May 9, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford Women's Basketball team completed the 2010-11 season with a 33-3 overall record and the program's fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four. After reaching the Final Four in Indianapolis, the Cardinal's campaign came to a bitter end following a 63-62 defeat at the hands of eventual national champion Texas A&M.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Cardinal can look back at the 2010-11 season and point to a bevy of accomplishments and memorable moments that further established Stanford's place in the elite hierarchy of the women's game.
Stanford recorded its fourth straight 30-win season in 2010-11, and for the second straight season went 18-0 in Pac-10 play. That record sealed the Cardinal's 20th Pac-10 regular season title, and 11th in a row. Stanford's Pac-10 dominance extended another week as the Cardinal captured its eighth Pac-10 Tournament crown in March, and in the process extended its winning streak against Pac-10 opponents to a conference-record 57 games.
Another perfect portion of the season took place at Maples Pavilion, as the Cardinal went 17-0 on its home court, setting a new program record in the process as the team's winning streak at home was extended to 63 games.
For the true senior class of Kayla Pedersen, Jeanette Pohlen, Ashley Cimino and Hannah Donaghe, the 2010-11 season etched their names into the Stanford history books as the only class to reach four Final Fours and go undefeated at Maples Pavilion.
Pohlen Enjoys Breakout Senior Year
Senior guard Jeanette Pohlen enjoyed a career year in 2010-11, exploding onto the national scene as one of the top guards in the nation. By the end of the season, the Brea, Calif. native had been named to three All-America Teams (Associated Press First Team, USBWA, John R. Wooden Award) as well as being a finalist for the Wade Trophy and Nancy Liebermann Award.
Pohlen, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, averaged a career-best 14.5 points per game and passed out 171 assists on the year. Outside the arc, she set a new Stanford single-season record with 96 3-pointers made at a clip of 41.7 percent. She also shot 89.3 percent from the free-throw line, just missing matching the Stanford single-season record by 0.2 percent.
Pohlen caught the eye of national pundits during a stretch in which she scored 23 points at DePaul on Dec. 16, then followed that up with 24 points at Tennessee on Dec. 19. Following those two games, she paced the Cardinal to a pair of wins over two top-four teams, scoring 19 points with nine rebounds and six assists in an 87-52 win over No. 4 Xavier on Dec. 28, then going for 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists in Stanford's 71-59 win over No. 1 Connecticut on Dec. 30.
The Elder Ogwumike Has Another All-America Season
Nnemkadi Ogwumike was named to the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team for the second consecutive year in 2010-11, making her the seventh player in Stanford women's basketball history to be named to the prestigious team at least twice.
Ogwumike led the Pac-10 in scoring (17.5 ppg) and field goal percentage (58.6) in 2010-11 en route to being named to the All-Pac-10 Team as well. The junior forward from Cypress, Texas also earned All-America recognition from the Associated Press (Second Team), USBWA and the John R. Wooden Award. She was a finalist for such national player of the year honors as the Wade Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and the Honda Award.
Pedersen Closes A Record-Setting Career
Kayla Pedersen's memorable and, some could argue, underrated Stanford career came to a close in 2010-11. Despite only earning All-America honorable mention praise from the Associated Press, Pedersen leaves The Farm as one of the most accomplished players and arguably one of the top five greatest players in school history.
In four years, Pedersen was not only the unquestioned leader of the only class in Cardinal history to reach four straight Final Fours and go undefeated (63-0) at Maples Pavilion, but she also etched her name at the top of various Stanford career records. The Fountain Hills, Ariz. native set new Stanford benchmarks for minutes played (4,762), games started (150) and games played (150, tied with Jeanette Pohlen), while also becoming both Stanford's and the Pac-10's all-time career rebounding leader with 1,266 rebounds.
In 2010-11, Pedersen averaged 12.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field. She was the only player on the team to rank in the top three in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots.
VanDerveer Elected To Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame
Stanford women's basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 4 as a member of the Hall's Class of 2011. VanDerveer was joined in the Class of 2011 by Chris Mullin, Dennis Rodman, Artis Gilmore, Teresa Edwards, Arvydas Sabonis, Herb Magee, Satch Sanders, Tex Winter and Reece "Goose" Tatum.
VanDerveer, a 2002 inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, will be officially enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame in ceremonies in Springfield, Mass. on August 12.
VanDerveer Earns Three National Coach Of The Year Honors
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer was named national coach of the year by three different organizations at the end of the 2010-11 season. It marked the fourth different season in which VanDerveer earned national coach of the year honors, following 1988-90.
VanDerveer was named Russell Athletic/WBCA National Division I Coach of the Year, Associated Press National Co-Coach of the Year as well as Naismith Coach of the Year in 2010-11.
Chiney Ogwumike Dazzles In Debut Year
Freshman forward Chiney Ogwumike, the younger sister of junior forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike, adjusted just fine to college basketball life in 2010-11. The Cypress, Texas native averaged 11.7 points per game while shooting 57.4 percent from the field (second-best on the team) and grabbing a team-leading 8.0 rebounds per game (her 281 total boards edged Kayla Pedersen's 280).
Ogwumike led the team with 11 double-doubles in 2010-11, and her performance earned her the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year award, making her the eighth Cardinal player to take home the award. She was also named to the All-Pac-10, Pac-10 All-Freshman and All-Defensive Teams.
The Sophomores Make Some Noise
Significant growth was also evident in Stanford's two-woman sophomore class of Mikaela Ruef and Joslyn Tinkle. Together, the duo averaged a combined 25.6 minutes per game while scoring 7.8 points and grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game.
Ruef worked her way into the Cardinal rotation after a freshman season in which she averaged just 2.7 minutes over 23 appearances. In 2010-11, her numbers jumped, as the Beavercreek, Ohio native saw action in 34 games, averaging 10.1 minutes a game off the bench. Her scoring and rebounding numbers experienced growth as well, jumping to 2.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in the limited action. On the whole, Ruef became one of the Cardinal's "energy" players, brought on to provide some hustle, a few points and energy when Stanford needed it.
Tinkle, meanwhile, continued in her role in the Cardinal's post rotation. The Missoula, Mont. native started nine of the 34 games in which she appeared this season, averaging 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds a game. Tinkle also contributed on the perimeter, hitting 24 3-pointers and shooting 44.2 percent from the field.
The Emergence Of Kokenis
Another of Stanford's freshmen in 2010-11, guard Toni Kokenis, made an impact as a rookie. Appearing in 33 games and starting two this season, Kokenis averaged 5.3 points per game while passing out 44 assists and making 30 steals over 17.0 minutes per game, figures that helped earn her Pac-10 All-Freshman Team honorable mention. After missing three games with a concussion in January, Kokenis came back strong at the start of February, averaging 6.9 points a game despite battling a sprained ankle over the final three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Some of her breakout performances occurred against Pac-10 rival UCLA, as Kokenis averaged 10.7 points and 3.00 steals in Stanford's three wins over Top-10 UCLA, including a 17-point effort in the Pac-10 Tournament title game on March 12.