[81alum]

Performances:
Mikaela Ruef, how we have grown to love you.  You just got better and better all year.  Today you finished with 17 points, and you led Chiney for much of the game.  3/5 from three point range--as I said, more than doubling your annual total.  Add to that 9 rebounds against one of the toughest rebounding teams we have seen, and 3 critical assists.  Seeing you win the tournament MVP was one of the most heartwarming moments I have felt.  (Oddly, the other one I remember was when Grace Mashore made her first trey of her senior year on her farewell appearance on senior day.  A standing ovation for her that day.)  Those three Ruef bombs were worth much, much more than 9 points.  I think they salvaged the game and a trip to the final four, by inspiring your teammates to focus.

Chiney Ogwumike, I must have written more than a hundred posts about you, all too often unfairly saying "Chiney did her usual thing and got (ridiculously high number of points) on (ridiculously high percent) shooting and pulled down (ridiculously high) number of rebounds, all while being the epitome of a team leader.  I don't know what exactly was going on in the first half, but I now believe your father when he said that "Ogwumike" means "warrior."  It looked to me as if you were fighting through some sort of adversity--I thought you may have sounded congested at the press conference, but at the least you were battling talented players who keyed on you and an  untalented referee who didn't.  Still, by the end of the game you had solved the puzzle, and collected 20 points and 10 rebounds.  That series of three layups late in the second half really sealed the deal.

Amber Orrange.  You were all that stood between us and a complete meltdown in the first half.  Your twelve points kept us in the game, kept us scoring at least some while the team tried to figure out how to get on track.  Your 14 points and 4 assists were critical, and the fact that you had only 1 turnover against one of the best stealing teams in the country was essential and remarkable.

Lili Thompson.  You had tough defensive assignments and still scraped together 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  I am so happy we will have your around for a few more years.  And of course, we probably would not have been playing this game at all if not for your superb work in the Penn State game.

Bonnie Samuelson.  13 points, 4 rebounds, a couple of assists, and a whole lot of defense against quicker and bigger players.  Very impressive.  You did not get discouraged when several of your shots did not go down in the first half, but you kept shooting, and sure enough, they finally began to drop.  You are a more mature shooter than two years ago--less streaky and more reliable.  Your presence on the court changes the defense and makes it easier for your teammates.

Sara James.  Sara, your whole stat sheet was nearly blank, but you have never been about stats, but about heart.  And you showed that in a major way in the few short minutes you played, getting that early steal on yet another classic Sej hustle play.  I have so appreciated your spirit here at Stanford, and of course am regretful that your health prevented you from realizing your full physical potential.  But your spirit and grit helped your teammates play at a much higher level, and that kind of leadership contributed in countless ways to our successful season.

Parting Thoughts
I'm not going to think too much about UConn.  We did not play them all that badly in the Fall, and we are a vastly different team today than we were then.  Of course, they are improved too, but it is hard to know how a match up will go.  Tara is always at her best on the first game of a weekend tourney, since she does such a good job scouting and preparing.  So I expect we will play respectably and give them a game, and if we can do that, anything can happen.  Connecticut will feel much more pressure than we will if they ever get seriously threatened.

But here is where my mind is at--we got to see several cherished players win their last game at Maples, and they took us on a thrilling ride to do so.  Anything more for me is icing.  And so it is good bye to Chiney, Mikaela, Sara, and of course Toni.  You have all had a role in brightening the little basketball niche in my life, and I thank you for all the wonderful afternoons and evenings at Maples. 

Now go beat the Genodawgs!

[81alum]

Performances:
Mikaela Ruef, how we have grown to love you.  You just got better and better all year.  Today you finished with 17 points, and you led Chiney for much of the game.  3/5 from three point range--as I said, more than doubling your annual total.  Add to that 9 rebounds against one of the toughest rebounding teams we have seen, and 3 critical assists.  Seeing you win the tournament MVP was one of the most heartwarming moments I have felt.  (Oddly, the other one I remember was when Grace Mashore made her first trey of her senior year on her farewell appearance on senior day.  A standing ovation for her that day.)  Those three Ruef bombs were worth much, much more than 9 points.  I think they salvaged the game and a trip to the final four, by inspiring your teammates to focus.

Chiney Ogwumike, I must have written more than a hundred posts about you, all too often unfairly saying "Chiney did her usual thing and got (ridiculously high number of points) on (ridiculously high percent) shooting and pulled down (ridiculously high) number of rebounds, all while being the epitome of a team leader.  I don't know what exactly was going on in the first half, but I now believe your father when he said that "Ogwumike" means "warrior."  It looked to me as if you were fighting through some sort of adversity--I thought you may have sounded congested at the press conference, but at the least you were battling talented players who keyed on you and an  untalented referee who didn't.  Still, by the end of the game you had solved the puzzle, and collected 20 points and 10 rebounds.  That series of three layups late in the second half really sealed the deal.

Amber Orrange.  You were all that stood between us and a complete meltdown in the first half.  Your twelve points kept us in the game, kept us scoring at least some while the team tried to figure out how to get on track.  Your 14 points and 4 assists were critical, and the fact that you had only 1 turnover against one of the best stealing teams in the country was essential and remarkable.

Lili Thompson.  You had tough defensive assignments and still scraped together 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  I am so happy we will have your around for a few more years.  And of course, we probably would not have been playing this game at all if not for your superb work in the Penn State game.

Bonnie Samuelson.  13 points, 4 rebounds, a couple of assists, and a whole lot of defense against quicker and bigger players.  Very impressive.  You did not get discouraged when several of your shots did not go down in the first half, but you kept shooting, and sure enough, they finally began to drop.  You are a more mature shooter than two years ago--less streaky and more reliable.  Your presence on the court changes the defense and makes it easier for your teammates.

Sara James.  Sara, your whole stat sheet was nearly blank, but you have never been about stats, but about heart.  And you showed that in a major way in the few short minutes you played, getting that early steal on yet another classic Sej hustle play.  I have so appreciated your spirit here at Stanford, and of course am regretful that your health prevented you from realizing your full physical potential.  But your spirit and grit helped your teammates play at a much higher level, and that kind of leadership contributed in countless ways to our successful season.

Parting Thoughts
I'm not going to think too much about UConn.  We did not play them all that badly in the Fall, and we are a vastly different team today than we were then.  Of course, they are improved too, but it is hard to know how a match up will go.  Tara is always at her best on the first game of a weekend tourney, since she does such a good job scouting and preparing.  So I expect we will play respectably and give them a game, and if we can do that, anything can happen.  Connecticut will feel much more pressure than we will if they ever get seriously threatened.

But here is where my mind is at--we got to see several cherished players win their last game at Maples, and they took us on a thrilling ride to do so.  Anything more for me is icing.  And so it is good bye to Chiney, Mikaela, Sara, and of course Toni.  You have all had a role in brightening the little basketball niche in my life, and I thank you for all the wonderful afternoons and evenings at Maples. 

Now go beat the Genodawgs!