[81alum]

I too am late to the party -- thanks to a recent death in the family on top of everything else the past year has thrown at me (and the world), this definitely felt like the rare bright spot lately.

I'm so thrilled for Tara and the team - for some reason, from the outset, this team felt like they had a championship in them. I never wanted to voice this thought out loud, but with Fudd going to UConn and both SCarolina and UConn having beyond stacked rosters starting next season, part of me thought this year really was our best shot at finally getting that third championship, and I'm sure glad we didn't squander the opportunity. And as soon as they announced the tourney would be held in San Antonio, as I remarked in one of our bball threads, it seemed like Kiana got locked in and started playing with a renewed focus. It really did feel like it was meant to be this year.

And it's almost impossible as a casual fan to appreciate all that the women's team put up with this year in terms of travel, testing, uncertainty, isolation, and upset routines. It's true that we did not play our best in the finals, and I wish Kiana hadn't dropped a stinker in her final game in a Stanford uniform in her hometown. But a win, is a win, is a win, and as we've all said all year, survive and advance. As Tara said during the post-game, no one remembers the score or how many points - they remember who won, and we did. We keep our 45-year natty streak alive. Tara is now the winningest coach in D1 Bball history. She is also the coach who has gone the longest in ANY D1 men's or women's sport between championships: 29 years! This third championship should silence all the haters and doubters who thought Tara would never be able to get over the hump, that the PAC-12 hasn't won a championship in decades, etc. etc.

So more than anything, this is about respect and desert. This team did everything to earn the respect a title conveys, and as much as any sports team I've ever followed, they deserve it. Their grit, their unselfishness on and off the court, their excellent comportment in interviews, everything. Rarely have I found a championship team more worthy of praise and appreciation.

So thank you Tara, thank you ladies, and thank you Stanford.

I'm sorry for your loss, 2006.

Your sentiments, and Farm07's above, both closely parallel my own.

I also was afraid to say it out loud but I felt this team had the potential to be national champions, and I felt that this year would be their best opportunity for a while.  And of course that made me even more anxious as a fan than usual since it was even more important that they not blow their best chance in many years.

And I also never felt the elation that I expected to feel after the victory.  I am not sure if it is because of how we played, or if this is actually how a championship usually feels to a long-suffering fan--more relief than anything.  I remember how I felt after the last two championships, and after the women's soccer championship, and those felt more joyous to me.  I think there was something about all the near-misses and close calls over the decades that increased the tension level and produced such odd feelings when we finally won.

I think I can imagine how I would feel if we won a natty next year--it would be quite different.  The ugly past from Harvard to Tennessee to A&M to Connecticut has now been wiped away, we probably won't be expected to repeat, so it would be much more spontaneous and joyful.

Others may feel differently.  I guess I did not realize what waiting 29 years had done to my emotional investment nor did I anticipate how I would react.

[81alum]

I too am late to the party -- thanks to a recent death in the family on top of everything else the past year has thrown at me (and the world), this definitely felt like the rare bright spot lately.

I'm so thrilled for Tara and the team - for some reason, from the outset, this team felt like they had a championship in them. I never wanted to voice this thought out loud, but with Fudd going to UConn and both SCarolina and UConn having beyond stacked rosters starting next season, part of me thought this year really was our best shot at finally getting that third championship, and I'm sure glad we didn't squander the opportunity. And as soon as they announced the tourney would be held in San Antonio, as I remarked in one of our bball threads, it seemed like Kiana got locked in and started playing with a renewed focus. It really did feel like it was meant to be this year.

And it's almost impossible as a casual fan to appreciate all that the women's team put up with this year in terms of travel, testing, uncertainty, isolation, and upset routines. It's true that we did not play our best in the finals, and I wish Kiana hadn't dropped a stinker in her final game in a Stanford uniform in her hometown. But a win, is a win, is a win, and as we've all said all year, survive and advance. As Tara said during the post-game, no one remembers the score or how many points - they remember who won, and we did. We keep our 45-year natty streak alive. Tara is now the winningest coach in D1 Bball history. She is also the coach who has gone the longest in ANY D1 men's or women's sport between championships: 29 years! This third championship should silence all the haters and doubters who thought Tara would never be able to get over the hump, that the PAC-12 hasn't won a championship in decades, etc. etc.

So more than anything, this is about respect and desert. This team did everything to earn the respect a title conveys, and as much as any sports team I've ever followed, they deserve it. Their grit, their unselfishness on and off the court, their excellent comportment in interviews, everything. Rarely have I found a championship team more worthy of praise and appreciation.

So thank you Tara, thank you ladies, and thank you Stanford.

I'm sorry for your loss, 2006.

Your sentiments, and Farm07's above, both closely parallel my own.

I also was afraid to say it out loud but I felt this team had the potential to be national champions, and I felt that this year would be their best opportunity for a while.  And of course that made me even more anxious as a fan than usual since it was even more important that they not blow their best chance in many years.

And I also never felt the elation that I expected to feel after the victory.  I am not sure if it is because of how we played, or if this is actually how a championship usually feels to a long-suffering fan--more relief than anything.  I remember how I felt after the last two championships, and after the women's soccer championship, and those felt more joyous to me.  I think there was something about all the near-misses and close calls over the decades that increased the tension level and produced such odd feelings when we finally won.

I think I can imagine how I would feel if we won a natty next year--it would be quite different.  The ugly past from Harvard to Tennessee to A&M to Connecticut has now been wiped away, we probably won't be expected to repeat, so it would be much more spontaneous and joyful.

Others may feel differently.  I guess I did not realize what waiting 29 years had done to my emotional investment nor did I anticipate how I would react.

[chimera]

I think the muted reaction without quite the expected joy for some of us fans might be due to a couple of things - the stress of that not very pretty game wore a lot of us out emotionally (I was so zonked out in my head watching the last seconds I didn't even realize we won right away) and maybe that we did not get to go to games at all so everything happened on TV, at a remove that we don't usually have.  We never got to stand up and cheer the team, never really got to see them play because watching on TV is not the same.  You don't get the full sense of the game, how physical it is, the struggle, on TV as much.

[chimera]

I think the muted reaction without quite the expected joy for some of us fans might be due to a couple of things - the stress of that not very pretty game wore a lot of us out emotionally (I was so zonked out in my head watching the last seconds I didn't even realize we won right away) and maybe that we did not get to go to games at all so everything happened on TV, at a remove that we don't usually have.  We never got to stand up and cheer the team, never really got to see them play because watching on TV is not the same.  You don't get the full sense of the game, how physical it is, the struggle, on TV as much.

[BobK]

Agreeing with Chimera. I was overjoyed excited screamed for joy. But there was also relief. That last minute was well not what we hoped for until the last second.
Plus relief after 29 years of so many close but not all the way gives way to relief. Relief for both Tara and ourselves. For me a fan since the 80s. brobdingnagian relief that we are champions. We being fans the team the staff and most of all the greatest coach ever.

What a fantastic season

[BobK]

Agreeing with Chimera. I was overjoyed excited screamed for joy. But there was also relief. That last minute was well not what we hoped for until the last second.
Plus relief after 29 years of so many close but not all the way gives way to relief. Relief for both Tara and ourselves. For me a fan since the 80s. brobdingnagian relief that we are champions. We being fans the team the staff and most of all the greatest coach ever.

What a fantastic season

[bl82]

I told my wife the day Cam committed that this would be our year. Of course, at that time I was assuming Dijonai would be playing at an all-american level and Maya would be a defensive force and capable offensive contributor.

Right out of the gate, with Fran's improvement, I felt fairly comfortable that this would be our year and I was always worried more about South Carolina than UConn. I thought it was great that we lost two games in a row, as I thought that would be the perfect motivation for us to continue to improve along the way.

That said, it was brutal watching the first half against Louisville -- but that angst made the joy of the second half even that more rewarding. The South Carolina game felt like the national championship game and while we deserved to win, the last play involved a lot more luck than I had hoped.

Frankly, my first thought after the championship game ended was that I needed a shower. It was such an ugly defense-oriented game that it detracted from the outcome, at least initially. Right after the horn went off, a camera panned to Kiana and she looked somewhat lukewarm about the outcome and I empathized with her. I know it was a team win. Perhaps part of the muted reaction was a sense that McDonald had earned the right for that shot to go in. The fact that she was even able to hit the rim with a very deep fadeaway jumper over our big three wall was a miracle in itself. I replayed that play over and over again and I loved the way Lexie and Cam clamped down on the double and triple-team trap -- without fouling.

Still, it took a long time for that championship glow to register. It helped that this was for Tara and that it bridged 29 years of great coaching, great teams and some excellent memories. It's too bad that this victory will not expand the available recruiting pool like it would for other schools.

Finally, I'm excited to see the next freshman class and also what Lauren Betts can do, presumably with a polished Cam roaming the high post in one of the best high-low combos NCAA women's hoops has ever seen. Now let's nail down the right point guard to bring home another natty, whether it's next year or a couple of years from now.

[bl82]

I told my wife the day Cam committed that this would be our year. Of course, at that time I was assuming Dijonai would be playing at an all-american level and Maya would be a defensive force and capable offensive contributor.

Right out of the gate, with Fran's improvement, I felt fairly comfortable that this would be our year and I was always worried more about South Carolina than UConn. I thought it was great that we lost two games in a row, as I thought that would be the perfect motivation for us to continue to improve along the way.

That said, it was brutal watching the first half against Louisville -- but that angst made the joy of the second half even that more rewarding. The South Carolina game felt like the national championship game and while we deserved to win, the last play involved a lot more luck than I had hoped.

Frankly, my first thought after the championship game ended was that I needed a shower. It was such an ugly defense-oriented game that it detracted from the outcome, at least initially. Right after the horn went off, a camera panned to Kiana and she looked somewhat lukewarm about the outcome and I empathized with her. I know it was a team win. Perhaps part of the muted reaction was a sense that McDonald had earned the right for that shot to go in. The fact that she was even able to hit the rim with a very deep fadeaway jumper over our big three wall was a miracle in itself. I replayed that play over and over again and I loved the way Lexie and Cam clamped down on the double and triple-team trap -- without fouling.

Still, it took a long time for that championship glow to register. It helped that this was for Tara and that it bridged 29 years of great coaching, great teams and some excellent memories. It's too bad that this victory will not expand the available recruiting pool like it would for other schools.

Finally, I'm excited to see the next freshman class and also what Lauren Betts can do, presumably with a polished Cam roaming the high post in one of the best high-low combos NCAA women's hoops has ever seen. Now let's nail down the right point guard to bring home another natty, whether it's next year or a couple of years from now.

[crackpot]

Shot blocking teams can get a lot of fouls called on them because it's an easy to see foul if you miss the ball and get the arm. Plus those are always free throws.

Body bumping teams can get the benefit of block/charge/nothing calls going the other way, and even if it doesn't, it more often than not doesn't give the opponent free throws.

I don't remember Fran getting to the line. 

The image looks like the contact is only on Fran's shooting hand, which is "part of the ball" as announcers like to put it. So that one probably wasn't a foul.

I probably should change my name to "I'm so confused" as it now seems to be a perpetual state--wouldn't contact on the shooting hand have the most adverse impact on a shot attempt?

[crackpot]

Shot blocking teams can get a lot of fouls called on them because it's an easy to see foul if you miss the ball and get the arm. Plus those are always free throws.

Body bumping teams can get the benefit of block/charge/nothing calls going the other way, and even if it doesn't, it more often than not doesn't give the opponent free throws.

I don't remember Fran getting to the line. 

The image looks like the contact is only on Fran's shooting hand, which is "part of the ball" as announcers like to put it. So that one probably wasn't a foul.

I probably should change my name to "I'm so confused" as it now seems to be a perpetual state--wouldn't contact on the shooting hand have the most adverse impact on a shot attempt?

[Hulk01]

I told my wife the day Cam committed that this would be our year.  Of course, at that time I was assuming Dijonai would be playing at an all-american level and Maya would be a defensive force and capable offensive contributor.

Right out of the gate, with Fran's improvement, I felt fairly comfortable that this would be our year and I was always worried more about South Carolina than UConn.  I thought it was great that we lost two games in a row, as I thought that would be the perfect motivation for us to continue to improve along the way.

That said, it was brutal watching the first half against Louisville -- but that angst made the joy of the second half even that more rewarding.  The South Carolina game felt like the national championship game and while we deserved to win, the last play involved a lot more luck than I had hoped.

Frankly, my first thought after the championship game ended was that I needed a shower.  It was such an ugly defense-oriented game that it detracted from the outcome, at least initially.  Right after the horn went off, a camera panned to Kiana and she looked somewhat lukewarm about the outcome and I empathized with her.  I know it was a team win.  Perhaps part of the muted reaction was a sense that McDonald had earned the right for that shot to go in.  The fact that she was even able to hit the rim with a very deep fadeaway jumper over our big three wall was a miracle in itself.  I replayed that play over and over again and I loved the way Lexie and Cam clamped down on the double and triple-team trap -- without fouling.

Still, it took a long time for that championship glow to register.  It helped that this was for Tara and that it bridged 29 years of great coaching, great teams and some excellent memories.  It's too bad that this victory will not expand the available recruiting pool like it would for other schools.

Finally, I'm excited to see the next freshman class and also what Lauren Betts can do, presumably with a polished Cam roaming the high post in one of the best high-low combos NCAA women's hoops has ever seen.  Now let's nail down the right point guard to bring home another natty, whether it's next year or a couple of years from now.

[Hulk01]

I told my wife the day Cam committed that this would be our year.  Of course, at that time I was assuming Dijonai would be playing at an all-american level and Maya would be a defensive force and capable offensive contributor.

Right out of the gate, with Fran's improvement, I felt fairly comfortable that this would be our year and I was always worried more about South Carolina than UConn.  I thought it was great that we lost two games in a row, as I thought that would be the perfect motivation for us to continue to improve along the way.

That said, it was brutal watching the first half against Louisville -- but that angst made the joy of the second half even that more rewarding.  The South Carolina game felt like the national championship game and while we deserved to win, the last play involved a lot more luck than I had hoped.

Frankly, my first thought after the championship game ended was that I needed a shower.  It was such an ugly defense-oriented game that it detracted from the outcome, at least initially.  Right after the horn went off, a camera panned to Kiana and she looked somewhat lukewarm about the outcome and I empathized with her.  I know it was a team win.  Perhaps part of the muted reaction was a sense that McDonald had earned the right for that shot to go in.  The fact that she was even able to hit the rim with a very deep fadeaway jumper over our big three wall was a miracle in itself.  I replayed that play over and over again and I loved the way Lexie and Cam clamped down on the double and triple-team trap -- without fouling.

Still, it took a long time for that championship glow to register.  It helped that this was for Tara and that it bridged 29 years of great coaching, great teams and some excellent memories.  It's too bad that this victory will not expand the available recruiting pool like it would for other schools.

Finally, I'm excited to see the next freshman class and also what Lauren Betts can do, presumably with a polished Cam roaming the high post in one of the best high-low combos NCAA women's hoops has ever seen.  Now let's nail down the right point guard to bring home another natty, whether it's next year or a couple of years from now.

[qwerty49]

Yeah, I think a lot of us are wondering why we’re not full-out dancing in the streets. 

The relatively muted reaction is, to be honest, a reflection of the realization that our opponents’ performance, and luck, arguably played as big a role as our own performance in the last two games. We didn’t dominate, but we did just enough to win, and both South Carolina and AZ did just enough to lose. This season was so very close to ending in the semis, and we all realize that.

It’s like in tennis where you don’t always have to hit a winner but maybe just give your opponent a chance to mess up. Less satisfying but same result.

Someone pointed out that AZ outscored us in every quarter except the first, which once again illustrates that a basket or FT made in the first minute of the game counts just as much as one at the end, however less memorable that early one might be.

If there’s such a thing as escaping with a national title, that’s what we did. IIRC “Stanford escapes again” was an announcer’s call at the moment.

But we are the champs, and of course we’re happy for the team who worked so hard all year, and for our fabulous coach who deserves this so much.  It’s just different, and maybe it’s just one of those “only at Stanford” things that we (myself included) try to over-analyze in the moment.  If we learn anything from 29 years, it should be to relax and simply enjoy this.

[qwerty49]

Yeah, I think a lot of us are wondering why we’re not full-out dancing in the streets. 

The relatively muted reaction is, to be honest, a reflection of the realization that our opponents’ performance, and luck, arguably played as big a role as our own performance in the last two games. We didn’t dominate, but we did just enough to win, and both South Carolina and AZ did just enough to lose. This season was so very close to ending in the semis, and we all realize that.

It’s like in tennis where you don’t always have to hit a winner but maybe just give your opponent a chance to mess up. Less satisfying but same result.

Someone pointed out that AZ outscored us in every quarter except the first, which once again illustrates that a basket or FT made in the first minute of the game counts just as much as one at the end, however less memorable that early one might be.

If there’s such a thing as escaping with a national title, that’s what we did. IIRC “Stanford escapes again” was an announcer’s call at the moment.

But we are the champs, and of course we’re happy for the team who worked so hard all year, and for our fabulous coach who deserves this so much.  It’s just different, and maybe it’s just one of those “only at Stanford” things that we (myself included) try to over-analyze in the moment.  If we learn anything from 29 years, it should be to relax and simply enjoy this.

[BosCard]

I think the "relief" vs "joy" reaction all has to do with expectations.  Even though no one admitted it beforehand, I think most of us expected to beat Arizona given that we had beaten them twice before by comfortable margins.  So beating them by a little bit felt more like relief than joy. 

I think I would have felt differently about the game if our opponent had been UConn.  Even if the game was identical and we held on to beat UConn and Paige Bueckers heaved a three point shot at the end that missed, I think I would have felt more joy because my expectations of beating UConn are different because we have not played them this year.

I think the pressure of expectations and how they can weigh you down is a real thing.  On the men's side Gonzaga was playing with the expectations of a historic undefeated season and I think that hampered their play in their loss to Baylor.

[BosCard]

I think the "relief" vs "joy" reaction all has to do with expectations.  Even though no one admitted it beforehand, I think most of us expected to beat Arizona given that we had beaten them twice before by comfortable margins.  So beating them by a little bit felt more like relief than joy. 

I think I would have felt differently about the game if our opponent had been UConn.  Even if the game was identical and we held on to beat UConn and Paige Bueckers heaved a three point shot at the end that missed, I think I would have felt more joy because my expectations of beating UConn are different because we have not played them this year.

I think the pressure of expectations and how they can weigh you down is a real thing.  On the men's side Gonzaga was playing with the expectations of a historic undefeated season and I think that hampered their play in their loss to Baylor.

[CompSci87]

Shot blocking teams can get a lot of fouls called on them because it's an easy to see foul if you miss the ball and get the arm. Plus those are always free throws.

Body bumping teams can get the benefit of block/charge/nothing calls going the other way, and even if it doesn't, it more often than not doesn't give the opponent free throws.

I don't remember Fran getting to the line. 

The image looks like the contact is only on Fran's shooting hand, which is "part of the ball" as announcers like to put it. So that one probably wasn't a foul.

I probably should change my name to "I'm so confused" as it now seems to be a perpetual state--wouldn't contact on the shooting hand have the most adverse impact on a shot attempt?

Contact on the ball has a highly adverse effect on the shot too, but it's legal. :-)

I think the reason "the hand is part of the ball" is that it would be way too hard to officiate a rule that says a blocked shot is a foul if you touch the shooting hand.

Notice that on a tieup, rebound, steal, etc. it's not a foul to touch the opposing player's hand that is holding the ball, only to grab/hit their wrist, arm, etc. If that were not the rule there would be a foul on just about every one of such plays.

[CompSci87]

Shot blocking teams can get a lot of fouls called on them because it's an easy to see foul if you miss the ball and get the arm. Plus those are always free throws.

Body bumping teams can get the benefit of block/charge/nothing calls going the other way, and even if it doesn't, it more often than not doesn't give the opponent free throws.

I don't remember Fran getting to the line. 

The image looks like the contact is only on Fran's shooting hand, which is "part of the ball" as announcers like to put it. So that one probably wasn't a foul.

I probably should change my name to "I'm so confused" as it now seems to be a perpetual state--wouldn't contact on the shooting hand have the most adverse impact on a shot attempt?

Contact on the ball has a highly adverse effect on the shot too, but it's legal. :-)

I think the reason "the hand is part of the ball" is that it would be way too hard to officiate a rule that says a blocked shot is a foul if you touch the shooting hand.

Notice that on a tieup, rebound, steal, etc. it's not a foul to touch the opposing player's hand that is holding the ball, only to grab/hit their wrist, arm, etc. If that were not the rule there would be a foul on just about every one of such plays.

[BostonCard]

Technically, it is only not a foul when the hand is in contact with the ball.  Fran's hand was clearly not in contact with the ball at the time of that photo.

BC

[BostonCard]

Technically, it is only not a foul when the hand is in contact with the ball.  Fran's hand was clearly not in contact with the ball at the time of that photo.

BC

[CompSci87]

Okay, I haven't read the rules on this. This shot was, I think, initially blocked legally from behind with contact on the hand holding the ball. Then after the ball left Fran's hand, the defender's hand was still contacting Fran's hand. Does that make it technically a foul? I don't think it's called that way. Cam would have some more fouls if it were.

[CompSci87]

Okay, I haven't read the rules on this. This shot was, I think, initially blocked legally from behind with contact on the hand holding the ball. Then after the ball left Fran's hand, the defender's hand was still contacting Fran's hand. Does that make it technically a foul? I don't think it's called that way. Cam would have some more fouls if it were.

[RuralFan]

I think the "relief" vs "joy" reaction all has to do with expectations.  Even though no one admitted it beforehand, I think most of us expected to beat Arizona given that we had beaten them twice before by comfortable margins.  So beating them by a little bit felt more like relief than joy. 

I think I would have felt differently about the game if our opponent had been UConn.  Even if the game was identical and we held on to beat UConn and Paige Bueckers heaved a three point shot at the end that missed, I think I would have felt more joy because my expectations of beating UConn are different because we have not played them this year.

I think the pressure of expectations and how they can weigh you down is a real thing.  On the men's side Gonzaga was playing with the expectations of a historic undefeated season and I think that hampered their play in their loss to Baylor.

My reaction to the last seconds of the Title Game was very similar to the last seconds of the South Carolina, I thought we were really fortunate. What I didn't see in our last three games was the incredibly skilled, highly talented, and cohesive team that I saw some during the regular season. I didn't see passes flying around the court to open players for three point shots.  I didn't see defensive rebounds leading to fast break points at the other end. I sort of saw my team in the first quarter of the Arizona game, but that was petty much it.  Against Louisville, we were pretty bad until Ashten Prechtel just took over the game.  Against South Carolina we were up eight early in the second half and just hung on to win. Against Arizona we had a wonderful five minutes and then just hung on for thirty-five minutes on to win the game.  Maybe I'm not wired for Final Fours, but just hanging on is okay but hardly my expectation.

In any case congratulations to the players, coaches, and fans.  Twenty-nine years is a long time.

[RuralFan]

I think the "relief" vs "joy" reaction all has to do with expectations.  Even though no one admitted it beforehand, I think most of us expected to beat Arizona given that we had beaten them twice before by comfortable margins.  So beating them by a little bit felt more like relief than joy. 

I think I would have felt differently about the game if our opponent had been UConn.  Even if the game was identical and we held on to beat UConn and Paige Bueckers heaved a three point shot at the end that missed, I think I would have felt more joy because my expectations of beating UConn are different because we have not played them this year.

I think the pressure of expectations and how they can weigh you down is a real thing.  On the men's side Gonzaga was playing with the expectations of a historic undefeated season and I think that hampered their play in their loss to Baylor.

My reaction to the last seconds of the Title Game was very similar to the last seconds of the South Carolina, I thought we were really fortunate. What I didn't see in our last three games was the incredibly skilled, highly talented, and cohesive team that I saw some during the regular season. I didn't see passes flying around the court to open players for three point shots.  I didn't see defensive rebounds leading to fast break points at the other end. I sort of saw my team in the first quarter of the Arizona game, but that was petty much it.  Against Louisville, we were pretty bad until Ashten Prechtel just took over the game.  Against South Carolina we were up eight early in the second half and just hung on to win. Against Arizona we had a wonderful five minutes and then just hung on for thirty-five minutes on to win the game.  Maybe I'm not wired for Final Fours, but just hanging on is okay but hardly my expectation.

In any case congratulations to the players, coaches, and fans.  Twenty-nine years is a long time.

[crackpot]

Notice that on a tieup, rebound, steal, etc. it's not a foul to touch the opposing player's hand that is holding the ball, only to grab/hit their wrist, arm, etc. If that were not the rule there would be a foul on just about every one of such plays.

I appreciate the clarification, thanks!

[crackpot]

Notice that on a tieup, rebound, steal, etc. it's not a foul to touch the opposing player's hand that is holding the ball, only to grab/hit their wrist, arm, etc. If that were not the rule there would be a foul on just about every one of such plays.

I appreciate the clarification, thanks!

[martyup]

From the voices of our team:

We've paid our dues
Tested time after time.
We've done our quarantine
But Covid showed no sign

And bad mistakes‒
We've made a few.
We've had our share of turnovers
But we always came through.

We are the champions, my friends.
And we kept on fighting 'til the end.
We are the champions.
We are the champions.
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the year.

We've taken our bows,
On many a zoom call.
Our fans stuck with us
We thank you all.

But it's been no bed of roses,
No pleasure cruise.
We considered it a challenge,
And we weren't gonna lose.

'Cause we are the champions of the year.

And we need to go on and on, and on, and on.

[martyup]

From the voices of our team:

We've paid our dues
Tested time after time.
We've done our quarantine
But Covid showed no sign

And bad mistakes‒
We've made a few.
We've had our share of turnovers
But we always came through.

We are the champions, my friends.
And we kept on fighting 'til the end.
We are the champions.
We are the champions.
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the year.

We've taken our bows,
On many a zoom call.
Our fans stuck with us
We thank you all.

But it's been no bed of roses,
No pleasure cruise.
We considered it a challenge,
And we weren't gonna lose.

'Cause we are the champions of the year.

And we need to go on and on, and on, and on.

[TheWildJacko]

Thanks everyone for sharing their postgame thoughts—it's interesting to see how you all are experiencing this long-awaited victory. I think I share in a lot of your sentiments. Personally, I was knotted up with tension the whole Final Four weekend, especially after seeing what AZ did to UCONN. I thought we could win, but I was sure it was going to be close. I didn't think it would be that close though!! And during the game, seeing us run out the clock on possession after possession and then turn the ball over, unable even to fire off a shot, I got increasingly more nervous. I don't think I've ever seen so many possessions (at least 6!) end in disaster in exactly the same way in a single game. The worst part was, that's just not how this particular team tended to play the game. Yes, we've been known to blow end-of-period possessions in the past, but we had not been plagued by that issue as much this season, and certainly not to the degree on display on Sunday. I have to admit I was yelling at the screen, trying to figure out why we were playing the way we were playing.

By the end, when they brought it to within one and then stole the ball yet again with 6 seconds left, I was almost sure we were going to lose. But this team is resilient; they ramped up the defense, didn't give McDonald an inch, and even though I nearly had a heart attack when McDonald's shot went up, it clanked off the rim and we came up with the victory.

Was it the best basketball I've ever seen us play? Not by a long shot. Was it painful to watch, even maddening, at times? Yes. But I bet it was painful for UCONN fans to watch as McDonald and AZ dominated the vaunted Paige Bueckers and Co. for 40 minutes, and I'll bet MD fans had to believe they'd fallen into an alternate dimension as they watched Texas hold them 30 points under their season average. I am certain TX fans were left wondering what happened to that same team when they fell by nearly 30 points to South Carolina only two days later. Unlike UCONN, MD and TX, we get to say we fought until the end and came out victorious. Ugly as our Final Four victories may have been, we're the ones who got to take home the trophy. And while it may have been (very) stressful at the time, I'm OK knowing that for every single game we play next season, ESPN, the Pac-12, and all the other media outlets will be talking about Defending Champion Stanford and 3-time National Champion Tara VanDerveer.

---

Having said the above, I wanted to share some reflections on my Stanford fandom that I wrote up late Sunday evening after the the game:
----
Today has been a dream come true for me as a sports fan. When I was 8 years old, my dad took me to L.A. to watch the Stanford Women's Basketball team play in the 1992 Final Four. I don't remember any other games from that season but I vividly remember our nail-bitingly close, 66-65 victory over Dawn Staley and Virginia in the Semis. I remember making magic fingers for every free throw, and doing everything I could to throw Staley off her game from a couple of hundred feet up in the stands. I doubt I had an impact, but as Dave Barry puts it, my Concern Rays were strong.

For the Championship, a comparatively easy victory over Western Kentucky, I remember the elation when we clinched Tara's 2nd title; not so much the game itself. However, that feeling made me a lifelong fan, staying with me the past 29 years as Tara and the team attempted to win a 3rd National Title.

There were the 3 heartbreaking semifinal losses in the mid-90's with such great standout players as Kate Starbird, Kristin Folkl, Olympia Scott, Jamila Wideman, Vanessa Nygaard, Heather Owen and Naomi Mulitauaopele. After that, we suffered a long Final Four drought from 1997-2008 featuring stars like Lindsay Yamasaki, Nicole Powell, Susan King and Brooke "The Hook" Smith. Though we didn't see much postseason success, there were still some standout moments:


[*]the amazing comeback victory against Oregon in 2000, riding a career night from sharpshooter Lauren St. Clair to bounce back from 26 points down to notch a 78-62 victory—a 44-point swing;

[*]a thrilling last-second shot by Kelly Suminski to beat Vanderbilt in the '04 Sweet 16, followed by a gut-wrenching last-second loss against TN in the Elite 8 (all-everything Stanford star Nicole Powell was fouled on the last shot, but alas, no call!);


[*]A shockingly dominant victory over UCONN in the 2005 Sweet 16, followed by an equally thorough drubbing at the hands of semi-finalist MSU in the Elite 8;


[*]Brooke Smith's dominant, 35-point performance on 14-16 shooting against the Paris twins and OK in the '06 Sweet 16, followed by the charge call against Candice Wiggins to negate Krista Rappahan's game-winning 3 in the '06 Elite 8 vs. Seimone Augustus' LSU team (it was a block!)

---

During that stretch we also suffered an 11-game losing streak to Tennessee, from 1997-2006. Our losses to TN were always extra painful because we never could seem to beat them, even when victory seemed close at hand; Shanna Zollman's 3 at the buzzer to win their 9th straight looms particularly large in my memory.

We broke that losing streak at Maples in Dec. 2007 with the Wiggins-led 2007-2008 squad. We had dropped our 4th game of the season to #2 UCONN, 54-66, in a game that wasn't really that close, but then we came back and took out #1 TN, dominating in OT and sending a signal to the WBB world that Stanford was back in the national title conversation. I've never screamed so loud in my life.

In the '08 NCAA'S, we outshot a Kristi Toliver-led MD team, 98-87, in one of the most beautiful offensive games I've ever witnessed, and then got our revenge against UCONN, in the National Semis, taking them out 82-73 with brilliant passing and exemplary shooting. The season ultimately ended in a crushing Finals defeat in our 2nd matchup with a Candace Parker-led TN squad, but Stanford would go on to appear in the next four Final 4's, and 5 of the next 6, including one more Title game appearance, a loss to UCONN.

In fact, we lost twice in the FF to Maya Moore's undefeated UCONN squads, in '09 and '10, but snapped their 90-game winning streak the next season with a team led by senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, the Ogwumike sisters, Kayla Pedersen, and Joslyn Tinkle. That game was absolutely electric:

Stanford breaks UCONN's streak

It could have been a championship match but we played it in December. Jeanette Pohlen had already established herself as a clutch player the previous season against Xavier, driving the length of the court in 4.4 seconds to hit the game-winning layup in the '10 Elite 8:

[/url]Jeanette Pohlen 4.4 seconds

Against UCONN that December, however, she was dominant, scoring 31 points and dishing out 6 assists. On the defensive end, freshman Chiney Ogwumike stifled senior Maya Moore like no other had since her freshman year.

2 years later, in November '12, Stanford would again play spoiler, [url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2012/11/16/3656684/baylor-women-lose-stanford-recap-win-streak]snapping Baylor's 42-game winning streak after Baylor's undefeated '11-'12 championship season. Then came 4 years of Breanna Stewart and UCONN dominance; the emergence of Sabrina Ionescu and the Oregon juggernaut holding court in the Pac-12 (we beat them in the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament, but they would dominate in 2020 before the season's early ending); and South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Baylor all winning one-off titles.

For Stanford, thrilling victories came fairly regularly, but never at the right moment, in April, with everything on  the line. Until today. Today we finally won it all, 29 years after our last title. This Stanford team faced more adversity than perhaps any other. We played only 6 true home games all season due to COVID restrictions, going on the road for 9 straight weeks and winning all but 2 of those games. We battled through injuries, homesickness and tough practice conditions. We overcame a large halftime deficit against Louisville in the Elite 8, and survived last second shots against South Carolina and Arizona in the Final Four. We won largely because everybody contributed, and no single player had to carry the load every game. We won beautifully, we won ugly, we won with dunks and with sharp shooting and crisp passing and with defense and rebounding.

I have to give individual recognition to Haley Jones, who put in a stellar effort to will us to victory in the Final Four, but we truly won this one as a team. I could not be prouder to be a fan of Stanford Women's Basketball right now.

Haley Jones, Kiana Williams, Cameron Brink, Anna Wilson, Lexie and Lacie Hull, Ashten Prechtel, Fran Belibi, Alyssa Jerome, Hannah Jump, Agnes Emma-Nnopu, Jana Van-Gytenbeek, Jenna Brown—enjoy this moment. You deserve it.

And Tara, Amy, Kate, Katy, Britney, Celia, Katelin, Ali—phenomenal coaching job all around. Tara, Amy and Kate, it's been a long time coming. I'm glad to finally watch you get another one.

[TheWildJacko]

Thanks everyone for sharing their postgame thoughts—it's interesting to see how you all are experiencing this long-awaited victory. I think I share in a lot of your sentiments. Personally, I was knotted up with tension the whole Final Four weekend, especially after seeing what AZ did to UCONN. I thought we could win, but I was sure it was going to be close. I didn't think it would be that close though!! And during the game, seeing us run out the clock on possession after possession and then turn the ball over, unable even to fire off a shot, I got increasingly more nervous. I don't think I've ever seen so many possessions (at least 6!) end in disaster in exactly the same way in a single game. The worst part was, that's just not how this particular team tended to play the game. Yes, we've been known to blow end-of-period possessions in the past, but we had not been plagued by that issue as much this season, and certainly not to the degree on display on Sunday. I have to admit I was yelling at the screen, trying to figure out why we were playing the way we were playing.

By the end, when they brought it to within one and then stole the ball yet again with 6 seconds left, I was almost sure we were going to lose. But this team is resilient; they ramped up the defense, didn't give McDonald an inch, and even though I nearly had a heart attack when McDonald's shot went up, it clanked off the rim and we came up with the victory.

Was it the best basketball I've ever seen us play? Not by a long shot. Was it painful to watch, even maddening, at times? Yes. But I bet it was painful for UCONN fans to watch as McDonald and AZ dominated the vaunted Paige Bueckers and Co. for 40 minutes, and I'll bet MD fans had to believe they'd fallen into an alternate dimension as they watched Texas hold them 30 points under their season average. I am certain TX fans were left wondering what happened to that same team when they fell by nearly 30 points to South Carolina only two days later. Unlike UCONN, MD and TX, we get to say we fought until the end and came out victorious. Ugly as our Final Four victories may have been, we're the ones who got to take home the trophy. And while it may have been (very) stressful at the time, I'm OK knowing that for every single game we play next season, ESPN, the Pac-12, and all the other media outlets will be talking about Defending Champion Stanford and 3-time National Champion Tara VanDerveer.

---

Having said the above, I wanted to share some reflections on my Stanford fandom that I wrote up late Sunday evening after the the game:
----
Today has been a dream come true for me as a sports fan. When I was 8 years old, my dad took me to L.A. to watch the Stanford Women's Basketball team play in the 1992 Final Four. I don't remember any other games from that season but I vividly remember our nail-bitingly close, 66-65 victory over Dawn Staley and Virginia in the Semis. I remember making magic fingers for every free throw, and doing everything I could to throw Staley off her game from a couple of hundred feet up in the stands. I doubt I had an impact, but as Dave Barry puts it, my Concern Rays were strong.

For the Championship, a comparatively easy victory over Western Kentucky, I remember the elation when we clinched Tara's 2nd title; not so much the game itself. However, that feeling made me a lifelong fan, staying with me the past 29 years as Tara and the team attempted to win a 3rd National Title.

There were the 3 heartbreaking semifinal losses in the mid-90's with such great standout players as Kate Starbird, Kristin Folkl, Olympia Scott, Jamila Wideman, Vanessa Nygaard, Heather Owen and Naomi Mulitauaopele. After that, we suffered a long Final Four drought from 1997-2008 featuring stars like Lindsay Yamasaki, Nicole Powell, Susan King and Brooke "The Hook" Smith. Though we didn't see much postseason success, there were still some standout moments:


[*]the amazing comeback victory against Oregon in 2000, riding a career night from sharpshooter Lauren St. Clair to bounce back from 26 points down to notch a 78-62 victory—a 44-point swing;

[*]a thrilling last-second shot by Kelly Suminski to beat Vanderbilt in the '04 Sweet 16, followed by a gut-wrenching last-second loss against TN in the Elite 8 (all-everything Stanford star Nicole Powell was fouled on the last shot, but alas, no call!);


[*]A shockingly dominant victory over UCONN in the 2005 Sweet 16, followed by an equally thorough drubbing at the hands of semi-finalist MSU in the Elite 8;


[*]Brooke Smith's dominant, 35-point performance on 14-16 shooting against the Paris twins and OK in the '06 Sweet 16, followed by the charge call against Candice Wiggins to negate Krista Rappahan's game-winning 3 in the '06 Elite 8 vs. Seimone Augustus' LSU team (it was a block!)

---

During that stretch we also suffered an 11-game losing streak to Tennessee, from 1997-2006. Our losses to TN were always extra painful because we never could seem to beat them, even when victory seemed close at hand; Shanna Zollman's 3 at the buzzer to win their 9th straight looms particularly large in my memory.

We broke that losing streak at Maples in Dec. 2007 with the Wiggins-led 2007-2008 squad. We had dropped our 4th game of the season to #2 UCONN, 54-66, in a game that wasn't really that close, but then we came back and took out #1 TN, dominating in OT and sending a signal to the WBB world that Stanford was back in the national title conversation. I've never screamed so loud in my life.

In the '08 NCAA'S, we outshot a Kristi Toliver-led MD team, 98-87, in one of the most beautiful offensive games I've ever witnessed, and then got our revenge against UCONN, in the National Semis, taking them out 82-73 with brilliant passing and exemplary shooting. The season ultimately ended in a crushing Finals defeat in our 2nd matchup with a Candace Parker-led TN squad, but Stanford would go on to appear in the next four Final 4's, and 5 of the next 6, including one more Title game appearance, a loss to UCONN.

In fact, we lost twice in the FF to Maya Moore's undefeated UCONN squads, in '09 and '10, but snapped their 90-game winning streak the next season with a team led by senior guard Jeanette Pohlen, the Ogwumike sisters, Kayla Pedersen, and Joslyn Tinkle. That game was absolutely electric:

Stanford breaks UCONN's streak

It could have been a championship match but we played it in December. Jeanette Pohlen had already established herself as a clutch player the previous season against Xavier, driving the length of the court in 4.4 seconds to hit the game-winning layup in the '10 Elite 8:

[/url]Jeanette Pohlen 4.4 seconds

Against UCONN that December, however, she was dominant, scoring 31 points and dishing out 6 assists. On the defensive end, freshman Chiney Ogwumike stifled senior Maya Moore like no other had since her freshman year.

2 years later, in November '12, Stanford would again play spoiler, [url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2012/11/16/3656684/baylor-women-lose-stanford-recap-win-streak]snapping Baylor's 42-game winning streak after Baylor's undefeated '11-'12 championship season. Then came 4 years of Breanna Stewart and UCONN dominance; the emergence of Sabrina Ionescu and the Oregon juggernaut holding court in the Pac-12 (we beat them in the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament, but they would dominate in 2020 before the season's early ending); and South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Baylor all winning one-off titles.

For Stanford, thrilling victories came fairly regularly, but never at the right moment, in April, with everything on  the line. Until today. Today we finally won it all, 29 years after our last title. This Stanford team faced more adversity than perhaps any other. We played only 6 true home games all season due to COVID restrictions, going on the road for 9 straight weeks and winning all but 2 of those games. We battled through injuries, homesickness and tough practice conditions. We overcame a large halftime deficit against Louisville in the Elite 8, and survived last second shots against South Carolina and Arizona in the Final Four. We won largely because everybody contributed, and no single player had to carry the load every game. We won beautifully, we won ugly, we won with dunks and with sharp shooting and crisp passing and with defense and rebounding.

I have to give individual recognition to Haley Jones, who put in a stellar effort to will us to victory in the Final Four, but we truly won this one as a team. I could not be prouder to be a fan of Stanford Women's Basketball right now.

Haley Jones, Kiana Williams, Cameron Brink, Anna Wilson, Lexie and Lacie Hull, Ashten Prechtel, Fran Belibi, Alyssa Jerome, Hannah Jump, Agnes Emma-Nnopu, Jana Van-Gytenbeek, Jenna Brown—enjoy this moment. You deserve it.

And Tara, Amy, Kate, Katy, Britney, Celia, Katelin, Ali—phenomenal coaching job all around. Tara, Amy and Kate, it's been a long time coming. I'm glad to finally watch you get another one.

[martyup]

Thank you TheWildJacko for a post that nearly brought tears to my eyes.  If our rating system is worth anything, every member that reads that should give you a +1.

[martyup]

Thank you TheWildJacko for a post that nearly brought tears to my eyes.  If our rating system is worth anything, every member that reads that should give you a +1.

[chimera]

There is also the issue of the compressed schedule.  Other seasons there was more time between the E8 game and the semi.  Play a tough E8 game on Tues, have two days of rest and play the semi on Friday is not ideal for healing minor dings, scouting, or just getting fully rested.  Add in the pressure of the moment, which can wear people out (it did even for just us fans!!!).  UA and UConn's half of the bracket had an extra day, and with the tight schedule, that had to help a little.  The F4 games seemed like what we sometimes got with the P-10 or P-12 tournament with the play on several days in a row.  I don't think the way they set things up made for optimum basketball.  

On another note I wonder if the shortened season was overall beneficial to the team.  Was it just coincidence there were no long term injuries (aside from Brown who started the season injured)?  Perhaps, or maybe if the season had the usual 8 or 9 games more we see more wear and tear and more injuries late.

[chimera]

There is also the issue of the compressed schedule.  Other seasons there was more time between the E8 game and the semi.  Play a tough E8 game on Tues, have two days of rest and play the semi on Friday is not ideal for healing minor dings, scouting, or just getting fully rested.  Add in the pressure of the moment, which can wear people out (it did even for just us fans!!!).  UA and UConn's half of the bracket had an extra day, and with the tight schedule, that had to help a little.  The F4 games seemed like what we sometimes got with the P-10 or P-12 tournament with the play on several days in a row.  I don't think the way they set things up made for optimum basketball.  

On another note I wonder if the shortened season was overall beneficial to the team.  Was it just coincidence there were no long term injuries (aside from Brown who started the season injured)?  Perhaps, or maybe if the season had the usual 8 or 9 games more we see more wear and tear and more injuries late.

[Class_of_75]

ESPN Nets 4.1 Million Viewers for Arizona-Stanford – The Most-Viewed NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Game Since 2014

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-relea...ince-2014/

[Class_of_75]

ESPN Nets 4.1 Million Viewers for Arizona-Stanford – The Most-Viewed NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Game Since 2014

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-relea...ince-2014/

[M T]

ESPN Nets 4.1 Million Viewers for Arizona-Stanford – The Most-Viewed NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Game Since 2014

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-relea...ince-2014/

Wow, that's good to hear.  I don't know how much of that is from the controversies, the pandemic (what else were people doing), the fact that it was Easter Sunday, UConn-burnout, respect for Tara, or what.

I expect that Stanford WBB 2021-2022 will get a lot more TV exposure.  That means good things for Stanford (and the PAC-12) in exposure.
And, I expect it also means more money.

[M T]

ESPN Nets 4.1 Million Viewers for Arizona-Stanford – The Most-Viewed NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Game Since 2014

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-relea...ince-2014/

Wow, that's good to hear.  I don't know how much of that is from the controversies, the pandemic (what else were people doing), the fact that it was Easter Sunday, UConn-burnout, respect for Tara, or what.

I expect that Stanford WBB 2021-2022 will get a lot more TV exposure.  That means good things for Stanford (and the PAC-12) in exposure.
And, I expect it also means more money.

[BostonCard]

My reaction to the last seconds of the Title Game was very similar to the last seconds of the South Carolina, I thought we were really fortunate. What I didn't see in our last three games was the incredibly skilled, highly talented, and cohesive team that I saw some during the regular season. I didn't see passes flying around the court to open players for three point shots.  I didn't see defensive rebounds leading to fast break points at the other end. I sort of saw my team in the first quarter of the Arizona game, but that was petty much it.  Against Louisville, we were pretty bad until Ashten Prechtel just took over the game.  Against South Carolina we were up eight early in the second half and just hung on to win. Against Arizona we had a wonderful five minutes and then just hung on for thirty-five minutes on to win the game.  Maybe I'm not wired for Final Fours, but just hanging on is okay but hardly my expectation.


In any case congratulations to the players, coaches, and fans.  Twenty-nine years is a long time.

The entire second half of the Louisville game was a clinic, and truly beautiful basketball.  We scored 52 points in the half!  And while Prechtel was a big part of it, we got contributions from a host of players.  Remember, Williams got hot, and even Wilson connected on a three-point dagger.

AS for the national semi-final and championship game, we sometimes pretend that the other team doesn't have great athletes and a coaching staff that doesn't sit around thinking how they can disrupt our offense.  Give South Carolina and Arizona some credit (and Louisville for a half); they had the perimiter defense that challenged our ability to get our offense flowing.  They hustled, and they disrupted.  Remember that the Arizona team that held us to 54, held UConn to 59 (and they were on pace to score less that midway through the fourth quarter).  They didn't allow over 60 points all tournament long.  South Carolina held Texas scoreless for an entire quarter, and our 66 points were the high score against them in the championship.

It is easy to look at our own shortcomings when lamenting that our offense was not perfectly in sync.  But, short of going up against ourselves, I don't know that our offense could have had tougher opponents on the road to the final four.

Sometimes you just have to give the opponent credit for making your life miserable on offense.  Thankfully, we made their jobs just as miserable and our offense did just enough to win.

BC

[BostonCard]

My reaction to the last seconds of the Title Game was very similar to the last seconds of the South Carolina, I thought we were really fortunate. What I didn't see in our last three games was the incredibly skilled, highly talented, and cohesive team that I saw some during the regular season. I didn't see passes flying around the court to open players for three point shots.  I didn't see defensive rebounds leading to fast break points at the other end. I sort of saw my team in the first quarter of the Arizona game, but that was petty much it.  Against Louisville, we were pretty bad until Ashten Prechtel just took over the game.  Against South Carolina we were up eight early in the second half and just hung on to win. Against Arizona we had a wonderful five minutes and then just hung on for thirty-five minutes on to win the game.  Maybe I'm not wired for Final Fours, but just hanging on is okay but hardly my expectation.


In any case congratulations to the players, coaches, and fans.  Twenty-nine years is a long time.

The entire second half of the Louisville game was a clinic, and truly beautiful basketball.  We scored 52 points in the half!  And while Prechtel was a big part of it, we got contributions from a host of players.  Remember, Williams got hot, and even Wilson connected on a three-point dagger.

AS for the national semi-final and championship game, we sometimes pretend that the other team doesn't have great athletes and a coaching staff that doesn't sit around thinking how they can disrupt our offense.  Give South Carolina and Arizona some credit (and Louisville for a half); they had the perimiter defense that challenged our ability to get our offense flowing.  They hustled, and they disrupted.  Remember that the Arizona team that held us to 54, held UConn to 59 (and they were on pace to score less that midway through the fourth quarter).  They didn't allow over 60 points all tournament long.  South Carolina held Texas scoreless for an entire quarter, and our 66 points were the high score against them in the championship.

It is easy to look at our own shortcomings when lamenting that our offense was not perfectly in sync.  But, short of going up against ourselves, I don't know that our offense could have had tougher opponents on the road to the final four.

Sometimes you just have to give the opponent credit for making your life miserable on offense.  Thankfully, we made their jobs just as miserable and our offense did just enough to win.

BC