Cardinal Continues North

What's Next

No. 16/14 Stanford (1-0) makes its first trip to Spokane since the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 when its heads to McCarthey Athletic Center for a game against Gonzaga (1-0) on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.

TheW.tv is slated to carry Sunday's meeting in Spokane online with Greg Heister and Stephanie Hawk-Freeman on the call.

Against Gonzaga

The game with the Bulldogs resumes a series that took a one-year hiatus after featuring matchups each November or December from 2009 to 2013.

Stanford is 6-0 against Gonzaga and won 69-41 in its last trip to face the Zags in Spokane on Dec, 2, 2012. The most recent meeting came on The Farm on Dec. 14, 2013, a 73-45 Cardinal victory.

Of current Stanford players to appear in that win, Kailee Johnson had the best performance, going for career highs of 11 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

Catching You Up

Stanford opened the second half on a 20-2 run to put away UC Davis on Friday night, 74-45.

The win was program’s 15th straight in a season opener and moved the Cardinal to 31-11 all-time in its first games of the year.

Briana Roberson led the way with a team-high 15 points, the second-highest total of her career, while Erica McCall tallied her third career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Stanford was 11-of-36 from the floor in the first half (30.6 percent) and scored all of 29 points. In the decisive third quarter, the Cardinal shot 55 percent and scored 31 points, while holding UC Davis to just eight points and one field goal. The Aggies were 1-for-12 in the third quarter with 10 turnovers.

Lili Thompson added 10 points in 14 minutes off the bench and freshman Alanna Smith poured in 13 on 6-of-11 shooting. Smith’s output was the most for a Cardinal freshman in a season opener since Amber Orrange had 14 at Texas on Nov. 11, 2011.

Applying Pressure

In a new twist for Stanford, but playing to the strengths of a deep, quick roster, the Cardinal pressed often, forcing UC Davis into a number of miscues that led to 24 points off turnovers.

Stanford only scored at least 20 points off turnovers four times a season ago against Boston College (26), Santa Clara (26), Arizona (25) and Washington State (20). The Cardinal forced one opponent into 20 turnovers last year (Arizona State) and hadn’t tallied as many as it did on Friday night since Nov. 28, 2013 against San Diego State (22).

The Cardinal was only +10 in turnover margin once last year, against Arizona State on Jan. 19.

Stanford disrupted the Aggies, holding UC Davis to just 23.6 percent shooting (13-of-55). It was the Cardinal’s best performance in that category since Washington converted just 16.9 percent (12-of-71) on Feb. 28, 2013.

Stanford’s 10 blocked shots were also better than any effort last season. The Cardinal hadn’t hit double digits in rejections since tallying 10 in the Pac-12 Tournament against USC on March 8, 2014.

Starting Lineup

Freshman Marta Sniezek started the season opener on Friday, becoming the 12th true freshman to start a season opener for Stanford since 2000-01, joining Susan King (2000), Nicole Powell (2000), Sebnem Kimyacioglu (2001), Kristen Newlin (2003), Candice Wiggins (2004), Jillian Harmon (2005), Kayla Pedersen (2007), Chiney Ogwumike (2010), Taylor Greenfield (2011), Kailee Johnson (2013) and Kaylee Johnson (2014).

In 2015-16, Stanford is without a senior starter for the first time in 13 seasons. The 2002-03 campaign was the last time the Cardinal didn’t have a senior in its first five. That 13-player roster featured two junior and 11 underclassmen.

Notes entering the weekend »

Against UC Davis

Stanford is 10-7 all-time against UC Davis and undefeated (8-0) under head coach Tara VanDerveer.

All seven of the Cardinal’s losses in the series came in its early years, as the Aggies won seven of the first eight from 1974-1978. Since Davis’ last win on Feb. 7, 1978, Stanford has won nine-in-a-row.

The Aggies came to Maples late last December and left with a 71-59 loss thanks in large part to Bonnie Samuelson’s 30-point outburst. The departed senior was 8-of-13 from the field and 6-of-10 from deep.

Stanford in 2015-16

Stanford returns nine letterwinners and three starters to a team that won the program's 11th Pac-12 Tournament Championship in 2014-15, advanced to its eighth consecutive Sweet Sixteen and was victorious in 20+ games for the 14th straight year.

Back is 58.4 percent of Stanford’s scoring, 65.4 percent of its rebounding and 60.8 percent of its minutes.

The Cardinal's veterans are joined by a heralded freshman class made up of 6-foot-5 center Shannon Coffee, 5-foot-10 guard Alexa Romano, 6-foot-3 forward Alanna Smith and 5-foot-8 point guard Marta Sniezek.

Stanford must replace departed starters in point guard Amber Orrange and stretch-4 Bonnie Samuelson. Orrange, one of just five Stanford players with 1,000 career points and 500 assists, was an AP All-America honorable mention selection last season and taken by the New York Liberty with the 23rd pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft.

One of the best 3-point shooters in league history, Samuelson hit at 39.6 percent from behind the arc and is third in school history and 10th in Pac-12 history in 3-point makes (237).

Season Openers

Stanford is 30-11 all-time in season openers and has won the last 14 in a row. Its last loss came at Saint Mary’s on Nov. 17, 2000 (75-64).

Exhibition Recap

Erica McCall had 19 points and 16 rebounds, Karlie Samuelson added 17, Alanna Smith scored 12 and grabbed nine boards and Stanford beat Academy of Art, 81-48, in a home exhibition on Nov. 7.

Last Saturday was Stanford’s second warmup prior to the regular season, but the first open to the public. On Oct. 31, the Cardinal beat UTEP in a closed scrimmage, 83-63.

McCall and Samuelson led Stanford in scoring against the Miners, each pouring in 19. Alanna Smith went 5-of-7 from the floor and scored 14 while Briana Roberson added 11. Kaylee Johnson and McCall each had eight rebounds and Marta Sniezek led the team with six assists. Stanford shot 44.4 percent from the floor (24-of-54) and went 7-of-18 from deep (38.9 percent).

Among the Best Ever

The Cardinal is 977-304 (.763) all-time since its first varsity season in 1975. Stanford would join an exclusive list with 23 more wins, a total it has reached in each of the past 14 seasons. Tennessee (1,277), Louisiana Tech (1,059) and James Madison (1,018) are currently the only Division I institutions with 1,000 victories. Stanford is seventh on that list, also behind Old Dominion (997), Stephen F. Austin (987) and Texas (981).

Stanford’s .763 winning percentage is fourth all-time in Division I, trailing Connecticut (.832), Tennessee (.817) and Louisiana Tech (.791).

The Cardinal is fourth in the NCAA over the last five years by both wins and percentage. From 2011-15, Stanford has gone 160-22 (.879). Connecticut is 182-12 (.938), Baylor is 173-14 (.925) and Notre Dame is 174-18 (.906).

More Milestone on the Horizon for Tara

Entering her 30th season on the bench at Stanford, Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball Tara VanDerveer has accumulated a 953-217 (.815) record in her 36 years as a collegiate head coach and an 801-166 (.828) on The Farm.

In November 2013, she became just the fifth college women’s basketball coach to win 900 career games. This past March she won her 800th game at Stanford, becoming the 10th college basketball coach – men’s or women’s – with that many victories at a single Division I school, Pat Summitt (Tennessee), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Geno Auriemma (Connecticut), Dean Smith (North Carolina), Adolph Rupp (Kentucky), Andy Landers (Georgia), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Robin Selvig (Montana) and Jim Phelan (Mount St. Mary’s).

One of the greatest leaders in any sport at any level, VanDerveer enters the 2015-16 season as the third-winningest coach in NCAA women’s basketball history and is 47 victories away from joining Pat Summitt as the only coaches with 1,000 career wins.

VanDerveer is the 16th Division I women’s basketball coach in NCAA history to coach 30 or more seasons at the same institution and is one of five on the active coaching list. Pat Summitt (Tennessee; 1975-12), Harry Perretta (Villanova; 1979-15), Robin Selvig (Montana; 1979-15), Andy Landers (Georgia; 1980-15), Cindy Russo (FIU; 1978, 1981-15), Debbie Ryan (Virginia; 1978-11), Kay Yow (North Carolina St.; 1976-09), Wanda Watkins (Campbell; 1982-15), Kathleen Delaney-Smith (1983-15), Frank Bennett (Lipscomb; 1981-12), , Mike Granelli (Saint Peter’s; 1973-04), Jody Conradt (Texas; 1977-07), Marian Washington (Kansas; 1974-04), Lynne Agee (UNC Greensboro; 1982-11), Shirley Walker (Alcorn; 1979-08) are the others.

Off the court and on the gridiron, she served as Stanford football’s honorary captain for its Oct. 3 home win over Arizona, 55-17.

Does not count as career win No. 954. We checked. #GoStanford

A photo posted by Stanford Women's Basketball (@stanfordwbb) on Oct 3, 2015 at 10:40pm PDT

Preseason Prognostications

On Nov. 3, Stanford came in at No. 16 in the Associated Press women’s basketball poll, the 16th consecutive preseason appearance for the Cardinal.

Stanford has appeared in the AP rankings a possible 478 times out of 693 total polls since 1977 (69.0 percent), with an average positioning of 6.8. It’s been in the past 259 polls, the fourth-longest active streak behind Tennessee (535), Connecticut (413) and Duke (342).

The Cardinal’s 478 all-time appearances in the AP top 25 are fourth behind Tennessee (679), Georgia (523) and Texas (483).

The country’s coaches picked Stanford 14th in the USA Today Top 25, also the program’s 16th straight appearance in those preseason rankings. It’s the 275th consecutive coaches’ poll to feature the Cardinal.

Stanford was picked to finish second in the Pac-12 when the conference announced the results of the preseason coaches’ poll on Oct. 14. Those results snapped Stanford’s 15-year streak at the top of the league’s preseason rankings. Before Wednesday, UCLA was the last team to finish atop the preseason poll, receiving the honor two straight years in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

The Cardinal, last year’s Pac-12 Tournament champion, totaled 104 points. Oregon State, the league’s 2015 regular-season winner, was the leading vote-getter, garnering 11 first-place votes and 121 points.

So International

Stanford forward Erica McCall won her fourth gold medal representing the United States at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea in July.

A United States co-captain, McCall finished the event tied for eighth overall in scoring (15.2), was eighth in rebounds (8.5), tied for third in blocks (1.8) and led all players in South Korea in field goal percentage, converting 37 of her 62 attempts from the floor (.597). Team USA went a perfect 6-0 and defeated its opponents by an average of nearly 22 points per game.

Champ. 🏆🇺🇸 @birdstheword_24 @gostanford @usabasketball #GoStanford

A photo posted by Stanford Women's Basketball (@stanfordwbb) on Jul 13, 2015 at 12:20pm PDT

In July, freshman Alanna Smith led Australia to a third-place finish and was named to the All-Star Five at the FIBA U19 Women’s World Championship in Chekhov, Russia.

The first international recruit in Stanford women’s basketball history, Smith tied for 12th in the entire tournament in points per game (12.6), tied for 15th in rebounds (7.0), tied for third in blocks (2.7), tied for 23rd in steals (1.3) and led Australia in each of those categories.

.@alannas96 » @gostanford freshman and one of the best at the @fiba U19 Women's World Championship. #GoStanford #FIBAU19 @basketballaus

A photo posted by Stanford Women's Basketball (@stanfordwbb) on Jul 27, 2015 at 10:22am PDT

Smith’s father had a 12-year professional career in Australia, playing for four teams in the National Basketball League (NBL). Her uncle, Jason Smith, played collegiately at California Lutheran University and captained the Australia men’s national team, known as the Boomers, at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Her aunt, Jo Straatsma, played in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia for the Islanders in Tasmania and won a championship in 1991.

Kayl Cleans the Glass

Sophomore Kaylee Johnson had one of the most impressive rebounding seasons in Stanford history a year ago. She led the Cardinal, was second in the Pac-12, 47th in the nation and third among the country’s freshmen, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game.

She is tied for 10th in Stanford single-season history in rebounds (344) and is 10th in rebounding average (9.6), both marks which top the Cardinal’s freshman record books.

Johnson’s had two 22-rebound games last season (Santa Clara and New Mexico) and was one of only three NCAA players to reach that total more than once in 2014-15.

Johnson and Chiney Ogwumike are the only Stanford players with multiple 20-rebound games in a career. Ogwumike had four such outings in her four years on The Farm.

The 22 boards are tied for third in Stanford single-game history with Mikaela Ruef (at Washington - Feb. 9, 2014) and are a program record for a freshman in a single game. Chiney Ogwumike (24) and Nnemkadi Ogwumike (23) are the only Cardinal players to pull down more rebounds in one game.

Now an Upperclassman

Stanford’s leading returning scorer, Lili Thompson earned her first selection to the All-Pac-12 squad in her sophomore season.

Thompson and Amber Orrange (13.3 ppg) became the first Cardinal guards since Candice Wiggins (2007-08) to lead the team in scoring.

She began last season with 26 points against Boston College, 24 against Connecticut and a career-high 28 against the Longhorns to become the first Cardinal guard to put up 20+ in three consecutive games since Candice Wiggins in 2008.

Thompson was selected to the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-District Women’s Basketball Team in early February, one of only five Division I underclassmen in the entire country to receive such recognition.

Nike N7

Stanford women’s basketball has partnered with Nike N7 to honor Native American Heritage Month and will wear N7-inspired turquoise uniforms at its November 23 game against Santa Clara. Turquoise represents harmony, friendship and fellowship in Native American culture.

In addition to the Cardinal, Nevada, Oklahoma State, Florida State, San Diego State, Gonzaga, New Mexico, and Haskell Indian Nations University (the only all-native school in the country) will participate in the initiative at selected men and women’s basketball games throughout November and into December.

Proud to partner with #NikeN7 for Native American Heritage Month. Will wear these turquoise uniforms on Nov. 23 vs. Santa Clara. #GoStanford #NAHM2015

A photo posted by Stanford Women's Basketball (@stanfordwbb) on Nov 6, 2015 at 1:54pm PST

Stanford’s coaches have participated in several clinics with Native youth, including a trip to the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana last summer for The Hoop, a basketball clinic at Salish Kootenai College.

Tara VanDerveer and Stanford men’s coach Johnny Dawkins headlined the clinic along with VanDerveer’s sister Heidi, the head women’s coach at UC San Diego, former Colorado head coach Ceal Barry, Stanford associate head women’s coach Amy Tucker, Broward (Florida) College coach MJ Baker, and Baker’s husband Ganon, a Nike skill development trainer and workout director who has tutored the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Always Learning

Last year it was Mike D’Antoni, Joe Prunty, Jenny Boucek and others who helped Tara VanDerveer and her staff learn the intricacies of a more guard-oriented, fast-paced, pick-and-roll offense as Stanford moved away from the triangle for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

This year it has been a give-and-take with the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. The Warriors practiced at Stanford on Oct. 5 before preseason game in San Jose and assistant coach Kate Paye attended another Golden State practice in the East Bay. When the Warriors were on the road in San Diego, VanDerveer’s sister and UCSD women’s coach, Heidi VanDerveer, attended a practice.

Solid start to the first day of practice. Warriors warmed up the court for the Cardinal. #GoStanford #Warriors pic.twitter.com/JyPwgPlEHo

— Stanford WBB (@StanfordWBB) October 5, 2015

Warriors assistant coach and former Stanford star Jarron Collins » “It goes back to, men’s team or women’s team, basketball’s basketball and we’re all trying to improve. There’s this synergy of just talking shop. We’ve had a level of success, obviously, and you just want to borrow from those that have achieved a certain level. Our practices are very open to coaches who want to come and watch and observe. It’s pretty cool for us getting to interact with Coach VanDerveer.”

VanDerveer, who also asks former Stanford guard and now-Warriors sideline reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude of her observations on what Golden State is doing, says “it’s kind of a little clinic happening every two or three nights on television.”

Fab Four

On Nov. 11, the Cardinal announced the signings of four prep standouts to National Letters of Intent in Mikaela Brewer (Barrie, Ontario/Innisdale Secondary School), DiJonai Carrington (San Diego, Calif./Horizon Christian Academy), Nadia Fingall (Navarre, Fla./Choctawhatchee) and Anna Wilson (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue).

Collectively, the Cardinal’s class is rated No. 8 by espnW HoopGurlz and No. 6 by Prospects Nation.

Brewer, a skilled perimeter prospect, is a veteran of Canada Basketball and most recently represented her country at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic.

A versatile perimeter performer, Carrington is a five-star talent rated as the 34th best player in the country according to espnW HoopGurlz and 16th by Prospects Nation. Her brother, Darren Jr., is a wide receiver at Oregon and her father Darren Sr., was an NFL defensive back with 22 career interceptions. Mother, Vickie, was a sprinter at Northern Arizona University where Darren Sr. played football.

2010 Stanford Women's Basketball Camp -----> 2015 Stanford Official Visit!!! Crazy realizing that picture was 5 years ago and tomorrow I will be signing my National Letter of Intent to play for this amazing Hall of Fame coach!!!!!! I cannot begin to explain how blessed I am! Tomorrow at the San Diego Hall of Champions all of the early signees will be singing their NLIs !!!! Come support us ! The event starts at 8am and will be covered on tv! #GOCARD #FearTheTree #TheFarm #NerdNation #dComebackWillBeReal #AllGloryToGod ✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽❤️❤️❤️🌲🌲🌲🤓🤓🤓🏀🏀🏀📚📚📚

A photo posted by ∂ιʝσиαι ¢αяяιиgтσи✞ (@dijonai__) on Nov 10, 2015 at 8:57pm PST

Fingall is a certifiable blue-chip prospect ranked 26th in the nation by espnW HoopGurlz and the seventh-best forward. The five-star post also checks in at No. 23 overall and No. 4 at her position according to Prospects Nation.

Wilson, a 5-foot-8 guard from Bellevue, Washington, will give Stanford another dynamic player in the backcourt and is rated as the 58th overall player in the class of 2016 by espnW Hoopgurlz and 34th by Prospects Nation. She is the younger sister of Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson.