Donaphin, 21.
In Boise for the Sweet Sixteen, Stanford faced Colorado. The game was close, ending in a 59-62 loss. Stanford had a shot at a tie in the closing seconds, but Lindsey Yamasaki's three-point attempt did not go in.
2001
In Norman, OK the first round game had Stanford beating George Washington 76-51. Freshman Nicole Powell had 19 points; Cori Enghusen 14.
The second round game was against home team Oklahoma who prevailed 50-67. Cori Enghusen had 14 points and six blocks; Nicole Powell also had 14 in the loss.
2000
In Athens, GA for the first round game, Michigan took Stanford to overtime but the Cardinal held on to win 81-74 on clutch free throw shooting. Milena Flores had 20 points; Behany Donaphin 16; and Sarah Dimson 14.
In the second round against host school Georgia, Stanford got off to a slow start and lost 83-64. Jamie Carey had 15 points and Milena Flores and Cori Enghusen each had 12.
1999
The first round was in Norfolk, VA. Stanford played Maine and although Lindsey Yamasaki had 24 points, the Cardinal ceded a close game to the Black Bears 58-60 when a last-second jumper by Regan Freuen fell short. This was the first time in five tries that Maine had advanced past the first round.
1998 (The Asterisk Game)
Stanford hosted the first rounds at Maples. In the week preceding the first game, Stanford's two highest-scoring players, Vanessa Nygaard and Kristin Folkl, went down with ACLs. In hindsight, Stanford probably shouldn't have been seeded #1: the Cardinal was only 21-5 when the seedings were set, with losses to four ranked opponents (Wisconsin, Purdue, Tennessee and UConn). Note, however, that the committee did its work before the injuries to Nygaard and Folkl.
Harvard probably shouldn't have been seeded #16, either; this team was 23-3 and led by Allison Feaster, who was the nation's leading scorer that season and went on to a WNBA career.
In the event, Harvard won that first-round game 71-67. Feaster had 35 points and 13 rebounds. For the Cardinal, Olympia Scott closed her collegiate career with 18 points and Regan Freuen had 19.
There is no recap or box score for this game in the Stanford archives. This detailed article from the Harvard Crimson tells the story well from the Harvard standpoint, and this story by Ann Killion ten years later tells Stanford's remembrance.
1997 (The Worst Loss)
The 1996-97 team was loaded with more talent than any other Cardinal team in history — Kate Starbird, Kristin Folkl, Olympia Scott, Jamila Wideman, Vanessa Nygaard, Naomi Multitauaopele
Every prominent player from the Cardinal team that had gotten to the Final Four in 1996 was back. Plus, Tara VanDerveer had returned from her one-year sabbatical to coach the U.S. Olympic team and Kristin Folkl was back after a year’s absence from school to try to make the U.S. Olympic volleyball team. Stanford was the prohibitive favorite the win the national title. There are no recaps or box scores for this season in the Stanford archives, but there are recaps and box scores of the NCAA regional and final games in the Cincinnati Enquirer archives. Stanford began the Big Dance with easy wins at Maples over Howard 111-59 and Texas Tech 67-45. In Missoula MT for the West Regional Stanford faced Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen. There had been three upsets in other regions earlier that day and top-seeded Connecticut was nearly upset by Illinois. Stanford looked to be the next giant to topple when it missed its first nine shots. Then Kate Starbird's jumper started a 15-0 scoring binge, and Stanford went on to win 91-69. In the Elite Eight Stanford vaporized Georgia 82-47. (In the Midwest Regional, reigning champion Tennessee whipped UConn 91-81.) Stanford seemed well on the way to its national title, but it wasn't to be. In the Final Four ODU stunned Stanford with an 82-83 loss in overtime. This story by Ann Killion ten years later tells about Vanessa's, Tara's and Charmin's remembrances of the devastating loss.Team Supporters: Lauren and Ashley
There's more to a basketball team than players and coaches. Here are stories about/from two of the women who support the Cardinal.
Lauren Greif is the Video Coordinator for the team. She manages the program's video editing and film exchange.
Ashley Westhem supports the team, not as a member of the staff, but as "the voice of Stanford Women's Basketball". Ashley is in charge of KZSU’s coverage of the team and does play-by-play for every game.
Lauren joined the Cardinal staff four years ago as an intern after playing basketball at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon and at Cal.
Corey Buchanan (Portland Tribune) tells us more about Lauren in: Gig with ex-rival works for Greif
Ashley tells us about her season with the team in this story from the Stanford Daily: The voice of Stanford women’s basketball won’t forget this season
April 08, 2014
A look at the 2014-15 team
Without a superstar, the Cardinal will have a very different look next season.
Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chonicle) previews the players and their roles in Prospects for Stanford women after Ogwumike era
April 07, 2014
Good things for good people
Erica, who is majoring in science, technology and society has a grade point average of 3.515.
April 06, 2014
No regrets
When you've done the very best you can, and more than anyone could reasonably expect, there's no room for regret.
Our thanks and love to those who took us along on a wonderfully interesting journey this season.
To Chiney who looks forward to a joyous future with no tears for what's over — first as a professional basketball player and then to wherever her heart and mind lead her.
To Sara who will bring loving care and smiles to her future patients.
To Toni who will handle whatever life brings her with the grace and strength she showed in her personal disappointment this season.
To Mikaela who will continue the personal growth she found as she travelled from one end of the bench to the other without losing any of her unique goofiness.
To Amber, the quiet leader whose actions spoke loud and clear.
To Lili who awed us with her fiery determination.
To Bonnie who delighted us with her sharp shooting and sparkling smile.
To Jasmine, Taylor, EPayne, Alex, Tess, Bri, Karlie, Kailee, and Bird who contributed to the Cardinal's fabulous team effort in ways that fans can't fully understand or appreciate.
To Tara, Amy, Kate and Tempie who will bring us much joy next season as they take us on another exciting journey.
Here are the game reports:
- UConn Back in Title Game, Beats Stanford 75-56, the Associated Press game recap by Teresa Walker
- Stanford Falls To UConn, 75-56, the Stanford Athletics game recap
- UConn rolls over Stanford in NCAA women's Final Four by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
- Stanford's run ends with Final Four loss to UConn by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Stanford offense wilts under UConn pressure by Jeff Lockridge (The Tennessean)
- Two Rivals. Zero Losses. One Trophy. by Jeré Longman (New York Times)
Tara and Chiney speak to fans following Stanford vs. UConn game,
The postgame press conference with Tara, Chiney and Lili.
A gallery of photos by Nhat V.Meyer (Bay Area News Group)
Almost time to play
A highlight of yesterday's festivities was the presentation of the WBCA Coaches' All-American Team. Chiney was named to the team for the third time. She joins Nicole, Candice and Nneka as Stanford's fourth three-time WBCA All-American. (WBCA Announcement)
There is an interesting story in The Tennesseean this morning about a team you've never heard of — Nashville Business College, who won eight consecutive national titles: How Nashville women broke barriers in basketball
The other stories today have all been told before — Amazing Chiney, Transformed Mikaela, Quiet Amber, Tara and Geno, the elusive title, the unbeatable Huskies — but here they are once more:
Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike, Entertainer And Athlete Extraordinaire from the Hartford Courant
Stanford makes trip to Nashville with more than Ogwumike by Eric Vander Voort (NCAA)
Mikaela Ruef’s journey from the bench to a star by Eric Vander Voort (NCAA)
Stanford’s Mikaela Ruef seeks 3-point touch by Jeff Lockridge (The Tennesseean)
Stanford must be tough at the point to beat UConn by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
Stanford needs big game from Chiney Ogwumike and more against UConn by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
Stanford still chasing third title by Michelle Smith (espnW)
Standard set by UConn's Auriemma is hard to match by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
Stanford looks to end UConn's run at perfection by Teresa M. Walker (Associated Press)
Stanford women look to upset UConn in Final Four by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
April 05, 2014
Nashville minus one
6:00am PT
Heading for Nashville. Surfing the web for Cardinal news at San Jose Airport while waiting for flight to Las Vegas, I found:
Chiney has earned two more honors. She's one of five nominees for the 2014 Honda Sports Award for basketball , and she has been named to the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award First Team (Stefanie Dolson won the award).
Tara's smart leadership abilities have been praised in Smart Like VanDerveer: Four Lessons Leaders Can Learn from the Coach of Stanford’s Women’s Basketball Team
Amber's abilities have again been recognized in: Soft-spoken Stanford point guard Orrange excels in tourney by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
8:30am PT
0.4-mile walk through Las Vegas airport, past oxygen bars and slot machines, to connecting flight to Nashville.
Here's today's video:RLOM Tournament Edition : Episode 11 : "Howdy Y'all"
10:50am PT
Via SouthWest's inflight wifi:
ESPN analyst touts Ogwumike’s pro potential by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
NCAA Women's Final Four could mean $25M for Nashville by Nate Rau (The Tennesseean)
Rebecca Lobo: UConn is beatable by Mike Organ (The Tennesseean)
A look back at some Final Four moments before Sunday’s 2014 semifinals (Video) by Jayda Evans (Seattle Times)
7:30pm CT
Touched down in Nashville several hours ago. It's a lovely sunny afternoon with trees leafing out and/or blossoming — great improvement over Ames.
Checked into our hotel, which turns out to be the UConn team hotel! Haven't seen any Huskies yet. Walked down to the Stanford team hotel and picked up our tickets for tomorrow's games.
Walked back to our hotel along the Cumberland River and found that the media has been very active the past few hours:
Stanford Athletics posted five videos ‐ the press conference, two more episodes of RLOM and some extra line-dancing bits. You can view all of them, beginning with the most recent one, HERE.
Nhat V. Meyer (Bay Area News Group) posted a gallery of photos of this afternoon's open practice and autograph session: Stanford prepares for the Final Four
Suddenly the 2014 National Championship is Up for Grabs: Stanford, Maryland peaking, Notre Dame hobbled, UConn shooting poorly by Jim Clark (Full Court Press)
VanDerveer thinks this team might be the most improved she has had at Stanford by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
UConn will try to limit Ogwumike again by Jeff Lockridge (The Tennesseean)
UConn ignoring pressure as 40-0 season looms by Nick Cole (The Tennesseean)
Reimer replaces Achonwa in Irish lineup by John Glennon (The Tennesseean)
Maryland’s Brenda Frese: We’re pageant extras by Mike Organ (The Tennesseean)
That's it for today ‐ see you tomorrow!
April 04, 2014
Too nice to win?
Mark Purdy (Mercury News) ponders whether the Stanford women are too nice to win a national championship in: Stanford women's basketball fights 'bad' image
Stanford Athletics reports how the Cardinal spent the day in: Calm Before The Storm (Check out the photo gallery too.)
Doug Feinberg (Associated Press) reports a rare occurrence in: Talented group of coaches lead Final Four teams
Nashville minus two
- Amber Orrange is Stanford's quiet leader by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
- Stanford stares down Huskies as it prepares for Final Four by Ashley Westhem (Stanford Daily)
- Stanford women hope a second shot at UConn won't miss by Rick Eymer (Palo Alto Weekly)
- UConn Knows First Win Vs. Stanford Means Nothing Now by Lori Riley (Hartford Courant)
- More Than Anything, Geno Demands Sweat From UConn Women by John Altavilla (Hartford Courant)
- Characters fuel Stanford women’s basketball’s Final Four run by Joseph Beyda (Stanford Daily)
- Final Four Media Day, a photo gallery by Don Feria (Stanford Photo)
April 03, 2014
Final Four commentary
Which team will rock Music City? by Charlie Creme (espnW)
Women's basketball Final Four loaded with stars by Doug Feinberg (Associated Press)
UConn block party will make it tough for Stanford by Pat Eaton-Robb (Associated Press)
Welcome to Nashville, report and photo gallery from Stanford Athletics
Nashville minus three
The Cardinal actually took the road (by charter flight, I assume), to Nashville today!
Chiney took another All-American nomination with her: Finalists announced for the 2014 WBCA Division I Defensive Player of the Year
Here is the first batch of stories about the upcoming Stanford/UConn game:
- Stanford women made big leap, UConn coach Geno Auriemma says by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
- Stanford tries to stop the UConn juggernaut by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Connecticut Huskies vs Stanford Cardinal by Mick Varner (Liberty Voice)
- Fears of a Stanford women’s basketball letdown unfounded by Do-Hyoung Park (Stanford Daily)
Here's a brief look back at the Cardinal's previous step on the road:
The Ruef, the Ruef, the Ruef is on fire!
April 02, 2014
More awards, more Elite 8 stories
Chiney collected a couple more All-American awards this week, as well as the Stanford Regional trophy:
She was honored as a member of the Associated Press All-America team for the second consecutive season, this time as a unanimous selection. (Details here)
She was named to the John R. Wooden Award Women’s All American Team for the second consecutive season. (Details here)
Here are a few more stories about Stanford's thrilling Elite 8 victory:
- Nerd Power, and a bit of muscle, gets Stanford to Final Four by Scott Ostler (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Ruef a surprise star in Stanford's Final Four run by Janie McCauley Associated Press)
- Balance leads Stanford past UNC by Michelle Smith (espnW)
- UNC women's postmortem: No tears, optimism reigns by Harold Gutmann (Durham Herald-Sun)
- Stanford Beats North Carolina, Back in the Final Four by C and R (Swish Appeal)
April 01, 2014
We're going to Nashville!
Stanford 74, North Carolina 65
Four of those points came on clutch plays in the last few minutes. With three minutes to go, she sank a jumper that gave Stanford a one-point lead. 1½ minutes later she increased the lead to three with another jumper.
Here are game reports and commentary:
- Behind Ogwumike, Stanford returns to Final Four, the Associated Press game recap by Janie McCauley
- DeShields, North Carolina fall short to Stanford another Associated Press game recap
- Tar Heels Fall To Stanford In Regional Final, 74-65 , the North Carolina Athletics game recap
- Returning To The Final Four, the Stanford Athletics game recap
- Mikaela raises the 'Ruef' to help Cardinal women advance by Rick Eymer (Palo Alto Online)
- Stanford beats North Carolina, earns trip to Final Four by Elliott Almond (Mercury News)
- Emotions flow after North Carolina women lose to Stanford by Stephanie Hammon (Mercury News)
- Stanford women display depth, head to Final Four by Marcus Thompson II (Mercury News)
- Stanford women overcome North Carolina to reach Final 4 by Tom FitzGerald (San Francisco Chronicle)
- Ogwumike, Stanford rally past North Carolina by Harold Gutmann (Durham Herald-Sun)
- Stanford 74, North Carolina 65 by Michelle Smith (espnW)
A video of the postgame celebration,
North Carolina postgame quotes,
A gallery of photos by Don Feria (Stanford Photo),
A gallery of photos by Josie Lepe (Bay Area News Group),
Stories from the press conference
Here are three stories that stem from yesterday's press conference:
Stanford’s VanDerveer hopes to end NCAA title drought by Ailene Voisin (Sacramento Bee)
Riding the Triangle to the Pinnacle at Stanford by Billy Witz (New York Times)
Stanford riding Texas pipeline by John Reid (Mercury News)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
