Stanford & Cal among the best

Do you remember the three Stanford/Cal games last season?

• The first one at Maples when the Cardinal's A+ defense shut down the Bears 72-52.
• The last one, the Pac-10 Tournament Championship, when the Cardinal stunned the tired Bears in a 56-35 rout.
• And the best one at Cal where 10,525 fans watched Stanford battle to a 60-58 victory. Remember the last 37 seconds when Stanford held on to its slim lead as Cal missed four shots and JJ, Kayla and Ros took turns missing a one-and-one?

Michelle Smith writes about the expectations and prospects of these two teams that are expected to be in the top 10 again this season.

Stanford is eager for another championship season. JJ says, "We've experienced the Final Four and everyone is definitely working really hard to get back." Kayla adds, "People understand what it takes to get there and we're doing it."

Cal has all five of their starters returning, and this is the last chance for the So Berkeley Trio (Devanei, Alexis and Ashley) to achieve their goal.

Read more...

Ready for a big jump

Seven years ago, the only thing Nneka Ogwumike knew about basketball was that the object of the game was to put the ball in the basket. She's learned a lot since then and is ready for the jump into her college career. Teammate Kayla Pedersen says Nneka is powerful and quick enough to jump out of the gym.

Michelle Smith (San Francisco Chronicle) writes of Nneka's road to Stanford, what she expects of her college career, and what Tara expects of her. Read more...

Preseason Top 25

SPM Sportspage predicts that Stanford will be the #3 women's basketball team this season. They say, "Don’t be surprised to see Coach Tara Vanderveer’s squad win another Pac-10 title." We won't be!

The Cardinal will be playing six of SPM's top-25 teams this season:

#4 Tennessee
#6 California
#8 Duke
#9 Rutgers
#13 Arizona State
#20 Baylor

Read more...

Injury Report

The class of 2010 has had three ACLs, two meniscus surgeries and one shoulder. Jayne hopes that they're done with the injury jinx.

She and Michelle had their meniscus tears repaired recently. Their pre-season practice is limited, but Tara doesn't see them missing games.

Ros's practice has been limited too because she wrenched her back in a rear-ender this summer.

Read more...

Heather Owen returns to Stanford in a new capacity

Story by Judy Richter

Photo by Dave Cortesi

During forward Heather Owen’s career at Stanford (1994-98), she and her Cardinal teammates played their way into three Final Four appearances. When the 2007-08 women’s basketball team won its way to the championship game in Tampa, Heather and several other former players were there to cheer.

Now Heather is back at Stanford to lend her support to the team again, albeit in a new role. She’s serving a one-year internship in external relations, focusing on marketing and development.

Where marketing is concerned, her goal is to entice more people to revel in the magic at Maples. To do so, she’s taking a two-pronged approach, focusing on Stanford students and the community, she said during a mid-morning interview at Jimmy V’s Sports Café.

Increasing student attendance is perhaps a greater challenge at Stanford than at some other universities because it has a relatively small undergraduate enrollment and because it fields great teams in so many sports that focus on any one is diluted. Moreover, students tend to take the quality for granted. Another factor is the variety of other activities along with the strong emphasis on academics. “School is the first priority,” she said.

Her approach is to depict the games as a social event, “a chance to interact with your classmates.” Here’s where the team’s new videographer, Bud Anderson, can be helpful. Already he has posted some fun videos on the university’s new YouTube site.

Video also could play a role in trying to “forge new relationships with the community,” both individuals and businesses, while maintaining ties with present fans, “the most loyal supporters,” Heather said.

She wants to do grassroots outreach by giving presentations to schools, community groups like Rotary and the Lions Club, and institutions like senior centers and the Veterans Administration hospital. “Getting out and meeting people” is crucial so that they feel a personal connection to the team.

Local schools can feel that connection when individual players partner with them. After hearing the player (joined by Heather and Bud) speak at their school, the students will attend a game and be honored there. The first school will be Redwood City’s Kennedy Middle School – paired with senior forward Jillian Harmon -- at the Minnesota game Nov. 14. Kennedy students have already heard Jill’s former Stanford teammate Claire Bodensteiner, ’07, whose mother teaches there. Jill and Claire were teammates when New Zealand’s Tall Ferns played in the Olympics in Beijing.

Involving schools “is a win-win at the end of the day,” Heather said. The player gets a chance to deliver a message on her own, and the students meet a positive role model. The entire team also will do community service and sign autographs -- at a children’s hospital, for example -- on a quarterly basis.

Other ideas include games with themes, similar to the breast cancer awareness nights observed throughout the country. Stanford themes might be a green night for environmental awareness or a dog night – “Tara’s real big on dogs” – when the Humane Society brings in dogs for adoption.

The purpose of all these efforts is “making Stanford your team,” Heather said. Of course the fact that last year’s team had such a great season “makes it all the easier,” she said. And “they look great this year, too.”

Now that she’s on the job, she’s finding that head coach Tara VanDerveer “is just a phenomenal marketing person” with terrific ideas.

The development part of her job involves fund-raising, she said in a follow-up phone call. The goal is to enhance relations with donors, alumni, ticket-holders and others and “to make people aware of opportunities and needs” for giving. She praised Tara and assistant head coach Amy Tucker for their ongoing efforts in this direction. “Tara and Amy have done a terrific job of outreach.”

This year, the development program hopes to endow the four coaches’ positions and the women’s basketball program “so the operating budget can come from an endowment,” she said.

She’s also working with Eileen Roche, director of basketball operations, to plan more events for the Fast Break Club “to beef out the social side of it.”

While we spoke at Jimmy V’s, two Cardinal guards – junior Melanie Murphy and sophomore Jeanette Pohlen – sat at a nearby table. They were multi-tasking: studying together while eating. Freshman guard Grace Mashore stopped by to say hello before getting herself a drink and going on her way. They then were joined by sophomore forward Kayla Pedersen with her tray of food.

Perhaps it was this atmosphere of camaraderie that helped to lead Heather back to Stanford. After graduating, she played professionally in the now-defunct ABL and then with the Washington Mystics in the WNBA. Bad knees ended her playing days, so she earned her law degree at Santa Clara University in 2003. After passing the bar, she joined an East Palo Alto law firm. She later opened her own office specializing in employment issues, but “law didn’t afford me the satisfaction and enjoyment that I had in basketball,” she said.

“I knew I missed sports,” but she didn’t want to coach, so she looked into administration. She networked by talking to a lot of people and volunteering, and “this just kinda came together,” she said. And as Tara said at the FBC wine tasting, the hope is that the job can become permanent. “Heather is a worker,” the coach said.

Schedule Update

The 2008-09 schedule has been revised. The most recent official schedule is on the FBC Website. Updates to the schedule are:

• It includes the TV games: Away games at Duke (ESPN), Tennessee (ESPN2), Cal and UW (FOX) and the Cal, UCLA and WSU games at Maples (FOX).
• Dates have changed for the away games at Cal, WSU and UW, and the UCLA game at Maples.
• Times have changed for some games.

Be sure to update your social calendar. You don't want to miss a single minute of Tara's most challenging season.

Insights into the upcoming season

Story: Judy Richter
Photo: Dana Stewart

It was a sunny, pleasantly cool afternoon at Vino Locale in Palo Alto as 53 Fast Break Club members and Stanford staffers enjoyed great wine and food along with some insights into the upcoming season at the annual Wine Tasting on Sept. 14.

Looking relaxed after vacationing in Minnesota, Coach Tara VanDerveer highlighted the afternoon by speaking to the group. After thanking those who had made the event possible, she introduced her coaching staff: Amy Tucker, Bobbie Kelsey and Kate Paye. She also noted that former player Heather Owen, ’98, will serve a one-year internship to work on marketing and development for the team. “Heather is a worker,” Tara said, saying that she’ll put into practice some of the ideas that the coaches and others have had.

Tara then looked back at 2007-08, when the Stanford women made it all the way to the NCAA national championship game in Tampa. “It was so exciting,” she said of the season. “Our team wanted to keep playing with each other. You can’t buy that.” The star of that team, guard Candice Wiggins, ’08, is expected on campus this fall to complete the coursework for her degree. She suffered a torn meniscus in her right knee late in the Minnesota Lynx’s season and will have surgery.

As for this season, “Our freshmen are arriving on campus,” Tara said, and would attend the team’s first meeting that evening. The only missing player would be senior forward Morgan Clyburn, who was stranded in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Ike. She was expected to arrive in the next couple of days.

Morgan won’t be playing right away because of surgery on both feet – one at a time – but “she expects to be able to play” eventually, the coach said. Junior center Jayne Appel also will be out of action for a while as she continues to recuperate from shoulder surgery, but she’ll be close to readiness by the first game. “She looks great,” Tara said. Juniors Michelle Harrison, center, and Melanie Murphy, guard, have been cleared to play after recovering from knee surgery last season. “Our main goal is to keep everyone healthy,” Tara said.

Once everyone is healthy, the team will field 15 players – seven guards and eight forwards. With Mel and Michelle injured, the team fielded only 11 players for most of last season. Only two, Candice and fellow guard Cissy Pierce, were seniors, so Tara is looking forward to greater depth. She’s hoping to have the kind of options that the gold medal-winning USA women’s basketball team of superstars had at the Beijing Olympics this summer.

With that greater depth, especially at the post, last year’s starters – 6-4 Jayne and 6-4 sophomore Kayla Pedersen -- “are excited they get to foul,” Tara said. “We can be more physical. We can look at more options,” she said. She was referring to the addition of freshman forwards Sarah Boothe, 6-5, and Nneka Ogwumike, 6-2, along with the return of 6-3 Michelle and, later, 6-4 Morgan. The lineup also will feature 6-3 sophomore Ashley Cimino, who was limited by injury early last season, as well as 6-1 senior Jillian Harmon.

Jill is returning from several months of international play on New Zealand’s Olympics team. “If you’re an Olympics player, it helps your confidence,” Tara said, adding that Jill was impressed by the great shape of her teammates and opponents. “That experience will be very valuable for Jill,” she said.

For guard play, the team will be looking to senior Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, juniors JJ Hones and Melanie Murphy, sophomores Jeanette Pohlen and Hannah Donaghe, and freshmen Grace Mashore and Lindy La Rocque.

After Sunday’s first meeting, the team was to begin pre-season practices on Tuesday, Sept. 16. By NCAA rules, those practices are limited to eight hours a week with the coaches – two hours on the court and six hours of strength and conditioning. “They also have to work out on their own,” Tara said. Regular practices begin Oct. 17. FBC members may attend an open practice Oct. 18 at Maples. The exhibition season starts Nov. 1.

Tara has already said that this year’s schedule will be the toughest she has seen during her years at Stanford. “Whoever did our schedule was crazy,” she joked Sunday. “I probably won’t get much sleep this season.”

“There’s a definite sense of urgency” as the season starts. There will be a big void without Candice, leaving some questions: Who’ll take the shots? Who’ll be the leader?

One thing’s for sure. “We can be big.” Moreover, the team “is looking very good,” Tara said. “We’re gonna have fun.”

Lynx vs. Monarchs

Story: Judy Richter
Photos: Don Anderson & Dave Cortesi

It could have been called Stanford night Sept. 7 when the Sacramento Monarchs hosted and defeated the Minnesota Lynx 78-71 as the WNBA entered its last week of competition.

In the stands at Arco Arena were 126 Fast Break Club members plus other Stanford women’s basketball fans who had journeyed to Sacramento on a hot Sunday afternoon to watch two of the program’s most illustrious alumnae -- forward Nicole Powell, ’04, of the Monarchs and guard Candice Wiggins, ’08, of the Lynx.

Seated on the sidelines across from the Stanford section were coach Tara VanDerveer and junior center Jayne Appel. They both watched the game closely and appeared to comment on it with each other.

The game also had an Olympics flavor with two players from this year’s gold medal-winning USA team -- guard Kara Lawson of the Monarchs and forward Seimone Augustus of the Lynx. VanDerveer, who was introduced to the crowd, added to the Olympics flavor, having coached the USA team to a gold medal in 1996.

“She’s the best coach in the world,” said Ruthie Bolton, a member of that USA team as well as the 2000 gold medal team. A former Monarchs player, she now works for the Monarchs’ organization. She was speaking to the FBC at a dinner in the arena preceding the game. Citing some gems of VanDerveer’s advice, Bolton added, “She’s an amazing person who really helped me a lot.”

Bolton also had some good words about Wiggins: “She plays every possession like it’s the last.”

FBC member Otis Watson arranged the event with the Monarchs after he and others realized that the game would be the only time the two teams would meet within a reasonable distance of the Bay Area.

Besides the short talk by Bolton, the pregame dinner featured a raffle for Lynx and Monarchs items signed by their respective Stanford grads.

The menu included hot dogs with the usual trimmings, chicken tenders, cookies, popcorn and soft drinks – not even a salad to appease vegetarians.

Although I have watched WNBA games on TV, this was my first in person. Here’s part of my notes: “LOUD, LOUD.” Luckily I had earplugs, which I carry in my purse to protect my hearing at some musical theater productions, but I felt sorry for other fans. I also wondered about the effect on the players and coaches who have to endure the din game after game. Not only is there loud music during timeouts, but the beat continues during the game itself and distracts from the action. We can only hope that college venues don’t follow suit.

As for the game itself, veteran Powell is a starter for the Monarchs, but rookie Wiggins traditionally comes off the bench fairly early in the game, then plays significant minutes thereafter. This one was no exception. She entered the game with 4:53 left in the first quarter – much to the delight of the Stanford contingent. Her first basket was negated by an offensive foul on a teammate. The first quarter ended 20-13 in the Monarchs’ favor.

The first Wiggins basket that counted came in the second quarter, when she made one of her patented drives between defenders. Defensively, she focused mainly on Lawson.

The half ended with the Monarchs again on top 36-32. By then Powell had scored nine points.

Both Wiggins and Powell made significant contributions in the second half. Powell ended as the game’s high scorer with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 27.56 minutes. Wiggins contributed 13 points and three assists in 31.37 minutes. The final score was 78-71 in the Monarchs’ favor, knocking the Lynx out of playoff contention in the WNBA’s western division but keeping the Monarchs’ hopes alive for the fourth and final spot in the division.

After the game, Stanford fans returned to the reception area to await a visit by Powell, who was delayed by the demand for interviews after her game-leading performance. Wiggins couldn’t make it because the Lynx had to leave right after the game and travel to San Francisco for a red-eye flight. (Unlike the Stanford team, which usually enjoys charter flights, WNBA teams fly commercial.)

As the crowd dwindled, Powell finally arrived. “Before there was Candice Wiggins, there was Nicole Powell,” Watson said in his introduction. Powell answered a few audience questions, speaking fondly of her Stanford experience. She then noted that she and another Stanford alum, center Kristin Newlin, ’07, will be teammates on a Turkish team in Istanbul during the offseason.

Next up for the FBC: the Sept. 14 wine tasting in Palo Alto.

Pac-10 Outlook

The Pac-10 has published a review of last season's women's basketball and the outlook for this season.

Their summary of the outlook for the Cardinal: "... Wiggins will surely be missed. However, until another team can knock them off, the Cardinal is still the team to beat in the Pac-10." Read more...

Bob Kinder will soon be sharing with us his views of Pac-10 action. Watch for new postings to his blog.

Tara ready for toughest season ever

Today Tara announced the official 2008-09 schedule, and summed it up as "... the toughest that we have ever faced in my time here at Stanford. Once again we will be facing some of the toughest competition around the nation, both at home and on the road. I feel that what doesn't break you makes you, and this schedule will prepare us well for the postseason and what we hope will be another chance to play for the national championship."

Here is the complete announcement and the schedule. Except for some additional or changed game times, the schedule is the same as the tentative one we posted here on the FBC website in June.