Stanford: Exciting, Focused, and Improving – Enhancing the Fan Experience

 

Warren Grimes

Tara VanDerveer has said that a fan’s appreciation of the game is enhanced by observing the improvement of a team over the course of a season.   Individual players adapt to their roles and both players and team perform better.

Of course, a player does not always improve with time.  Haley Jones was at her best in her sophomore national championship season.  Among other strengths, she converted crucial three-point shots during the tournament run (Jones made 35% of her three-point attempts that season).   In her senior season, Jones, for whatever reason, converted just 3 of 32 attempted three-pointers (a 9.4% conversion rate).

Regression in performance is not an issue for the current Stanford squad.  Except for Talana Lepolo, who has been recovering from an injury, every one of the returning veterans has shown noticeable improvement.  And the five new players (two transfers and three freshmen) have shown their own early season improvements as they adapt to the Stanford game.  Let’s take a closer look at some of these players.

Brooke Demetre is adopting to her role as a leader, prime scorer and an inside force on defense.   Demetre has been in double digit scoring mode for each of the last three games (14 against Indiana, 15 against Morgan State, and 17 against Cal Poly).  The 15 points against Indiana came despite minutes limited by foul trouble.  Demetre is converting threes at a 52% rate but also converting her fall-back jumper inside the arc.  She has moved up to third place in points per game, just behind Elena Boscana, who is putting on her own senior show with 11.6 points per game.

All three of the sophomores are showing exciting progress.  Nunu Agara is now leading the team in minutes per game (29.7), points per game (16.9), and boards per game (6.3).  She also has a team leading 16 assists.  Both of her sophomore mates (Courtney Ogden and Chole Clardy) are coming off the bench to make a mark.  Ogden’s 16 points against UC Davis were the second highest total for that game; Clardy’s all around game, including drives to the basket, makes her the team’s 5^th highest scorer at 9 points per game.

Turning to newcomers, Tess Heal, who comes to Stanford from Australia via Santa Clara, is catching fire.  She had 14 points in each of the last two games.  Against Cal Poly, she also drew 6 fouls (and was 5 for 5 from the charity stripe).  With a bit more of a push, Heal could become the team’s top scorer in many games.

In the freshman class, all three players are showing improvement, but this week’s nod goes to Shay Ijiwoye.  This 5 foot 6 inch guard is strong, quick, and has a never quit attitude.  Against Cal Poly, in just under 15 minutes, she scored 6, drew 2 fouls and added 2 assists and a steal.  Ijiwoye is averaging just under 10 minutes per game, but that amount is likely to go up significantly.

Another freshman whose learning curve could be essential for a deep tournament dive is Kennedy Umeh.  She had 2.5 uninspired minutes against Cal Poly, but Umeh sparkled against Morgan State.  This six foot four center had a double-double in just under 11 minutes on the floor (11 points and 10 boards).  She also added 2 blocks.  There is still more to be learned – Umeh had 3 turnovers against Morgan State.  With a bit more experience, Umeh could be the strong inside presence that would allow Stanford to play with top 10 teams.

So there is much excitement left in this season.  There is reason for optimism, but also reason to guard against euphoria.  Stanford has had a strong start, but has played an unusual home-game heavy schedule so far.  After Stanford plays San Diego, it will have completed the first eight games, with seven of them at home.    

Stanford has a diverse take-what-the-defense-gives offense.  In just 7 games, four Stanford players have been the top scorer in one or more games (Agara-3; Demetre-2; Boscana-1; Harriel-1).  Stanford also has unprecedented depth at the guard position.  Heal has replaced an ailing Lepolo in the last two games and put up 14 points both times.  Sophomore Clardy has come off the bench in every game and is the team's fifth leading scorer.  Sophomore Ogden had her 16 off-the-bench points against UC Davis.  

Statistics also tell an amazing  story.  The team's collective three-point shooting percentage is 42%.  Turnovers are averaging only 10 per game.  And the team is averaging over 16 assists per game.  All of this will change when Stanford starts playing more road games, some against high ranked opponents.  After San Diego, Stanford's next game is away against national power LSU.

Regardless of the outcome of that game, there is excitement ahead.