Stanford FBC: Team Blog

The Cardinal's got moves

2012-02-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

You may think we only have moves on the court, but Stanford Women's basketball can dance with the best. We like to bust out a few moves every now and then and even before the games.

Whenever a beat comes on and a song starts playing, our team gets to grooving. A few of us have some "go to" moves.

Bonnie is known for her snap and what appears to be a chicken dance. She does it regardless of what song plays and whether or not she's even on beat.

Taylor will whip out a "raise the roof" to get the party going, and Grace adds a little head bob to the mix.

We make a mean wave, and Toni and Sara James do the worm better than anyone I've ever seen.

We should audition for America's Best Dance Crew. I think we've got talent, and we should definitely be on television showing off our skills.

All of the players bust a move or two, but what I'm dying to see is our coaches break out a few dance moves. From what I've seen, they tend to shy away from the dance floor, although I have witnessed Coach Amy Tucker break out into a nice rhythmic step when she thinks no one is watching.

All I can say is that "Stomp the Yard" can't "Stomp the Card"!

Jasmine

Taylor on traveling

2012-01-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

Finally Cardinal fans, it's my turn to blog! I've been looking forward to this blog for quite some time, which is why it's a little delayed (because I had to make it perfect!) As I've seen, my teammates have written some extremely creative blogs, so I'm going to do my best to COMPETE - Coach Kate should be very proud of me.

The theme I have chosen for this special blog is traveling. Let me just tell you, I've never been a huge fan of flying; motion sickness loves to torture me.

There are two sides to traveling: 1) More quality times with my teammies off the court and 2) Packing up my whole locker, carrying on stinky shoes and ankle braces, and scrunching our legs behind the airplane seats. Everyone complains about their legs cramping, but I've actually always thought the leg room should be reduced; I tend to get too comfortable the way it is right now.

OK, there's something I should probably mention: sarcasm is my first language. It can get me in a little bit of trouble, but I promise I mean well. ☺

On a serious note, traveling with my teammates is the best part of road trips, and it makes up for the not-so-fun parts of travel. When we are on the road, everyone is paired up with a teammate-roommate, which is my favorite part since none of us live together during the school year. I look forward to rooming with a new teammate each trip because it gives me a chance to get to know them even better because, yes, I'm a freshman.

The freshman experience of traveling isn't the biggest hooray moment, though. We receive the honor of lugging around the two "extras", which consist of the components necessary to set up our projector to watch film. It's soooo much fun!!

My next favorite would be sitting next to a coach on the flight, especially if it's at least two hours, so we can watch film together! It gets even better if the flight is at 8am, I'm about ten seconds away from falling into my deep sleep, and Amy would like to watch "the things I could have done better" from the previous game. This would be why I prefer to fly Southwest.

Kidding. We all appreciate the time our coaches, LG (Lauren Greif), and Liz put into scouting and film. When it comes to the game, we may know the other team's plays better than they do.

As you know we just got back from our Utah & Colorado trip, and it was a complete success! We came out against Utah, and they wanted to be physical, but we proved to them that whatever they brought to the table, we had more. Colorado was another story; we came out tough from the beginning, and we were able to keep a nice lead to finish off the Buffs!

It was a long trip since it was the first week back to classes, but who doesn't like falling behind on lecture notes and not having a clue what's going on during the next section? Once again, kidding.

The responsibility and self-discipline our team has is insurmountable, especially when it comes to academics. Even though we are traveling, we all do the required work and more in order to stay caught up in school.

Well, it seems as if it's time for practice. Or is it weights? Film? No, it's that thing called sleep. Yep, that's it.

Thank you so much for the support you show Stanford Women's Basketball! We definitely appreciate it, and hopefully we repay the favor to you all and ourselves with that National Title!

Go Card!

Living the hotel life

2012-01-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hello All!!

As some of you might know, during the holiday break from school all students are required to move out of their dorms or campus living situations. As all of you should know (because you are at our games!) we clearly do not have this break off from basketball.

Therefore as a team, we move into the Sheraton for the three weeks we have off from academics! Living the hotel life has its pros and cons but for the most part it’s pretty fun. After all, who can complain about big comfy beds, TVs and room service?!

Being in the hotel is also nice because of the time we spend together as a team off the court. Most of the time roommates are paired off so that people who do have cars are with people that do not, so transportation for food and to practice is never an issue. That being said, because we have such a young team, that isn’t the case for every roommate pair.

While we have a couple fun dinners as a whole team, for the most part individuals seem to be enjoying different types of activities. For instance, the freshman tend to move in packs together and can be seen “borrowing” Sara James’ car, affectionately named “Zenon” (don’t ask me why), to drive off to Yogurt Land.

Toni and Mikaela can be spotted walking from the Sheraton to the Starbucks in Palo Alto to simply read.

Jos and I can sometimes be found on California Ave getting our nails done.

And we all seem to frequent Trader Joes (“TJs”) for some healthy snack and lunch options ... well except for Nneka! She still prefers going to the classic Safeway for her dining pleasure!

All in all, as a team we have a great time together doing a number of activities and we need to make sure that our chemistry off the court continues to show on the court!!

As always, Go Card!

Grace

Nicknames

2012-01-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Cardinal Fans!

I hope everyone had a great time celebrating this holiday season, I know I did. I had an amazing time with my family and friends for Christmas. My El Dorado Hills home was busy with kids of all ages baking cookies, opening presents, and everything in between.

Even though my time with my real family was short, I was happy to return to Stanford with my basketball family. Over the past two years I have developed friendships with these girls that I'm sure will last a lifetime.

Even though this team is much different than last year's team, it is perfect in its own way. I have grown so close to each of the other fourteen girls, which is one of the main reasons why I enjoy coming to practice for hours each day.

The main subject of this blog, however, is going to be names. With traveling for weeks at a time, rooming together in countless hotels, and spending each and every day with each other, we (well, mainly me) have created names and nicknames for each of my fourteen sisters.

Lindy: Looooopy (Not sure where this one came from but from Lu to Loo, to Loopy)

Grace: Gem, Gracie (I like to call Grace "Gem" because I think that she secretly wishes people would call her Gem. If you didn't know GEM are her initials and because people call me SEJ, I thought I might spread the trend. Not to mention GEM is also a gem)

Nneka: Gorgeous, Beautiful (Nneka and I call each other Gorgeous and Beautiful because first off, who doesn't like to be called beautiful? Even if they don't really mean it, its nice to be heard sometimes! But besides that I'm not really sure why we call each other that.)

Sarah: Boothie (I call Sarah Boothie because I find it weird to call someone my own name. Also she just seems more like a Boothie to me than a Sarah. We also argue over which Sara(h) is better and I claim that her name should be pronounced sarAH- emphasis on the AH)

Mikaela: Ruef, Ruefie, Michelle, Mik (Ruef has always been Ruef to me, not sure why. A few times I tried to call her Michelle just because it's similar to Mikaela, but she did not like that at all and even threatened me).

Joslyn: Jos, Jossy, shjaughlyn, J Tink, J Stink, Cankle, Tink (Joslyn has a lot of names for me, but I usually call her Shlaughlyn, and she calls be Shlejj. You kind of have to hear us say it to really understand. Again, I'm not really sure where this came from)

Chiney: C, Ch(IE)ney (Devan, our old strength coach started with C, probably because he didn't know how to pronounce her name at first, but it has stuck. C is easier and faster to say on the court, anyway.)

Toni: Tone, Tonitha, Antoinette, Marie, Toni the Tiger, El Tigre (Toni has been Ton, Tonitha, El Tigre, really anything to me. Once I called her Antoinette which then lead to Marie (Marie Antoinette). I'm not sure if she likes that one. But for Toni it's usually Tonitha)

Erica: E, Amber, E Payne, Urrica, Ianna, PG (I like to call her E and Ianna. Most of the team calls her E, but I think I'm the only one that calls her Ianna. Once again I'm not really sure where this came from. I also like to call her PG sometimes, short for point guard, because she is the point guard in my heart.....?.. Amber is in her list of names because for some reason Tara always calls her Amber by accident. Nobody really understands why, or where the connection between Erica and Amber came from.)

Taylor: Tay, Tay the May......or, Purple Valley, Taylor the Sailor (Taylor is Tay to everyone, but I like to call her Tay the May......or(with a pause between May and or) because at one point I was trying to find something that rhymed with her name and that was all I could come up with at the moment. Purple Valley also comes from Green Field, if you can put two and two together.)

Bonnie: Bon, Bonaldhino, Bonitha, BonBon, Dean, Bonathon (Bonnie is Bon to everyone. I call her Bon, Bonaldhino, and BonBon usually. No reason behind any of them.)

Amber: "AMBAAA", Am Bam, Bam (Amber is "AMBAAAAA"– you have to really hear us say it to understand. Not sure why this started)

Jasmine: Jas, Jazzy (I haven't yet created a super creative name for Jas, but I'm sure I will soon.)

Alex: Lex, "alexxxxxx" (Alex is "alexxxx" said with no enthusiasm whatsoever. I use this one because she is actually the most enthusiastic person I have ever met.......?)

Thanks for reading, Cardinal fans!
See you out on the court!

Sara, Sej, Sara James, Sejjie, Sedgwick, Bear......but mostly just Sej. ☺

Why Christmas with snow is the real Christmas

2011-12-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

Hey Cardinal fans,

The holiday season is upon us, and the team is extremely excited to go home to celebrate with their families. As you all know, our team is from all over the country: Illinois, California, Texas, and D.C. just to name a few. We constantly debate over which coast or area is the best, but there is no question as to which part of the U.S. really has the Christmas spirit. Therefore, I present you with the…

Top Ten Reasons Why Christmas With Snow Is The Real Christmas:

10) There is a huge difference between wearing Uggs and a fashionable scarf to face the 50 degree Christmas weather versus wearing water proof boots and extremely stylish puffy snow pants to trek through the holiday snow.

9) Decorative reindeer made out of lights don't look like deer without the presence of snow to set the scene.

8) Christmas lights look most appropriate wrapped around bare tree branches and shining through a thin layer of snow, not adorning palm trees.

7) One can only build a legitimate snowman out of actual snow. Building a “snowman” out of sand just does not count.

6) There is nothing like having a snow day to set the mood for the Christmas season. It just gives you more time to enjoy a long nap, drink some delicious coffee, and do some holiday tie-dying by the fire.

5) Nothing says “Welcome Home and Merry Christmas!” better than ridiculously long security lines and three hour flight delays at the airport due to snow.

4) Snow validates all the best Christmas songs. Here are a few of the many examples:

-“Dashing through the snow…” (“Jingle Bells”)

-“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…” (“White Christmas”)

-“In the lane, snow is glistening…walking in a winter wonderland…” (“Winter Wonderland”)

-“Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day, so he said, ‘Let’s run and we’ll have some fun now before I melt away…”’ (“Frosty the Snowman)

3) Nothing brings out your inner child more than the snowy Christmas season. There is no other time where catching snow flakes on your tongue or making snow angels for hours is 150% acceptable regardless of age.

2 )What would all the loving grandmothers and yiayias do if they did not need to knit mittens and hats to keep their little rascals warm?

1) Sibling disputes can only be truly settled with snow ball fights.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Go Card!

Toni

What's up with Alex

2011-12-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

What’s up Stanford fans! If you do not already know, I am injured again . During practice I was pushing off my left foot to pass the basketball when I felt something pop. I tried to walk, but when I did not feel any support, I just fell to my knees and rolled to my back. I was just surprised because it felt like someone stepped on my heel! Long story short, I tore my Achilles tendon. Although I was not initially in pain, it started to hurt as Susan Borchardt carried me in her arms to the training room (Haha she is SUPER strong).

Luckily the injury came right before Thanksgiving break so I did not miss any school. Unfortunately, I missed travelling with my team and having Thanksgiving dinner with them. I did, however, get to spend the whole week with my parents, whom I have missed since I have been at Stanford.

Of course I was disappointed at the time because I was just returning from another injury, but I have had time to think about the positive side of this injury. Tara reminds me almost every week about Nneka’s quote of the day “Every disappointment is a blessing.” I constantly think about this quote because it reminds me that I have so much to look forward to and that there is no reason for me to dwell upon my injury.

Now, I am going to physical therapy three times a week and lifting upper body weights during practice. Susan works me hard during practice, but I know that her workouts are exactly what I need if I want to return to the court healthy and strong. She is an inspiration because she suffered from two knee injuries and she made an awesome comeback. Also, she was a great defender- she still is, but I love playing defense and I believe that if there is anyone that can help me come back to the court playing tenacious D, it will be her.

Lastly, I want to express how GREAT my teammates are in supporting me through my injury. They are so much fun to be around and they are HILARIOUS!! The first day I got my golf cart, Chiney asked me for ride-haha I did not even have it for one day, but it is all good because her bike needed to be repaired. Also, my teammates have given me a lot of good advice about keeping a positive attitude and being the best cheerer on the sideline. Boothe talked to me about how it is important to stay mentally strong and to work hard during rehab. I know that I have the best teammates in the world and I am so lucky to be a member of this team.

** I want to give a shout-out to my J-RO corner support!! They helped me out in the dorm and at the dining halls!!

All right, talk to you later!

Alex

#Sisterhood

2011-12-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

I am so excited to write my second blog ever for the lovely fans of SWB! It feels great to be a sophomore! No more freshman bloopers. No more getting lost and calling Nneka. No more pesky pranks pulled by the upperclassmen. Life is good!

This is a really special year! Each day is a challenge and opportunity to become better, on and off the court. Our team is young, passionate, and energetic. One of the beautiful things about this year's squad is that everyday we learn a lot about ourselves. I am so proud of our six freshman! They have undergone one of the most "memorable" summers and have stepped up in all our games this year. Here is my personal take on each of my little sisters... Amber is a very quiet person but don't be confused, she can hit a mean dougie (dance)! Bonnie, also known as Bonaldine, can only be described in one word: quirky. Erica and Nneka share the exact same personality. Jasmine may be small but she carries some big bags diva-liciously. Taylor speaks only one language: sarcasm. And it is impossible to be mad at Alex, no matter how hard you try.

With so many freshmen, our team atmosphere is light and fun. We have let loose (as you can tell through our web series "The Real Ladies of Maples.") We are full of emotions. And we stamp every moment. So to keep you in the loop, I will fill you in on some of our hot catch phrases for the year:

#AYE - This is said anytime our team gets hyped. Anything from an and-one to a good grade on a test.
#Nerds - Said when we want to remind people that we are also STUDENT-athletes with a high dosage of swagger.
#Swag - The latest version of the word cool. (Usually accompanied with the cooking dance, which actually mimics cooking.)
#WeDoIt - We may or may not know what we are going to do, but as a team it will get done!
#Sisterhood - The best thing we have being a part of Stanford basketball.

We are pumped for another great year of Cardinal basketball! Glad you are joining us on the ride!

Until we meet again,
Chiney #13

The Freshmen Inside Scoop!

2011-11-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hey Cardinal Fans!!! Here I am for my first team blog. Today I’m going to be giving you guys the inside scoop on how my fellow freshmen and myself have experienced the start of the season.

The rest of the “Six Pack,” as apparently we have been dubbed, and I have been extremely excited for games to begin, and we’re so happy to finally get our first exhibition games under our belt. It was an amazing experience for us all, and I think we all had quite a bit of adrenaline running through our veins when we stepped out onto Maples court for the first time in our game uniforms. To tell the truth though, the coaches could not have prepared us any better because I felt completely at ease as we ran through our offenses and played our defense against UC San Diego and Vanguard. All of the practices and hard work over the summer had led us to this moment, and although I know there is a long way to go, I felt a great sense of pride and belonging as I put on my uniform and went to battle with my team. Then, this weekend was extremely exciting as we got 2 more wins against Texas and Gonzaga to really put our season off to a great start!

On another note, our upperclassmen are literally like our watchful and helpful parents. Nneka tends to call us the “babies” of the team, and they have all been so helpful and supportive as we continue to struggle through learning new things every day. I know this is a huge job for them and that they go out of their way to help us because we are quite a big class!! I am extremely grateful and appreciative to find myself on such a close team that is really more like a family.

Each of us freshman brings something special to the team, and it will be exciting to see how each of us grow and mature as the season goes on. I am so happy to get to spend time with my 5 fellow freshmen for the next 4 years.

Amber is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and when she and Alex get together, they can be quite the comedians! Fun fact: she has dimples!!

Now Alex may seem quiet at first, but don’t let her fool you! She is actually extremely outgoing and has a great sense of humor. Fun Fact: Her favorite singer is Alicia Keys.

Taylor also has a great sense of humor and is a big fan of Chris Farley. Fun Fact: She absolutely loves Yogurt Land. Jasmine is a ball of energy and loves listening to her music. Fun Fact: She loves to dance.

Erica is an awesome friend and is very generous to always let us hang out in her room. We call her room the “rendezvous point.” Fun Fact: She is a huge Harry Potter fan.

And lastly, I am constantly singing, even though I may not be able to carry a tune, and I am also a huge Harry Potter fan. Fun Fact: I love to quote random movie lines and SNL skits. Name that skit: “I gotta fever, and the only prescription…is more cowbell!!”

I hope you enjoyed my blog, and I hope you enjoy watching the “Six-Pack” grow and develop throughout the season.

Go Card!!!
Bonnie

Welcome Back!

2011-11-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Cardinal Fans!

The start of the 2011-2012 Stanford Basketball Season is upon us!! I hope everyone is as geared up and ready as we are! Like all years, our team has very high expectations for this season, but unlike past seasons we are going to have a little different style and flavor that I know you all will enjoy!

Our “Six Pack” of freshman are doing great! Each one of them has made huge strides since our first day together and it’s incredible how quickly they have adjusted to some of the major changes from high school to college. The rest of the team has been great leaders for them and everyone is truly doing their part.

It’s hard to believe it’s my senior year! Seems like a couple months ago I was a youngun’ still learning the system. Nneka, Grace, Sarah, and I are putting in extra work and time to make sure this year is one that we will never forget! We each have embraced our leadership roles and we know that it is up to us to set the tone for our team and the season.

Our first two exhibition games were really fun and it was awesome to see everyone get out there and get some experience. But now we are ready for the real deal! Our first weekend of games is not going to be an easy one. It will test the will and grit of our team and I am excited for that. I hope to see everyone at the games all season long cheering and screaming your heads off! We really appreciate your support and it is definitely a lot exciting to play in front of a rowdy crowd! Keep up all the good work you guys are doing and I will make sure that the team is doing the same!

See you in the gym! GO CARD!

Lindy La Rocque #15

Thanks from Kayla

2011-03-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Hey Cardinal Fans!

Hopefully you guys know a little bit about the team and coaches so I’m going to take this opportunity to recognize those in this program that don’t get the attention or recognition that they deserve.

First are our practice players. These guys come to practice everyday just to play defense for the majority of the time and they have to memorize all of our scouting reports. So thanks to Paul, Austin, Brian, Chris, Leo, Ben, Sam, and those that have played in the past. Also, a special shout-out goes to the two guys that I always go against, Greg and Ilan.

Next are our managers. They do all of the dirty work, literally. They record stats, line the court, run the clock, get us water, do the laundry, decorate our lockers, help with marketing, and most importantly they play the role of team mom. So thanks to Jen and the two managers that have been part of the team longer than most of our players have, Kerry and Dorothy.

More thanks go to: Marcella, Dr. Lambert, and Dr. Safran who keep us healthy and ready to go. Lauren and Sha’rae, the two coolest interns who do the video editing, stats, and filming of all of our practices. Sarah Boruta, the most efficient video coordinator and community service organizer I’ve seen. Devan, our strength and conditioning coach, who keeps the team going physically and mentally. This guy is the real deal and he always makes sure that we give it our all no matter what we feel like. Aaron, our media guy that makes sure we are represented well and does any necessary damage control. Bud, our video guy that makes all of the promos and commercials. DeeDee, who plans all of our trips and takes care of basically everything. She’s always been there for the team and we can call her when we need help with anything. Eileen, who does the scheduling and all of the big basketball operation tasks. Ish, Freddie, Kevin, and Jimmy who fill our stomachs with energy after ever practice and before every game. The Stehr family, who are my awesome scholarship donors that have been so supportive of me. And to those that have been part of this program for some time in my four years here, thanks!

And last but not least, I’d like to take this time to recognize YOU! Seriously, without your support and generosity, this team would be nowhere. All of our fans have stayed faithful to our team through all of the ups and downs. You were there when we lost back-to-back against the LA schools my freshman year and you were there cheering us on at the Final Four every year. So thank you. It truly means more than you know and you are appreciated more than ever. I’ll always remember walking off of the bus after losing in the championship game last year, trying to hold back tears not because we had lost, but because you had waited for us at our hotel to cheer us on. At that moment, you made the team feel loved and that our hard work was not put to waste because of the result of one night.

Alright, now that I’m done with all of that mushy stuff, it’s crunch time. March Madness is here and the seniors have one last shot to bring a championship back to the Bay. I guarantee that you have invested your support in a special team.

With love and gratitude,
Kayla 

Conspiracy against the Big Man or in this case the Big Woman

2011-03-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. For my blog this year I would like to discuss a serious issue that plagues women’s basketball. It is the issue of fouls.

In the game every team member gets 5 fouls. These are usually personal fouls (rather than technical or flagrant fouls). According to Wikipedia a personal foul is “a player’s contact foul with an opponent, whether the ball is live or dead. A player shall not hold, block, push, charge, trip or impede the progress of an opponent by extending his/her hand, arm, elbow, shoulder, hip, leg, knee or foot, nor by bending his/her body into an 'abnormal' position (outside his cylinder), nor shall he/she indulge in any rough or violent play.”

No ... enough with the information about what are fouls. My concern is who the fouls are being called on. I have developed a conspiracy theory over the years that referees have formed together to target the team's “bigs” or posts and call fouls on them. The “bigs” would usually be the team’s center. Ever since I began playing the beautiful sport of basketball, I have observed how refs usually are quick to call a foul on a “big” rather than a guard. I will admit that I am usually at the receiving end of those calls. And while some of those may be actual fouls, I think that it is all part of this conspiracy theory.

To support this theory I went on some of the other Pac 10 teams websites to see which players receive the most personal fouls. On our team Chiney leads the way with 66, I follow with 57, and Nneka comes next with 46 fouls. Note that we are all “bigs.” On UCLA Dixon, their “big”, leads the team with 72 fouls. On USC, LaPlante leads the team with 77 fouls. On Oregon State Greer has 86 and on Oregon Canepa has 68. I didn’t have time to get the stats on the rest of the teams in the Pac 10, but if I were to, I would guess that their bigs would be the ones leading their team in fouls. These stats offer interesting findings in support of my conspiracy theory that refs target “bigs” with fouls.

I would like to note that this blog is in no way meant to rag our Pac 10 refs — it is merely something that I have observed in my 10 or so years of playing basketball. And this conspiracy theory does not only pertain to women’s college basketball. It is a conspiracy at all levels in both men’s and women’s basketball.

Thank you for reading and for your support! Have a great day!
Sarah Boothe

The Team Behind the Team

2011-02-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll! 

I am so excited to do my first blog for all our Stanford supporters! So far, I have had a fabulous freshman experience. Every day, I wake up in awe of all the beauty of Stanford University, feeling so blessed to be a student-athlete at one of the best schools in the world. Being a part of the Stanford Women's Basketball Team has been a remarkable experience for me as well. Learning from Tara and sharing so many moments with the team has only made my love for the sport grow!

But behind all of our success is a group of people you may NOT be very familiar with. They come early. They stay late. They always make the extra pass. They execute. They defend. They always rock the Cardinal Red. THEY ARE OUR PRACTICE PLAYERS! This blog is dedicated to a fine group of men that sacrifice their personal time to help make us better. We love our practice players, and you will come to adore them too! This is the inside-scoop on The Team Behind the Team!

Meet Ilan Kolkowitz
Inner-Hooper: Steve Nash
Ilan is the steady foundation for this year's practice squad. When Ilan gets in the rhythm from long range, he can be deadly. He is very fundamental, and makes few mistakes. We love Ilan because he is dependable, always there when we need him.

Meet “Little” Greg Klausner
Inner-Hooper: Deron Williams
The Nickname Little Greg came from him being smaller than a previous practice player also named Greg. Don't be fooled by Greg's strong build. He has a quick first step and a powerful finish. We love Greg because he smiles even when we're struggling, keeping the positive energy.

Meet Leo Wilson
Inner-Hooper: Rajon Rondo
Leo is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. But when he steps on the court he heads a ferocious defense: the best on ball defender. And if you blink, he probably is already laying the ball up for 2 on the other end. We love Leo because he has a huge heart for us and the game.

Meet Paul Ockelmann
Inner-Hooper: Luis Scola
Paul is a versatile role player. Tell Paul where he needs to be and he is there. Paul is a crafty finisher around the rim and active on both ends of the court. We love Paul because he keeps things interesting.

Meet Chris Trader
Inner-Hooper: Paul Pierce
Chris is a solid wing with a lot of talent. Shake and bake to fade-a-way, he's got it all in his arsenal. If you fall asleep on Chris, he will make a fool out of you. We love Chris because his personality makes everything more fun.

Meet Brian Hollins
Inner-Hooper: Blake Griffin
Brian may be the new kid on the block, but his game has made a huge impression on our team. His athleticism is out of this world. He soars high for rebounds and sprints like a track-star. We love Brian because he is beautiful inside and out.

Meet the Austins: Austin Link and Austin Guzman
Inner-Hooper: Paul Gasol
The Austins are a dangerous post duo on the block. Their size and power make it easy to muscle their way in the paint and on the boards. You might think your shot is safe until you enter their “danger zone” a.k.a. anything within arms reach. We love our Austins because they never complain even when when the game gets rough.

Meet Sam “Lefty” Shapiro
Inner-Hooper: Manu Ginobli
Even though we have just gotten to know Sam, it doesn't take much time to realize he is a sharp-shooter from anywhere on the court. Once he let's the shot fly, its usually nothing but net. We love Sam because he's got a great shooter's mentality!

Meet Ben Halpern
Inner-Hooper: Kevin Love
Ben may be soft spoken, but his game is extra loud! As an undersized post, Ben uses a variety of ways to make scoring inside look effortless. We love Ben because he never gets down, always trying motivate us to work harder and get better.

So next time we play at Maples, make sure you give a pat on the back to our fabulous practice players! We love you guys!

Talk soon!
Chiney #13

What Hannah did on her summer vacation

2011-02-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

This past summer I had the opportunity to gain field research experience in the tropical dry forests of Mexico. It was an incredibly unique experience that allowed me to not only learn from local scientists and students but to expand my knowledge of the Mexican culture and language as well. The majority of my time was spent at the Chamela Biological Station doing research on tree growth and species interactions.

While staying at the station I met many students from all over Mexico working on various projects. On days off we would pile into one of the station’s cars and head straight to the beach. Playa Negritos was the name of the closest and it was absolutely breathtaking.

I was able to snorkel and practice my Spanish accent with some of my new friends. It’s really amazing how even with a language barrier you can still really get to know and care about people. Of course there’s bound to be a lot of funny things said when you aren’t fluent in a language. Many times I would find myself laughing until my eyes started watering at a joke I misunderstood or just took in a totally ridiculous way. I was surprised at how open and willing to help everyone I met at the station was, despite my terrible accent (which is a little better now).

I spent on average about 8-9 hours a day working. The majority was out in the field hiking to different tree plots, documenting new growth as well as performing leaf counts and other herbivory measures. I also helped plant new seedling plots for further study as well as take images of the current canopy cover in existing plots. There are several trails that lead through the forests of Chamela. We would use them to find flagged trees and measure growth.

The main species interaction I looked at was how ants defend trees against herbivory from insects like caterpillars. One of the most interesting things we did was to stage ant versus caterpillar fights. We would place a caterpillar on a leaf and see how long it took before the ants attacking would cause the caterpillar to stop eating and fall off the leaf. This was one of the ways we measured ant aggressiveness. The general idea is the tree provides shelter for the ants while the ants in turn defend the leaves from herbivory allowing increased tree growth.

After a long day spent in the field, I would often run through trails to get a little conditioning in. My favorite days were when it would rain. There were some amazing storms that shook our rooms and lit the sky with flashes of lightning. The rain was always a nice break from the usual hot days and nights. One memorable night in particular a bunch of us students watched a movie (in Spanish of course) in the library and by the time we made it back to our rooms we were completely drenched from head to toe.

The awesome thing is that after a big rain, the forest almost blooms overnight with new leaves. The best view was from climbing to the top of the water tower and looking out. On a clear day you could see the ocean and by the time I was headed home all you could see was green for miles and miles.

The big picture take away of this experience for me was in conservation. Intricate species interactions are only possible for the most part in intact regions of the forest. In Mexico, these forests are in constant danger of being developed, especially due to their proximity to beaches. I don’t think the tropical dry forest is an ecosystem I will continue to study, but I will definitely take away lessons in research methods and analysis. The work I did was exhausting at times, but overall it was an experience that I will never forget.

Stanford Basketball gets glamorous, lazy, and studious!

2011-01-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

What’s up ya’ll??

I’m back again with my annual team blog tidbit! I am sure you all will be very upset to hear that, no I will not talk about my wonderful home state of Montana this year… but don’t worry!!… I think you will be happy to hear about what it is that makes us the beautiful women we are OFF the court. Yes, we love being recognized as the great Stanford Ballers, but that doesn’t consume our entire lives…well for the most part.☺

So what I’m getting at is what it is we do on that oh so special and wonderful DAY OFF!!!

This day I speak of is probably the most cherished and valued day of the week for our team, other than the days of a big game of course! But because all of us work extremely hard each day, whether it is at practice or in the classroom, we look forward to that one-day to catch up in our lives and also take full advantage of that precious time we normally don’t see everyday.

A typical day off varies for different people, so I will talk about those different spent days and what makes each of us unique.

First, I will start with yours truly, and how I love to spend my day off. Unfortunately I don’t ever get to sleep in because of class (unless it is Sunday), so I start off my day by…CLEANING! My mother is so proud of me that it finally took me moving away on my own to figure out the importance of cleaning and organizing! I tend to be a neat freak, so a clean and good smelling room is what does it for me!

Now after I feel organized and ready for the day, I like to pamper myself a little bit. In this “pampered” or “glamorizing” group, you would find Jeanette, Grace, Kerry the manager, sometimes Lu Lu and myself, either getting our nails done, laying out and working on the tan, or if you are like Kerry and me, you would totally be at the movies seeing what the new hot flicks are. As for the shoppers on the team, you can find Nneka and Chiney aka sista sista heading out on the town to find some cute new outfits.

Although, the day goes by way too fast, fun and games isn’t everything. There is the part where we need to tend to our studies and academics, because well…we go to Stanford! Everyone is very intelligent in their own way, but some are very serious about their work and love to spend that great day off by catching up with school or working problem sets etc. I always see Boothe running in and out of labs, hear about Kayla acing every test she takes, or constantly talk to Hannah about what Earth Systems test or homework she needs to do.

The “chill” group I’d like to call them, would be those of us who simply like to hang out and enjoy their free time either by themselves or with others passing the time by catching up on all their missed TV shows of the previous week. The laid back “cool” people in this group would be Ashley C, Mikaela Ruef, Sara James, Mel and Toni. Hardly do I ever see these wonderful gals on our day off because they like to do their own thing, which is great!

Now you know a little bit more about what we do off the basketball court, and how some of us spend those wonderful 24 hours of freedom. Please don’t get me wrong, each and every one of us loves what we do, and that is to play the sport we enjoy playing in front of all you great people. We love being around each other all the time and working hard every day for one another. All I am saying is… Who doesn’t love a day off to relax and enjoy a break from our busy lives?

Thanks for all your support and take care!
Joslyn

Tara talks about streaks

2011-01-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

It was easy for me to decide what to write about – STREAKS! It seems that on every sports broadcast or newspaper article over the past couple of months there has been a reference to some streak. We had the Brett Favre streak, the Penn State women’s volleyball streak and the one we all watched with intense interest — the UConn women’s basketball streak that set the NCAA basketball record.

As the UConn women’s team got closer to setting the NCAA record, just mentioning the streak wasn’t enough. The streak had to be analyzed and compared to other streaks. Was the UConn basketball streak as good as the UCLA men’s? All of this chatter by the media got me thinking about my thoughts on streaks.

Streaks get so much attention because they are extraordinary. I am so impressed with these streaks because in order to have continued excellence an individual or team has to be consistent. This is one of life’s biggest challenges. To be able to “bring it” every day it takes incredible discipline and focus.

As a basketball coach I am in awe and applaud the 90-game UConn win streak. People have asked me if the streak was good for women’s basketball and I say, “Yes.”

Our game was sold out with scalpers. The energy in Maples Pavilion was electric. The crowd was loud and very enthusiastic. Many people were there to watch women’s basketball for the first time. People since have stopped me in the grocery store, walking my dog or in hotels and airports to tell me how much they enjoyed being there or watching on TV that night.

The attention that it brought to the women’s game was great! The television ratings were the highest of any regular season women’s basketball game. Each local news affiliates ran highlights as the lead story, as did ESPN. A women’s basketball score was shown on CNN!

Right after the game I had 67 text messages and over 300 emails. The fun thing for me was hearing from so many former players, friends and basketball fans! One email was from Bob Lewis, a retired coach who coached the boys at Milne HS in Albany, NY. This was where I went to school 7-10th grade. Since there were not teams for girls, I was the boys' team mascot for a short time (I got fired for watching the games instead of leading cheers). In my freshman yearbook Coach Lewis wrote “to the best basketball player in the 9th grade – boy or girl”. I have never forgotten that. I wrote back to Coach Lewis – “look how far women’s basketball has come!”

We are so fortunate to be part of an exciting time in women’s basketball. We each have an opportunity to be part of a streak! The streak I want to keep alive is that each day I go to the gym for practice or games positive, prepared, enthusiastic and appreciative. I want our team and staff to know how special they are and how much I enjoy working with them. Each day I want to keep the streak going and if for some reason the streak is broken I redouble my efforts the next day and start a new one!

The Power of the Pony

2011-01-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hello Cardinal Fans,

Today, my blog is going to be about my recent change in game-day hairstyle that many of you have been inquiring about. As you probably know, the last two seasons I sported the “messy bun” on most all game days. The bun was kind of my trademark since high school and I would spend plenty of time before games making sure it would look perfect. Then of course, during games it often came loose and would flop around while I ran the court and my little baby hairs around my face would curl up and go crazy. My messy bun was great! It’s all I ever really knew, it was like my security blanket and it never failed me.

At the beginning of every summer I normally get a haircut and take off a lot of length in my hair so it’s cooler and lighter for the summer. However, this summer I had a change of heart and decided to grow my hair out instead. Although it can sometimes be a pain to brush and the fact that I use so much more shampoo and conditioner isn’t great, I truly came to really love my long hair. Besides going to school and playing basketball, I also really enjoy doing activities that give back to the community. So in light of my hair growing long, at the beginning of this school year I decided that after basketball season I am going to cut my hair and donate it to Locks of Love.

Now with all that being said, it brings me to my new game-day hairstyle — The Pony!

Once my hair got past a certain length this past summer, it was very clear to me that it did not like being tied up in a messy bun, mainly for the fact that I would need like 5 hair ties and sometimes that wouldn’t even work. Consequently, I was forced to go outside my comfort zone and wear a regular pony. At first, I was very nervous. I was so used to seeing my messy bun that I thought a regular pony looked funny on me. Since there was nothing else I could really do, the pony inevitably grew on me.

Now, a couple months later, my pony is my new best friend and I love it. It also doesn’t hurt that I have gotten some really good feedback from family and friends saying that it’s pretty and it makes me look faster and more agile. Hopefully you all think so too! Coach has yet to say the latter, but I like to think that she agrees. ☺

Anyway, the pony is here to stay!!

Go Card! -LuLu

Mel's final blog

2011-01-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

If you read my blog last year you probably thought it would be my last one. Well here’s some news for you: I thought so too. But this year there is no mistaking it, this is my fifth and FINAL year.

One thing I’ve learned throughout the years is that Stanford fans are probably some of the best fans ever. Through thick and thin, Stanford fans always have your back, and are some of the only fans that ACTUALLY care about the players. So here I am, an injured fifth year senior, and many of you have still shown that you care about me. Even more of you have asked about my plans aside from basketball and what I would like to do after I get my Stanford degree. To be completely honest, I have no idea what the future has in store for me (I guess nobody does) but I can let you in on what I’ve been doing lately.

As many of you already know, Candice Wiggins came back to the farm this past fall to finish up her degree. In this time I became Candice’s manager.

So what does this really mean?

If you have had the pleasure to meet Candice in person, you have most likely come to the realization that Candice truly has “something special”; something that has the power to transcend the world of basketball.

My job is to showcase that “something special” to the world. To do this, I have worked on a number of projects. She has gotten the opportunity to write for SlamOnline, and we have also put together a website. The website compiles all of her social media, gives you “behind the scenes” videos, and even allows you to chat with her live! The catalyst behind the site is Candice’s desire to allow her fans to get as close to her as possible without actually being there; to take a step into her world so to speak, thus creating cwigginsworld.com.

Although digital technology has come a long way, it can only take us so far. That is why I am most proud of our latest project, “The Candice Wiggins Overseas Experience – Spain 2011”.

Why does this make me so excited? It’s simple really. Think about the Stanford players we have grown to know and love, such as Brooke Smith, Kristen Newlin, and Jillian Harmon. After their time at Stanford, they all became lost at sea, so to speak, never to be heard from again.

Candice recognized this, and so she wants to give fans the opportunity to come with her. She wants to allow them to experience not only the beauty of Spain, but the beauty of Spain with an insider look into what playing professionally overseas is really like. We have worked extremely hard to put together a trip that is the first of its kind and the only one like it; a trip that brings the fans closer than ever, giving them the opportunity to travel and learn with Candice Wiggins. (travelwithcandice.wordpress.com)

Toni's New Year Resolutions

2011-01-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

It’s coming to the end of another magnificent holiday season. After successfully convincing my family that they should not come to California for Christmas, I was able to spend a few fabulous days in sweet home Chicago. Nothing gets you in the Christmas spirit more than the cold Chicago air and the black ice. A white Christmas is very necessary in my mind. Otherwise Christmas just would not be the same. After getting a fill of delicious home-cooked meals and family bonding time, Christmas was a huge success. Everyone will be glad to know that my wardrobe of tie dye and peace sign clothing has yet again increased!

After the joyous Christmas season, it was time for New Years! And honestly what better way to ring in the new year than by beating UConn!!!! I’d definitely like to send a thank you to our absolutely amazing fans who brought Maples to life for the game!

Anyway, the real highlight of New Years is making those life transforming resolutions, which we all know are fulfilled 100% of the time...so I wish you the best of luck with your goals for 2011!

Here are a few of mine...

6) Skype with my siblings more
5) Go green-er: separate recyclables in dorm room
4) Talk louder: practice diaphragm exercises in mirror nightly before going to bed to help project voice
3) Expand Stanford basketball wardrobe for the new year—I’m thinking tie dye issued team apparel is in order
2) Always have hands active. ALWAYS. Practice in all aspects of life—eat finger food, use sign language, wave obnoxiously at random people.
1) Never ever ever turn the ball over—this is extremely important to the health of our team...Tara is allergic to turnovers

Special shout out to Coach Tara VanDerveer. Congratulations on your 800th win!

See you in the stands!

Toni

Grace absolutely loves Christmas

2010-12-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

Well, It’s the most wonderful time of the year (at least until March Madness)!!!!

I am writing to you all with finals FINALLY behind us! We are so excited for our upcoming road trip first to Chicago and then down to Knoxville. Our team seems to really enjoy the holiday season (how could you not?!) so I thought I would talk a little bit about what we have been up to since the holiday season began…

I absolutely love Christmas. I love Christmas movies, music, books, and even, clothing. Since I was young Christmas has easily been my favorite time of year and I always look forward to it greatly. I think a lot of my teammates share in this love for Christmas. However, the difference between my love and theirs is “the Mashore family Christmas rule”. “Papa Mashore” or “papa mash” as some of our team (especially Mel) jokingly call my father, has had a rule in our family that we are not allowed to listen to Christmas songs, watch Christmas movies, or buy Christmas gifts until AFTER Thanksgiving. He is an equal opportunity holiday celebrator. I have carried this tradition along with me to the Farm and obnoxiously (to the team’s dismay) refused to partake in anything Christmas oriented until after Thanksgiving. I must admit I was getting anxious to partake in the Christmas cheer so I was very excited when Thanksgiving came! On Thanksgiving day we had a great practice and then a great meal with the team at Jimmy Vs. Having Thanksgiving dinner as a team is nice because we get to collectively take a moment and step outside ourselves a bit and think about the things in life we are truly so fortunate to have and are grateful for.

In that same vein, recently we have been able to be apart of some pretty cool things within our local community. Last Saturday we helped serve and prepare a meal for homeless at St. Anthony’s Church. Our team had a great time, we split up our time in small groups doing different tasks in terms of preparing the meal and then we helped serve and accommodate the guests. I met some really great people, some of whom said they were big fans of our team (bonus points!). In addition, a small group of us went to Children’s hospital here at Stanford and spent a couple hours volunteering and playing with the kids in the hospital. I think both of those experiences were fun, and eye opening and I know as a team we look forward to many more opportunities like the ones we’ve had recently to really interact with the community and make small differences wherever we can.

Regardless of what you celebrate, I hope you all have a great holiday season, and you get to watch some GREAT basketball!!!

Go Card!

Grace

Why 3 really is the magic number…

2010-11-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have decided to write my blog this year about my favorite number in the entire world. I hope that by explaining why I love the number so much, I will help you understand my infatuation with the number 3, and hopefully find a small place in your heart for my favorite number.

It all started when I was in 2nd grade after I made the 3rd grade select basketball team. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. Now back in the day, we didn’t buy brand new jerseys every year, instead we picked out jerseys that were our size, and then we returned them at the end of the year to be reused. At the time, since my birthday is October 20th, my favorite number was 20, so naturally I wanted to be 20 and I fully intended on getting the #20 jersey. When it was my turn to choose I saw the #20 jersey but it had some rips in it, and the seams were coming undone from use over the years. The rips in the jersey were miniscule and nothing my mom couldn’t sew up very quick, but I didn’t want a beat up old jersey to play in on my very first select basketball team, so on a whim I opted for a much newer looking jersey without any rips or flaws. It just so happened that this jersey was the #3 jersey. Little did I know at the time, but that was the beginning of my obsession with 3. After that day I started seeing signs in my life that made feel fall deeper and deeper in love with the number.

The first thing I remember was watching schoolhouse rock in school. We watched the one about numbers, and when they got to 3, they sang a song called “3 is the magic number”. Now I listen to the song on repeat on my ipod and think about everything that has to do with this magic number. I feel it’s best just to list everything that I have thought about after years of listening to the song. These are random things I think about and yes; I know I am a huge weirdo (Notice: I’ve made a list of 12 which of course is 3 multiplied by 4).

We live in a 3D world
It take 3 points to make a plane (in geometry)
There are 3 vague time periods that people refer to (past, present, future)
In fairy tales characters always get 3 wishes
There are lots of religious things that have to do with the number including but not limited to the holy trinity, and the fact that Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days.
It takes 3 legs to make a table stand.
2 is just a couple, but 3 is something completely different, 3 is a few.
3 people make a family (a mom, a dad, and a baby).
The 3rd time is the charm.
You get 3 strikes before you’re out (and 3 outs per inning)
There are 3 children in my family
And last but certainly not least, our preseason ranking this year was 3

My teammates may call me weird for doing things in 3’s. They think it’s crazy that I count out the food I eat into groups of 3. They call me obsessive compulsive when I have to get up from the table to get another strawberry after someone eats one and throws off my numbers. They get annoyed when I insist on taking the 3rd seat (or a multiple of 3) when choosing a place to sit anywhere we go. They laugh at me when they see me park my bike in the 3rd spot of any bike rack I come across. They mock me when they hear me rationalize any of the stupid things I do because it involves #3.

I’m not obsessed with it, and I don’t have to do things in 3’s, I choose to. The number is a part of me, which is why I have chosen to wear #3 throughout my entire basketball career. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that our preseason ranking is 3; it’s a sign that this is our year to win Stanford's 3rd national championship.

MIkaela

What Sara has learned at Stanford

2010-11-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast these months have gone! I feel like it was just yesterday I was supposed to be signing that NLI (National Letter of Intent). From Toni and I going to Stanford camp before both our Junior and Senior years, to summer school, to moving in to dorms, to preseason, to now our first real game!

This is what we have been waiting for! But still, through all the stressful times trying to get to class or trying to keep up with practice at the beginning of the year, I am still in awe of this amazing place. I felt like I was in a dream running out on the court for the first time in the Vanguard game. Every step will be new experience for us freshman, but we are enjoying every minute of it. As Tara said to the three of us before the first game, "Never let the excitement of putting on that Stanford jersey go away."

These past few months at Stanford have been great, despite the many bike incidents I have had. Having the whole summer here to bond and play with the team was a huge key to our development as freshman.

But here are a few things I have learned so far:

Don't lock only the wheel of your bike to the bike rack. You will come out of class with only a wheel.

Jimmy V's is delicious.

Keep an eye on your phone at all times. Do not expect people to return it.

While riding your bike through intersections on campus, do not turn your head one direction for a long period of time. Someone is most likely coming from the other direction.

Receiving mail has the power to make your day twice as good.

Jimmy V's is delicious.

Brunch in the dorms on the weekends is tasty as well.

The Stanford Band is crazy, but awesome.

And, our fans are the best!

See you at the games!
Sara

Lauren looks GOOD in RED

2010-11-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

From Running Sprints to Timing Sprints
My Transition from Playing to Coaching

Wow, has my life has changed in the last five months. I went from playing my final collegiate basketball game at that school across the Bay (that would be Cal) to beginning my coaching internship at the very team that used to give us match-up nightmares!

Coaching has always been a career path that I envisioned for myself. I am passionate about basketball and love being part of a university. I have always played the game as if I were coaching – knowing how many fouls we have to give, who their worst free throw shooter is if we have to foul, etc – and I have a lot of ideas about game strategy and options. So why not coach and share my ideas with players who have to listen!!! (Just joking.)

So, as my final months of college passed by, I started looking for opportunities that would move me toward coaching. When Coach Tara offered me the opportunity to be part of the Cardinal team I was thrilled but I have to admit I also was a little nervous. Not only is she an amazing coach with national and world titles and a winning percentage to die for, but I would be jumping across the Bay to my “rival” school. I am proud to have graduated from Berkeley, had some amazing times playing there, and really appreciated the fan support. While I didn’t want to appear disloyal, I realized how amazing an opportunity it would be to learn from Tara and the whole coaching staff here. So, I started planning my move to Stanford.

And I couldn’t be happier with my decision – I am truly enjoying my time on the farm and learning a lot! Each of the coaches, players, and the fans that I have met so far has welcomed me into the Cardinal community with open arms, and that has been great. I have taken on many projects from working with Kate on recruiting mail-outs, to drawing up plays with Bobbie, to discussing coaching philosophies with Amy, to diagramming every LA Lakers' play with Tara. I have also learned more about computers, video, and all the 10,000 possible cords that might accompany each item from Miss Technology Sarah Boruta.

So, while it has been only two months since I officially moved to Palo Alto, it certainly feels like home – just with much better weather (from across the Bay and from home in Oregon). I have settled into a routine at the office and at my apartment, which I share with two Stanford graduate students. I even got them to come to our first exhibition game against Vanguard, which was their first women’s basketball game ever! And speaking of games, I can’t wait for the regular season to start and games to get tough. And while it is still hard for me to be watching our women play instead of playing myself, I have noticed, not surprisingly, that it has been quite easy for me to leave behind conditioning workouts and all those sprints!! Thank goodness that is over!

And for everyone wondering how it feels to be wearing red, I will just say that the high school I attended in Portland, Oregon was the Lincoln Cardinals (the bird) and our colors were red and white – so really I am just going back to my roots and getting another chance to wear all the red that was hiding in my closet for the last 4 years. And let’s be honest, I look GOOD in RED!

Lauren Greif

So eager to start!

2010-11-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hi Cardinal Fans!

I hope you all had a great summer and are excited for the season to start!! I spent my summer back home in Maine, which was awesome. I rarely get to go home during the school year, so I try and take advantage of my time during the summer and spend as much time at home as possible. And summer in Maine is BEAUTIFUL! I always love spending time with my mom, and we took my sister down to school in Connecticut (don’t worry, not UConn. She’s a freshman at Connecticut College. Go Camels!). I also got the opportunity to practice with my brother’s high school basketball team for a few weeks, which was really fun. It was fun to be able to play with him, and it was also a great way to get ready for the season.

We are one week away from our first exhibition game, and the entire team can’t wait to get back on the court and play against another team instead of each other like we have been doing during the past few weeks of practice. All of us worked incredibly hard during the offseason, and practices started earlier this year, which gave us all a chance to get on the court earlier and get familiar with our plays and get our freshman up to speed. Chiney, Sara, and Toni have been doing a great job these past few weeks. They have really blended well with the returners, and they all bring something a little different to the team. I am so eager for our games to start, and start moving towards our goal of winning a National Championship. There would be no better way to end my senior year ☺ See you all in the stands!

Go Card!
Ashley

Tournament Time

2010-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ah, the smell of March Madness. This time of year reminds me of watching the games with my dad when I was little and hearing the screams of my brother from upstairs when the buzzer beater would fall to create a huge upset game. It is crazy to think that some other little girl is now watching our team in the tournament with her dad, wishing that someday that could be her on the court fighting for a national championship.

Our team has come so far this year. We have dealt with injuries, battles on the court and a hard schedule. In my eyes though, we have thrived in this madness. We have never backed down from a challenge. This became really apparent to me when we came back from Christmas break after playing the team that shall not be named, and went into a slump for about a month. Our team was faced with the chance to either continue on that downward slump or rise up above it and start to build our energy towards the tournament. We clearly chose the latter. Our team changed our energy, and changed our focus to Stanford Basketball. What we can do, and what we can accomplish rather than the other team. To me, we are peaking at just the right time with this new energy and focus: Tournament Time.

The last part of the season is when the team is the closest in all aspects. Everyone is fighting for one more game, one more practice, and yes one more bike workout. It is scary to think that every game we play now may be the last time the 2009-2010 team puts on a Stanford jersey and all that it represents before the game. That thought only encourages us more to get on the floor, be scrappy, do whatever it takes to advance. Because just as I was told when I was a little girl watching on TV, as I am now a woman playing on the TV, you must SURVIVE TO ADVANCE.

Jayne

March Madness!!

2010-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Card Nation,

It is that time in the year…March Madness!! Since I was young, my family and friends have had an avid interest in all the exciting games and teams that emerge during this month. In middle school and high school my eyes stayed glued to the TV listening to analysts, looking at brackets and watching all the madness unfold. Last year our team was able to partake in all of the fun, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. While last year’s team was special and unique and we had a great season, the feeling this year is a little different.

This year, as most of you know, we were fortunate to start our season earlier then usual with a wonderful trip to Italy. Once back on campus we already felt bonded and ready for a great season, the addition of our two freshmen just made our team that much better. Through grueling pre season workouts, tedious practices, lengthy road trips, and extreme dedication and commitment our team knows we’re ready for all of the challenges ahead in March. This team does everything with and for each other, and we believe deeply in one another. We’re all so excited for what lies ahead and we know with all your great support, one day at a time, we can continue working hard to reach our goals.

See you in the stands, let’s go Card!!

Grace

The Sandra Bullock of Stanford women's basketball

2010-03-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Great teams (aka. Stanford) are teams with great role players. Some of those role players have the job of going into the games and scoring the big points, grabbing the big rebounds, or stopping the top player on the other team. Other role players may just need to make that extra pass, get that single steal, or just give another player a quick breather.

This year, however, my role does not include any of these. My role, I would like to say, is comparable to that of an actress. I would like to think of myself as the Sandra Bullock of the Stanford women’s basketball team.

Like Sandra Bullock, I must take on a variety of roles. I must “act” like a member of the opposing team. For instance, when we played and beat Tennessee I had to take on the role of Kelly Cain. The week preceding the game, I was given my script (scouting report) in which I then had to learn my lines (Kelly Cain’s post moves and Tennessee’s offense). Then during practice (rehearsal) I had to execute the script.

Like Sandra Bullock, some roles are easier to execute than others, some are more convincing than others, and in some I must take on the role of two people at one time. For example, in preparation for the Oregon game, I took on the role of both Nicole Canepa and Victoria Kenyon. In the post I was Canepa, but on the perimeter I was Kenyon.

Hopefully all these performances will earn the team an Academy Award or, in basketball terms, a National Championship.

Sarah

What makes Mel ... Mel

2010-03-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

In my past three Stanford blogs I have done a great job at making them extremely ME oriented. I have taken you wonderful fans on a journey of my life that consisted of not only words, but video too. In my final entry I would like to take you behind the scenes and show you what makes Mel…well, Mel. In this entry I can’t think of anyone or anything that makes me more of who I am than my parents.

For all of you who were at senior day for our final home game and was able to meet my mother, may have picked up on the fact that we talk exactly alike. I honestly was not aware of this fact until afterwards when my teammates told me that if they closed their eyes it sounded like me telling a story about myself. My mom has always been there for me. I can remember her teaching me to ride a bike when I was four-years-old and comforting me when I thought the adults in the park were laughing at me and not with me. She also taught me how to dribble a basketball in our very own kitchen (something I later learned most mothers wouldn’t allow) and would constantly play me one on one in the backyard.

Speaking of the backyard, the backyard was a place where my dad would rebound hundreds and thousands of lay-ups. He taught me to hit the top of the square, the correct footwork, and made me use my left hand on the left side. I learned to love the lay-up and I truly believe that because of my dad I am the driving point guard that I am today. I didn’t start off as a point guard though. Although I despise post players, in my beginning years I enjoyed blocking shots at the center position. Thankfully my dad got me to give up that position, informing me that great players wanted the ball and where I really wanted to be was at the point guard spot. Thank the lord for that; Stanford would really struggle if they had me as their 5’8 center hahaha.

Although basketball grew to be a large part of my life, my parents always supported me in anything that I wanted to try. And believe me I tried everything. I did tae-kwon-do, soccer, ballet, runway modeling, singing, swim lessons, gymnastics, tap dancing, fishing, I pretty much wanted to try anything that looked cool on TV. I was also interested in money at a very young age so my dad took me to an investment seminar that lasted for hours but it was something that I truly enjoyed.

All in all I want to thank both of my parents Rochelle and Joseph Murphy (my mom would kill me if I didn’t mention them by name haha) for doing all that they possibly could to make me the person I am today. I am extremely grateful. I would also like to give my sister a special shout out for always being someone who could relate to me on a kid level. Thanks for sparring with me even though you never took tae-kwon-do, thanks for playing me one on one in our mini hoop in the kitchen.

P.S. another thanks to the TV personalities in which I get my sense of humor as well as other personalities

- Jerry Seinfeld, George Costanza, Elaine Benes, Cosmo Kramer, Doug Heffernan, TJ Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli, Francis “the Hustler kid”, Bart Simpson, Brain – from Pinky and the Brain, Katt Williams, Stewey Griffin …..if I forgot anybody I’m sorry.

THANK YOU EVERYONE !!!!!!!!

What everybody does on bus rides

2010-02-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

When I was in the beginning stages of this blog entry, I was having a lot of trouble figuring out what to write about. In my writer’s block, I looked around the bus (we were headed to Pullman from Spokane), desperate to find someone to give me a good idea.

From my spot on the left side, third row from the back of the bus, I have Jayne and Jeanette to my right, Mel and Kayla behind me, Hannah immediately in front, and Ros diagonal.

I glance into the front seat and Hannah rocking out to Jack Johnson (or love songs that make her think of me, so she says…), attentively reading “Sustainable Fossil Fuels,” a book for her Earth Systems 101 class. I tap her on the shoulder and pose my question. Her response? “Figure out what each person’s animal spirit is and write about that!” Thanks, Hannah, but I think I’ll leave that one for you.

I look diagonally at Ros. She appears to be napping, but her music is deafening, telling everyone in a 5-foot radius what she is listening to. If you ever forget your headphones, just sit near Ros and hope that she is listening to something you want to listen to. Every once in a while she will peek around, looking for someone to give her attention. I give her a wink and go back to my blog.

Continuing with the trend, I keep looking to the front of the bus for someone to give me an idea. Grace, as always, is on her phone, “listening to music,” so she claims. She could be lip-syncing to some song, or quietly talking on the phone, and you would never know the difference. In case it’s the latter, I keep up with my search.

The next few rows prove futile, as Ashley, Lindy, Nneka, Michelle and Boothe all appear to be either sleeping or deep in thought, gazing at the beautiful foothills of Spokane/Pullman (clearly that was a joke).

The freshmen are being freshmen, skyping with each other as they sit across the row. Every once in a while we get a bus with wireless internet, and thanks to the wonders of built-in video chatting capabilities (didn’t have that when I was their age!), they are having some conversation that they could easily have if they just turn their heads 90 degrees.

The staff and coaches are at the front of the bus (they clearly never got the memo that the cool kids sit in the back!) They are watching video, trying to pick up on any last-minute details they haven’t caught in the previous 27 viewings of the same video. Hand it to them though, we are always very, VERY prepared for each team that we play.

I feel a little nervous asking Amy for a blog topic, as she would probably tell me that I should have written it two weeks in advance, instead of the day it was due. “Better to be 10 minutes early than 1 minute late!"

Devan would probably just suggest something about researching new weight lifting techniques. That man is always reading about the newest anything related to strength and conditioning. It makes it a little tough to challenge him, as he can just show you some paper by the top expert and say, “Do it, ya jackal!”

I suddenly realize that I didn’t even ask the people immediately next to me. Mel and Kayla are either napping or listening to music, or multitasking and doing both, so I look over at Jayne and Jeanette. Both have their headphones in, with Jeanette sprawled out taking a power nap and Jayne on her computer, pink nails rapidly typing on the keyboard.

“Jayne!” I yell at her over the music coming from her iPod. She takes out her ear bud, annoyed, giving me her half-divided attention. More than likely she was listening to The Ting Tings “That’s Not My Name,” because in the song it says her name, and she’ll respond, “that is my name!”. I ask her for her opinion on what to write my blog entry on. “Why don’t you just write about what everybody does on bus rides?” Great idea!

JJ

What does it mean to put on the Stanford uniform?

2010-02-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

The answer to this question rang loud and clear this past weekend as the Stanford women’s basketball program celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the 1990 National Championship team; the program’s first in Stanford’s history.

Of course all of us current players have given thought to this question, understanding that high expectations are the norm when it comes to being a member of this team. But sometimes it seems we become complacent to the persona that is exemplified when we wear this particular jersey. It goes beyond the name, the records, and the trophies--it embodies a dream, and we were fortunate enough to share that with the players and staff that turned that dream into a reality.

This past Saturday evening, a special banquet was organized to commemorate the players and staff of the 1990 championship team and the success they achieved. It was a joy to listen to the memories these players had shared together such as running the infamous 2 mile test, crashing their bikes while riding around campus, and uttering a few laughs over the “in” hairstyles of the time. It was a humbling experience to more fully realize that these players, who many of us have idolized while growing up, were just like us.

However, during that time, the name on the jersey wasn’t quite the bulls-eye that it is for us today; but it didn’t take long for that to change. “I want you to see my vision…..we will have sell out crowds in Maples, and win the National Championship by your senior year.” These were the words coach Tara expressed to then freshman guard Jennifer Azzi, and just like that, the dream was born.

Taking hard work, sportsmanship, and excellence to a whole new level, this group of young women brought to life the dream of becoming a champion, and set the standard for what it meant to “put on” the Stanford uniform. It started as a dream, and as the success accumulated, it grew into an expectation—one that has produced not only championship players, but championship people.

We now wear the Stanford uniform with pride and dignity as we strive to follow those who set the tone before us. Getting to wear the Stanford name on my jersey day in, and day out, has been a tremendous blessing. But even more than that, it has been a dream come true.

GO CARD!!!
Michelle

The Greatest Athlete

2010-02-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

In honor of Roger Federer’s 16th major title at the Australian Open, I’ve decided to write my blog on why he is indubitably the greatest tennis player and even greatest athlete to have ever walked the Earth.

Proving that Roger is the greatest tennis player ever is a rather easy task. His stats are indisputable. He’s won 16 major titles, more than any man to ever play the game, and he still has a few more in him. He has completed the career grand slam (won all four majors throughout his career). He’s been ranked #1 in the world the most consecutive weeks, and the most total weeks. He’s been to 23 straight major semifinals, which is the longest streak by far. He has completely dominated the game of tennis for the past 5 years running. I know people might think there are certain tennis legends that were better than Roger in their day, but this statement is heinous. Rod Laver is a man who won 11 majors, back-to-back grand slams, and could have won more majors but he decided to turn pro and could no longer compete in the majors (the rules have since changed and pros play in the majors). Rod Laver was a formidable tennis player but the reason he wasn’t the best was because he didn’t have the same competition as Roger. In Laver’s day the good tennis players turned pro and didn’t compete with amateurs in the majors, so it was easy for Laver to dominate players with a lower caliber of talent. I’d be willing to bet that if pros were allowed to compete in the majors back in Laver’s day, there’s no way he would have won 2 consecutive grand slams, because he would have played much better competition. This unequivocally proves that Roger is better than Laver. Another argument for best tennis player ever is Pete Sampras, and I think since Roger has broken all of Pete’s records and was able to complete the career grand slam while Pete was unable to, it pretty much validates Roger's superiority.

Proving that Roger is the greatest athlete of all time is slightly harder only because comparing different sports can be a difficult thing to do. It wouldn’t be fair to compare team sports with individual sports because it’s harder to win individual titles than it is to win team titles. For example, I don’t think anyone would argue that Robert Horry is the greatest basketball player of all time or is even remotely close to the greatest, yet Horry has at least 4 and maybe even 5 NBA Championship rings which is infinitely more that Lebron James has and is more than some of the greatest players in the NBA’s history have. (In case anyone cares, I think Michael Jordan in the greatest player in NBA history.) This goes to show that in a team sport you don’t have to be great to win, you just have to be on a great team. So the greatest athlete of all time has to be someone who plays an individual sport. Now that that’s settled, the greatest individual athletes that I think are apart of the argument besides Roger Federer (obviously #1) are Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Michael Phelps. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus play the same sport, so I must first decide who is better at their sport. Jack Nicklaus has more majors than Tiger, but I’m certain that Tiger will pass Jack up soonish and that leads me to presume that Tiger is or eventually will be the better golfer. So between Roger and Tiger, who is the better athlete? (And I guess what I mean by greatest athlete of all time is really most dominant athlete of all time.) Tiger has won many majors and will one day break Nicklaus’s record, but he hasn’t dominated golf as much as roger has dominated tennis. The 23 consecutive semifinal appearances that Roger has made in majors are equivalent to 23 top 5 finishes in majors in golf (in my mind at least). Now I don’t know for certain, but I’m pretty positive Tiger hasn’t had 23 consecutive top 5 finishes in majors. This fact rules him out for greatest athlete of all time, and for people who believe Nicklaus is better than Tiger, I don’t think Nicklaus did that either. Now, Michael Phelps, he won 8 gold medals in one Olympics, which is unheard of. The reason Roger is still a more dominant athlete than Phelps even though Roger only has 1 gold medal (doubles title in Beijing) is because what Roger has done is sustained greatness and what Michael Phelps did was a flash of greatness. Also, I feel like the greatest athlete of all time can’t be a swimmer cuz it’s not really a sport it’s just events. I think that Michael Phelps is a great athlete and what he did was amazing but I think what Roger continues to do is even more amazing but I can’t really express why in words I feel like it’s just a common sense thing. Michael Phelps had an amazing showing at one Olympics, and Roger has been doing it for such a long time. I think Michael Phelps could be in the question if he could win medals in his 5th or 6th Olympics (kind of like Dara Torres). Also perhaps Phelps could be in the running if he were to win a gold medal as a father, similar to how Roger just won his first major as a father at the Australian Open.

There are 2 more things that I need to quickly address in this last paragraph and then I’ll be done because I realize that this blog is becoming extremely long. First, why aren’t any women in the question for greatest athlete? Roger hasn’t won as many majors as Chris Evert or Martina Navratilova (both with 18), but I think he will pass them, possibly even this year. I think the reason I can’t say a woman is a better athlete than a man is because men and women are different and can’t be compared like that; men are stronger and faster than women so they have to be more athletic than women. I don’t know who is the greatest female athlete of all time, but I think the greatest female athlete of all time is just as impressive as the greatest athlete of all time. Finally, why is Roger Federer so important? I don’t think the world as a whole can really fathom how amazing Roger’s accomplishments truly are. I love Roger Federer not because of all of his accomplishments or the fact that he is extremely good looking (contrary to what some of my teammates might think), but because he is a hero for people all over the world. He has accomplished more than any other tennis player in the world and he doesn’t really have anymore records to chase and break, but he still trains as hard as he can everyday and is just as hungry to win as he was when he first started playing tennis. This is evident because last year when he lost the Australian Open to Raphael Nadal he cried because he worked so hard but couldn’t quite come through with the win (even though he already had 13 major titles). Roger is also a virtuous man. He has never been involved in any scandals in the media and from what I can tell he handles being a public icon incredibly well. Roger Federer lives the dream, he has a happy family with his wife and twin daughters, he loves his job and works hard at it day in and out, and he is a role model for people all over the world. Roger Federer is the greatest athlete of all time. (PERIOD)

Mikaela

Nail Polish!

2010-01-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

The topic of my blog for this year is…. NAIL POLISH! As I talked about in my blog last year, getting your hair done and looking nice is one of the womanly habits that make us women feel good about ourselves. Getting your nails done fits perfectly into that category as well. Unfortunately for us basketball players, we don’t have all the time in the world to go have a day at the salon and get a nice mani and pedi. Although I must say, when we do have that occasional day off, the salon on the end of California Ave, “Central Nails”, does know most of our names and our favorite colors! They also cringe at first sight of our feet! Haha Just kidding…kind of.

Let me enlighten you…

Our team's recent nail polish craze has undoubtedly stemmed from one key person: Jeanette!!! Now I know what all of you are thinking… “but Jayne is the one that is known for wearing her bright pink nail polish during games!” Yes you are right! Jayne has had articles written and pictures taken about her cute nails and great fashion taste. But let me tell you a little about my friend Jeanette.

First, some background info: I’ll start with her lovely parents. Cindy and John Pohlen are in the salon equipment and baking business. Cindy bakes our team the most amazing treats we have ever tasted and John runs the family salon equipment business in Southern California. With that being said, Jeanette has grown up around salon stuff and has made some really useful family friends. One family friend happens to own nail polish company OPI. If you haven’t heard of them before, OPI has the BEST nail polish ever with over 300 colors or something ridiculous!!

So now that brings me to Jeanette’s personal collection of nail polish. With over 50 OPI colors of her own, Jeanette has dark colors, light colors, bright colors, neutral colors, etc. You name it; she probably has something pretty close to it. From “Pink-ing of You” to “No Room for the Blues” or “Paint my Moji-toes Red!”, she literally has a lot, and knows the names of all of them! Her collection doesn’t stop with colors though. Jeanette has nail strengtheners, ridge fillers, base coats, rapid dry top coats, cuticle oils, and of course nail polish removers. Jeanette is very loyal to her OPI friends and only wears their polish, which is the best so I don’t blame her.

Like I mentioned before, Jayne is normally the one noted for her pretty nails and the variety of her colors. But as you can probably guess by now, Jeanette has played a key part in Jayne’s nail repertoire. Jeanette has lived relatively unnoticed with her nail polish by the public. For us teammates however, we have enjoyed her sharing the creative names of the colors with us for the last couple of years. We have all known about her extensive collection and hobby for nail painting. We admire her beautifully painted nails on the regular, which she paints herself most of the time! But for the most part, the rest of us on the team have pretty much sat back and observed the painting and colors that Jayne and Jeanette go thru.

It wasn’t until this last Christmas that our team took nail polish to the next level! You have heard our team’s crazy Christmas stories in previous blogs from my teammates and how much we all love the Christmas spirit. But this year, Jeanette decided to go the extra mile and reach out to us teammates even more. She gave each teammate a gift bag filled with nail accessories. We each got 6 color polishes, a rapid dry top coat, nail strengthener, cuticle oil, nail polish remover and a bottle of hand lotion. I guess you can say this is where our craze started.

Since Christmas, there has been a fetish amongst our team with painting our nails, especially for games. Everyone has taken part! It’s like we all wanted to become a part of the Jayne and Jeanette nail painting party without even knowing it. With Jeanette’s generous gift, it was like an open invitation for everyone to join in. Lo and behold, nail painting has officially become an important part of our whole team.

I will be the first to admit that I had rarely painted my nails before this year. I think I have had one or two manicures in my whole life. Painting my nails has never been a priority, let alone a hobby of mine, and I am positive that some of my teammates are the same way. I don’t know what it is or what happened to us, but I find myself, like my teammates, making and planning out my time before games so I can be sure to paint my nails. My teammates and I are often talking about who is wearing what color and what colors we like better. It has actually been very enjoyable too! It makes me happy when I have a new color on my nails. When we put our hands in the huddle at the end of practice, it’s like a rainbow of colors on our fingers. How can that not bring a smile to your face?

Nail polish and painting nails has really become another entertaining thing that our team just seems to engulf. But let me reassure that painting our nails does not make our team any less tough or focused. It is merely a way to remind us that we are young women and we like looking nice and taking care of our bodies. And honestly, it is really fun to have a nail painting party!

The coaches joke that they think that Jayne plays well in pink and Jeanette has good games with purple or blue, but we don’t actually rank our color preferences on how we play with that color on. I think the coaches just might be a little jealous because they didn’t get an awesome gift from Jeanette like we all did.

So that’s the latest craze with our team. Keep your eyes peeled fans. Bring your binoculars if you need to. But I guarantee that there is an array of colors that you are missing out on the court! It’s the little things in life that keep our team staying pretty!

Go Card!!!

-LuLu

Baxter

2010-01-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

Hi Cardinal Fans!

I wanted to take some time to talk about one of the most important members of my family, our English bulldog Baxter. And when I say most important, I mean he is the one that hogs all of the attention, is spoiled the most by my mom, and never gets in trouble. He is almost three years old, and one of the cutest dogs you will ever see. He is also one of the biggest terrors ever. My family isn’t necessarily the greatest at training animals, and Baxter definitely takes advantage of that. He will chew or eat anything he can get his paws on. If we don’t leave our shoes in a place where we know that he can’t get them, we can almost bet on the fact that once we return home, our shoes will be in a mangled mess in the center of our family room. There have been numerous times that my sister or I had left a rubber flip flop in the kitchen where Baxter could get it, and we would come home and see hundreds of rubber pieces all over the floor. Some other things that Baxter loves to destroy are pillows and couch cushions. There have been times when we haven’t seen Baxter in a while and go find him on with a guilty look on his face, buried inside of a couch cushion with the fluffy filling all around him. We tried to take him to obedience school, but I don’t think he learned a thing.

Even after all of this misbehaving, Baxter is still treated like a king, especially by my mom. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she spoils him rotten. She used to make him scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, and buys him a ridiculous amount of toys. One day, my mom was making meatballs for dinner, and my sister wanted to have one before she headed to practice. My mom said that she had to wait until after practice, as she was putting two meatballs and sauce into Baxter’s food dish. My sister was a little hurt to say the least. This past Christmas, my mom got him a coat because she was worried that he got too cold on his nightly walks. I had to remind her that he was a dog, and I doubt he cared that much. My sister, brother, and I always give her a hard time for how she treats Baxter, but we know she loves us just as much.

Go Card!

Ashley # 24

Game day rituals

2010-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Good day to all! It is a great pleasure to see that you have all joined me to celebrate a special episode of this week’s blog. As we explore this year’s Stanford Cardinal, we have and continue to divulge more about different niches. Amongst the several tendencies and characteristics of the players on the 2009-2010 Stanford Women’s Basketball Team, I have found that game day rituals or conventions are most prominent, unique, and widely dispersed. Shall we start with the eldest and work our way down? Indeed we shall!

Ros “Rah de Dah” Gold-Onwude – If you look for unexpectedness before a game, Ros is definitely your answer. Vigilance is the absolute key in catching her stealth. Not only is it game time, but the match tips off in about an hour and ten minutes. It is not until 5 minutes prior to stretching time that one may notice her slither into the locker room, shed her “bag lady” persona, and transform into the relentless #21 in full uniform.

Jayne “TT” Appel – This active player can be spotted in several settings prior to the onset of tip off. Most always, she proves consistent and meticulous with her game day habits. I have observed her in this order: Enter the locker room, change into her jersey, get taped or get hair done (always depending on training room traffic), relax outside on the chairs, stretch, hit some free throws, game day talk with Tara, and (one must never forget) a colorful handful of skittles! If you opt for consistency, opt for Twinkle Toes.

Michelle “Mich” Harrison – If you are more of an easy-goer before the game, Michelle can definitely assist you. Never too late or too early, Michelle always strolls in just in time and with no worries in the world. With Mich, you could expect a nice box of cookies before the game, a cute little puppy, or simply Michelle. Any will suffice for a down to earth game day preparation. I prefer the latter.

JJ “Ay JJ” Hones – Yes she is from Oregon and yes her major may be International Relations, but for those who are just downright Stanford advocates, JJ is your girl. She is the absolute definition of a Stanford gal, person, student, or whatever it may be! Whether she walks into the locker room with this week’s Newsweek, a textbook on World Geography, or the Bill of Rights, JJ is the definition of not just a student athlete but a STANFORD student athlete. She puts the “stud” in studious for those sophisticated Cardinal fans.

Melanie “Melly Mel” Murphy – For those fans that strive for a real Brooklyn style, outrageous, hip-hop, over the top type of game day convention, there is no better culprit than Melanie Murphy. Of the several extreme situations you can find Mel in prior to the game, she never fails to dance, pop, lock, drop, jiggle, and wiggle in any of these three circumstances: 1) Listening to Lil Wayne 2) Listening to Lil Wayne with Dr. Dre Beatz headphones and lastly 3) Listening to Lil Wayne with Dr. Dre Beatz headphones while harassing Kayla.

Kayla “O KKK” Pedersen – If you are a fan that enjoys concentrating and getting into the zone before the game, Kayla is your friend. From the moment she walks into the locker room to the second she steps onto the court, Kayla is poised and geared with iPod in ear and ball in hand as she shoots around confidently and comfortably before game time. Let’s GO!!!!!!!! O KKK!!!!!

Ashley “Ash” Cimino – If you are on a quest for diversity before the game find Ashley. Flexibility should be her middle name. She has several different looks. She can sport a cropped bun, a Japanese straight pony tail, one ankle brace, knee pre-wrap, or finger tape. Stay tuned people….

Hannah “Hana” Donaghe – Though good ole’ Hana has yet to join us on the court, she too entertains us with game day rituals. Even on a completely normal game day, she always adds an awkward quirk to the atmosphere. Whether it be an awkward finger wave or a “you’re mom” interjection, Hannah never fails.

Lindy “LuLu” LaRocque – If you are a fan that derives joy in yelling and screeching to get ready for the game, Lindy is your expert. Many have probably already witnessed LuLu’s screaming spells during warm ups. She can be yelling at you, with you, about you, or in the direct line of your eardrum. Any variety works; as long as she’s loud, you’ll like it.

Grace “the face” Mashore – Well the name is already self-explanatory, therefore a combination of any of her three faces are abundant in the winding minutes of the game. However I have noticed that if you cbast Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, or Sheryl Crow prior to the game, this girl is more than ready to play. Hmmm… unusual.

Sarah “Boothie” Boothe – When we shoot before games, she is effecient at rebounding our shots. On the contrary though, sometimes she gets hit with so many balls you would think the balls were rebounding her. If you seek hilariousness before the game follow all the loose balls.

Mikaela “Sunny” Ruef – I am not sure if Mikaela would call out to many on the Stanford Women’s Basketball Game Day Craig’s List. If you crave weirdness, randomness, and spasticity, Mikaela will suffice.

Lastly, Joslyn “ Tink Tink” Tinkle – Her name says it all. To find that twinkle in your star, Tinkle’s smiles, grins, giggles, and twinkles in her long lashed eyes will get you ready for the game.

It’s game day. Are you ready?

New Year's Eve competition

2010-01-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

So I know some people already wrote about the holidays and what they did over break but I am just going to add to it. Overall, I would say that Christmas break was a success for our team. We got some big wins, a break from school, the chance to hangout with each other more outside of basketball, and some great sleep in the very comfy beds at the hotel.

On another note, one very important characteristic of our team is how competitive everyone is, and I mean everyone. For New Year’s Eve we had planned a nice lay back get together so that everyone could enjoy the evening. There was great food, lots of laughs, and the enjoyment of everyone’s company.

Then, as we were all finishing up our dinner, Tara came into the room asking everyone if we wanted to play a fun little game that she knew. As she started explaining the game we were all a bit unsure about it and how it would turn out but decided, “what the heck, why not?” We did not know what we were getting into. The team split into two teams, including the coaches, and went to separate rooms. If anyone has played the game Taboo, it was along the lines of that game. Each team had to come up with as many names as they could for the other team. The other team would then have to take those names and describe them to their team as best they could so their team could guess the name. I was on Tara and Bobbie’s team along with Ros, Mel, Nneka, Hannah, Lindy, Ashley, Michelle, and Mikaela. To say the least, we pretty much dominated, mainly because we gave them some of the hardest names to describe, names that they had never even heard of. As we were all writing down names, we could hear Tara saying, “Make them as hard as you can so that it is hard for them to describe.” We were just following directions.

As each person on the other team pulled out the little pieces of paper you could see the confused looks on their faces as they were trying to figure out how to describe it. This probably made us laugh the hardest. Most of the time they would just move on to the next one because they had no clue what the name was. We were using names anywhere from painters, authors, and politicians to cartoon characters, singers, and actors from any time period. Things started to get competitive when they couldn’t get a good amount of the names we gave them. But to be fair, the other team did write down some easy ones to “make the game fun” as they kept saying. After the game people were still asking who some of the names were because they had never even heard of them before and all we could do was just laugh.

I am sure there will be a rematch in the near future because no one on our team likes losing. I guess that is why our team is so competitive in basketball too. I love our team and this is definitely a memory I will have of our team for 2009.

Jeanette

All about the (406)

2010-01-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

Howdy y'all! I'm here to tell you all about the (406) and what goes on over there on my home front. I hope you will become a little more familiar with the Treasure State and show you all what it is that I find so special and unique about my state.

My daily routine in my homeland is quite different than the Cali routine I'm currently adjusting to. In Montana, I wake up every morning at 5:15 a.m., slip on my boots and go milk my cow, Agnes; she's a stubborn heifer. After I've provided milk for my family I go to feed the chickens and hens before I head to the barn. Next, I go to the barn and brush my beautiful thoroughbred horse (her name is Ruby). She loves the long rides to school with my sister and her horse, Mr. Ed. The two horses dread being left out in the cold all day waiting anxiously for our return, after a laborious day of school and basketball practice. As we gallop through the forest on the way home, my sister and I stop to gather firewood, that is used for cooking, heating, and good ol' family fun in the Tinkle tepee! and NO, we don't have electricity.

Okay I apologize, who am I kidding? Contrary to popular belief, not all Montanans live on farms in the middle of nowhere, nor does ANYONE ride a horse to school. I'm here to debunk the many myths associate with Montana!

Nicknamed the "406", the state has endless blue skies which I often admire late at night during trampoline sleepovers. Below the wide-open skies stand the beautiful snow tipped mountains that fill the chilled lakes, creating a visual oasis. Montana is popular for its recreational amenities that people nation wide come to take full advantage of. From the mid-afternoon river floating trips to the extreme snow sledding races, there is never a dull moment in the "Zoo".

We may only have one area code, have line dancing as a requirement for passing high school P.E., and often get the snarky reply, "Montana?" when asked where we're from. But if you ask any resident or visitor to this great state, everyone will agree Montana is a beautiful place, full of awesome people who YES, have running water.

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE California and Stanford, but home sweet home does and always will hold a special place in my heart.

Love Always,
Jos

Christmas Break

2009-12-30T21:06:00.000-08:00

I love my mom. It was December 23rd and we just caught a convincing “L” at the hands of the UConn Huskies. Yet as we made the 2.5 hour drive from Storrs back home to Queens the first thing out of my mother's mouth was, “There’s a lot of time in the season to improve” and “I liked your three.” Thanks Mom. You’re the best. I hope Tara sees it your way.

On that dark cold night we tried to warm the car up with chatter about all things not UConn. We discussed how my classes and final exams went, plans for Christmas, love and life, but still, every now and then, if there was a pause in the conversation, someone would lightly murmur about UConn, “gotta get back, can't let them run”… “yea… that Moore, she’s good.”

Fortunately, family, jokes, and good food will make you forget about anything you don’t want to think about. I made the most of the three days I had off for the holidays and had an amazing time with my family and friends. Hair got did, nails got hooked up. Food got buttered and baked. Presents were dressed in the finest of wrappings and laced with the shiniest of bows. The Christmas music was blasting. UConn schmuconn… it was good to be home.

…On the plane ride back the reality of things started to settle in. On one side I was pessimistic; I thought, “We blew a chance to make a big statement about our program; to garner a certain level of respect we always cry out for season after season.” On the other side I was staying positive and realistic, “We beat some very talented teams and we will learn from the UConn loss." But as a senior making her farewell tour… I knew ultimately I wanted to be greedy--I wanted it all! I wanted to win the chip -SHOOT, I wanted to go undefeated! I knew our team was good… better than good even, and I still believe we have what it takes.

The next few days of practice were hard. Really hard. We didn’t even practice offense. Many of the drills didn’t even require a ball. We worked on defense. I’m talking summer camp drill defense: pushing off the right foot and defensive slide races. We worked on taking charges and boxing out. We did a transition defense drill for about 30 minutes straight. No one dared to ask for water.

It sounds cliché… but if we won, would we have paid this much attention to areas we clearly needed more work in? Probably not. If we had won would we be moonwalking and doing the tootsie roll, feeling ourselves? Ha-ha! Maybe for a day…but not too long. All “What If’s” aside, this was a good reality check. Something that will keep a chip on our shoulder as we move further and further away from our preseason and deeper and deeper into our regular season. We know what’s coming in March… and we’ll be ready for it. See you at the tourney…

-Ros #21

BEST BLOG EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

2009-12-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is the time of year when our team spends just about every waking moment together. From practices to meals, watching movies and just everyday life you start to notice things. So, I'm going to spread a little holiday cheer by sharing a few of these "things" I've discovered about each of my splendid teammates.

Starting with everyone's elder, we have Rosalyn. Ros has the uncanny ability to spot a Red Lobster from miles away. Name a city, and she could probably name up to three Red Lobsters in your general vicinity. (She will drive up to 40 minutes to eat there!)

Melanie Murphy is the definition of cool. If you have yet to realize this you might be living under a rock. She has recently been seen sporting snazzy new headphones which only add to her "swag" as she calls it.

Moving on, we have the incomparable Jennifer Hones. JJ, or jota jota, has been known to whisper sweet nothings in Spanish to unsuspecting people (me in particular). She is also highly skilled at yelling things across a packed auditorium right before a final starts!

Michelle Harrison was named after a Beatles song. I don't know how life gets any better than that! Anything I could possibly follow that statement with would just be insignificant. Hence there is no need to mention her drum playing skills, artistic prowess, dunking abilities, addiction to Ritz and peanut butter, or anything else you can imagine. I don't know if you got this the first time but she was literally named after a Beatles song.

Next we have Mikaela Ruef. There is not a single Billy Joel song that she can't belt out on cue. (My personal favorite rendition, "Vienna") Not only does Ruef have a marvelous singing voice, but word on the street is that she is a semi-decent tennis player and just might be the next Roger Federer! (in her mind at least).

Our other freshie, miss Joslyn Tinkle has a similar performance quirk. Hannah Montana doesn't stand a chance when it comes to dancing the Hoedown Throwdown. Jos has perfected every step and has been known to perform in the locker room, her dorm room, probably on her way to class, and my personal favorite, the weight room. (Vocals provided by our very own Jeanette Pohlen)

Which brings me to Jeanette. I recently discovered that not only can she tell you the artist of any song ever created, but she is also a nail polish connoisseur. I know from personal experience that she is a more talented manicurist than anyone else...in the world. (Check out my nails if you don't believe me.)

Kayla Pederson might have a semi-unhealthy addiction to a television show I honestly think nobody else in the world watches. Every Friday night Kay is in an especially good mood and can be found watching the newest episode of the Ghost Whisperer. (She is anxiously awaiting the day when the coaches recruit a fellow enthusiast.)

Rounding out the junior class we have Ashley Cimino. She has been known to get a little too excited when telling a story to the point where her voice is so high it's almost inaudible. But we all love this Princess Peach voice of hers, especially Jayne.

Speaking of which, Jayne has the magical ability to call anyone out on any specific quirk they might have. For instance Boothe's very unique pronunciation of words like "dad" and "math" are never gone unnoticed by Jayne, who makes the Chicago native repeat each word several times before realizing what's going on. (Sidenote — if you didn't already know, Boothe loves cranberry sauce.)

Did I mention Jayne has the most wicked wink I've ever seen, because she does.

Continuing with the sophomores, we next have Grace. Grace might be the most photogenic player on this team. She even has patented her very own "Grace Face" which Ros has decided is the best group photo theme ever invented. Keep your eyes peeled for it.

Lindy LaRocque "Sparkster" could win a worldwide burping contest, without even drinking an ounce of soda. It's quite an endearing talent if you ask me. She can also be found creating clever rhymes that go with each of our names.

Last but not least we have the lovely Nnemkadi. As many of you have probably noticed, Mel has been sporting her hair in intricate braids recently. Nneka is the sole mastermind behind the hairstyle. She has created numerous designs, each one more incredible than the next. Oh yeah, Nnek watches 90210.

These and many other special quirks are why I absolutely love my team and could not ask for more amazing people to spend everyday with. I hope you enjoyed a little inside look at the sweetest team EVER. Happy Holidays.

Hannah

P.S. I have absolutely no quirks to speak of in case you were wondering.

Most wonderful time of the year

2009-12-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Cardinal Fans!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No really, it is! For all of you avid basketball fans, you might think that March is the greatest month of all. Yes, March Madness is exhilarating, but nothing beats the Christmas season. Keep in mind that I am the type of person who likes to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving!

December is the month of joy. Bright lights glorify ordinary houses, Christmas trees fragrance homes with the refreshing smell of pine, Christmas jingles fill the airwaves, the Grinch teaches us how to use our hearts, decorated cookies stuff our stomachs, and Santa visits every house. What can be better than this? Everybody just seems to be happy and loving. I know there is the stress of having to buy presents for your family and friends and worrying about how to tame Uncle John when the family gets together, but it is all worth it in the end.

December is also a crucial and exciting part of our basketball season. We have four BIG games against the top teams in the country. It’s kind of like a mini-March Madness. It’s a preview of what is to come and an evaluating point for our team. The team is looking forward to these games and we are extremely excited to be able to just play without attending to school. So in my opinion, holiday cheer plus December Madness equals the best time of the year.

Spread the Christmas love!

Kayla

Buongiorno!

2009-09-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

To all of our Fast Break Members and Stanford Women's Basketball fans that contributed to our trip to Italy GRAZIE!!! We had a fabulous time and on behalf of our staff and team I want to THANK YOU for making this possible. Having been on several foreign tours I have to say this one was the very best!

Basketball Travelers, along with consulting from Amy Tucker, did an excellent job of planning and organizing our tour. We spent 2-3 days in Rome, Florence, (1/2 day in Pisa), Venice and Como. Our daily routine was to get up early and eat breakfast with our group in the hotel before heading out to sight see. Our group leader (Dave) and our tour guide (Sara) were very organized and efficient. Each place we went we would also get a "local guide" and they were fabulous. (One of the advantages of the local Italian guides was that at each of the tourist sites there were LONG lines and we were able to go right to the front.) Going to the Colliseum, Vatican, Leaning Tower (we walked up!) along with seeing the David sculpture along with art museums, churches, gondola rides, Murano glass, boat rides (Venice - Lake Como) WOW it was so interesting and exciting.

The tours would last a couple hours and then our team was free to walk around on their own. Mel would find the best exchange rate, Michelle took the most pictures (Ros was in the most!) Jayne led the shopping group, Sarah tried to go to the opera, the coaches and parents had a fun wine tasting outing, the list is endless! After full days of touring we would load the bus for our games - oh yes I almost forgot we did play basketball!

Our games were challenging and very physical. This was a great opportunity for our team to play together. I was very pleased with the improvement of our players. Everyone played very well and also learned things that will be helpful for the upcoming season. It had all of our coaches working hard too. I know we will be able to look back at this trip as one of the reasons we have a great season!

A bonus of the trip was seeing Jill in Como! She has embraced the Italian lifestyle! She is excited about her team and season (she is on Brook's team and anxiously awaiting Brook's return to Italy).

All in all it was a wonderful experience. The weather was California sunshine except one torrential downpour when Kate, Amy and I were on our run in Como. The food was delicious, our hotels comfortable (well our Florence hotel was small - the shower was less than the size of a phone booth!) and you couldn't beat the company!

Thank you all again very much. You have helped make extraordinary life long memories for us. We truly appreciate your support!

Tara

Ciao Bella!

2009-09-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hello from Italy! I've really been enjoying my time in Italy. It has been a great opportunity. They have a tremendous history, the food is great and so are the people

We had an amazing time in Rome and now we just left Florence for Venice! In Florence we saw the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), the David sculpture by Michaelangelo, and drove to Pisa to see the leaning tower!

I can't tell you how awe inspiring these monuments, statues and ruins have been. It is a reminder of the potential of human creativity and intellect. I look at all of these works of art and architecture and wonder how it is we can still struggle with making a foul shot!? Ha!

Speaking of basketball, the team is playing well and winning. Last night we had a close one though. We played the Ducato Le Mura Lucca team. We were down 11 and came back to win in the fourth quarter. At this early point of the season that says a lot about our team.

After the game we had delicious pizza with the women on the other team. Despite some minor language barriers we managed to have a great time, laughing and talking with one another!

Also in Florence there are many street vendors. The best prices are in the San Lorenzo market. Needless to say, I've busied myself haggling down prices and practicing my Italian with the locals.

At night I've made sure to have a lot of fun! Mostly I make sure to eat well. But sometimes it's more exciting. One night in Florence, Sarah Boothe and I crashed a private party and rode down the river underneath the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) on a romantic and slow moving gondola with some of the local people. We sang Beyonce at a small Italian karaoke bar that we found while lost in the windy narrow rides of Florence. I have it on video! The Italians loved it, but loved it even more when we tried to sing in Italian.

I've had some fun times so far and we are only halfway through!

Hope the U.S. is treating all of you well! Rest assured that we're representing hard for the Stanford fans and supporters! Big big grazie (thank you) to all of the people who helped to make this amazing experience happen!

Ciao!
Ros

Arrivederci Roma!

2009-09-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

I am currently writing this while on the bus leaving Rome headed to Florence.

Wow what a city Rome is! I used to be obsessed with ancient Roman things, so it was the dream of my 7th grade self finally come true. Seeing the Coliseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain, not to mention Vatican City (which if you did know is its own "country" with its own stamps and police) was breathtaking.

All anyone on the team could say was, "Can you imagine being here in its prime?" It is really sad how much knowledge was lost during the Medieval times, because what the Romans created back in the day was incredible.

A lot of people on this trip have mentioned to me that since I know Spanish, I should be able to understand Italian - not true! Even talking with some Italians, they have expressed the same sentiment I feel. Yes, some of it is similiar, for instance per favore (Italian) and por favor (Spanish) and I do understand other words, but it is not the same.

Additionally, people have asked me if I've been to Rome/Italy while I was studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. Answer = no! I purposely did not travel here during my 11 weeks in Europe this spring because I knew we were coming with the team and I wanted to take advantage of other places. I traveled all around Spain (including Valencia to see Candice play), as well as the Spanish island of Mallorca, Lisbon, Portugal, and Istanbul, Turkey to visit Kristen Newlin. Also, I vacationed in the South of France, including Monaco/Montecarlo when classes were finished. I guess you could say I took a little advantage of my weekends off :)

Since this trip to Italy is also about basketball, I will tell you that we won our first game by about 30 points. No one turned the ball over, we made EVERY shot we took, and Tara didn't raise her voice once! :) It feels good to get back on the court, even if just for warmups (no need to rush back in to things, I just got cleared a little bit ago!) It makes me excited for the season, and as Tara's tweets have said, everyone has definitely improved and come back ready to make another run at the Final Four!!

Ciao!

JJ

Sent from my iPhone

Gateway to the Final Four

2009-04-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Lindy blogged for the Las Vegas Sun about her experiences at the women's NCAA Final Four in St. Louis with these two posts:

Gateway to the Final Four

Open practice ‘nerve-wracking’ part of Final Four

Kayla's life as a tweener

2009-02-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

On the Stanford team, we have what are known as Littles and Bigs. In position work during practice, the Littles go to one end and work on guard skills and the Bigs/posts stay on the other end.

Everyday at this point in practice, I find myself asking the same question, “Tara, where do you want me?” I’m not technically a guard and I’m not technically a post, despite my height. This is what makes me a tweener.

A tweener is a player that can play basically any position on the floor. They shoot the three, hit the pull-up, post-up, rebound, bring the ball up the floor, run the floor... you get the point. We have three tweeners on our team: Jill, Michelle, and me. Jill plays the 1-4, Michelle plays 2-4 but mainly 3 now, and I play 2-5 (2/3 are basically interchangeable).

I love being a tweener. Tweeners can play anywhere on the floor which makes it a lot of fun because this versatility and flexibility allows us to experience every aspect of basketball. In practice, I normally switch between the 3 and 4 in position work. So as the posts practice lay-ups, I get to shoot with the guards. As the guards are working on zone defense, I get to work on my high post skills. It’s a win-win situation.

The only downfall is not knowing what position I play. Most players get security in knowing their role at all times, but I like to embrace this mental challenge. So, wherever Tara puts me is fine; I just want to play. And if you are wondering what position I will play on any given night, keep in mind that even I don’t know

GO CARD!!!
Kayla

Ashley is a fan of old records

2009-02-17T10:12:00.000-08:00

Usually on a typical day off, I try to catch up on my sleep and do any work that I may have gotten behind on. But on our last day off, I did something a little different.

Hannah and I love music and have similar tastes, and we started to take an interest in collecting old records. For Christmas, Hannah got a really cool record player, and we had wanted to go searching for some new records. So on our day off, after classes, we searched the Internet for a record store close to campus, and found one called The Record Man in Redwood City.

We got directions, and prepared for our adventure. I didn’t try to get my hopes up, just in case the record store was a disappointment, but when we got there, I was amazed.

When we walked into The Record Man, there were various rooms of records, including rooms dedicated to Rock, Hip-Hop, Reggae, and Classical records. The walls of the store were lined from the floor to the ceiling in all these different rooms with thousands of records and there were various listening stations throughout the store. We could have spent hours in the store searching for all types of records.

Fortunately, we went into the store with certain artists in mind, so we wouldn’t be there forever. I ended up getting records by Fleetwood Mac, Lenny Kravitz, and the Eagles and Hannah got Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin records. It was a really successful trip, and the records have been on rotation in our room ever since.

If you happen to be a fan of listening to old records, I highly recommend checking out The Record Man. You won’t be disappointed!

Go Card!!
Ashley Cimino #24

HAIR!

2009-02-09T15:50:00.001-08:00

Hello Peeps!

The topic of my blog today is: HAIR!...

Let me start by saying that hair is very important to our team. You may be surprised on how hard it is to keep your hair nice, fresh and styled during season. Some of us struggle, but a lot of us also make it a high priority when we have the time.

You can only imagine the amount of product that we have in our locker room, mainly because of Grace Mashore. One of her father’s friends decided to send her a gigantic box of hair product. We are definitely set until we are seniors! Thank you Grace!
I will now give you some insight on our hair…

Well, recently I have had my hair cut and highlighted! I was in much need and I finally gave in to my sister’s phone calls every week to get my hair done. Yes, I know my style is very similar to JJ Hones, but what can I say! We are pretty much sisters! Also, Jayne has updated her hair getting more highlights so it’s a little bit blonder and getting a nice trim. JJ also gets her hair cut and highlighted frequently.

Jillian Harmon and I have very similar hair, except hers is dark. We both have so called fly aways, wispies, wings, baby hairs, whatever you want to call the little curls that occur around our face and hair line, especially during games when we get sweaty. With that being said, I don’t mind my little baby curls. I like them!

Jill on the other hand is not a big fan. So if you haven’t noticed, her fly aways have flown away. Recently, Jill got her hair Japanese straightened, which means she paid a good amount of money to have it chemically straightened for like 6 months. Whatever makes Jill happy, makes us all happy!

Another hair update is Nneka’s newly done hair. We can always count on Nneka for some sort of good hair surprise. Considering, last week in practice she had an amazing huge afro! It was great! Nneka attributes her nicely done hair to her mother. If her mom comes to a home game one week that is a great sign that Nneka will have new hair the next week. Also, Nneka has inherited some of her mother’s skills. Nneka is Melanie Murphy’s own personal hair stylist! Without Nneka, Mel tends to struggle with her hair. We all appreciate Nneka’s talent.

We are still waiting on Hannah to do something with her hair. She has by far the longest hair on the team. She has very nice, long hippie hair but she uses on average 5 hair ties just to put her hair in a bun for practice or games. We all feel bad for Hannah when she stands in the bathroom for 20 minutes after taking a shower untangling the knots in her hair. It’s a shame. Hannah admits her need of a haircut but she is having a hard time trusting anyone other than her friend at home to cut it. Which is kind of surprising, considering her friend is her age, how much hair experience can she have?

As far as the rest of the team goes, there isn’t anything drastically new. When we had our short break, I believe almost everyone got their hair trimmed and styled, in some way or another. We have the girls that belong to the regular pony club. That includes Sarah, Kayla, Ashley, Ros, Morgan, Michelle, and Grace. Jeanette is a member of the group as well but she has definitely toned down her hair and going for a much speedier look than last year. If you can recall, she had the super long pony whip that would smack her and her defenders in the face during games.

I think our team has started to rub off on our coaches as well. Bobbie has made time to get her hair done recently. Her hair is one of her highest priorities on game days. But I must admit that it looks very nice. Also, Kate is beating all of us players with how often she gets her hair highlighted and cut. She most definitely wins any hair competition for number of different styles and colors. We can really tell what kind of mood Kate will be in by the way her hair is. As of late, our team has been trying to talk Amy into growing out her hair. We really think that her ball of curly hair could really turn into some nice long locks. We are still waiting though.

So now you see that hair is really a big deal to us. You can’t blame us for always wanting to look cute!

Well that’s all for now. I could tell you many more facts and superstitions about hair and our team, but then I would have to hurt you! Just kidding. But really I can’t tell you, just know that with every hair style there is a reason and purpose.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog! See ya around!

Go Card!!!
Lindy La Rocque #15

P.S. Tara has had the same hair style for 30 years! But things wouldn’t be the same if she changed it.

Melanie's Video Blog

2009-02-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Mel brings a personal, inside look at how she prepared for a game. Brought direct to you by Melevision.

Skout & Me

2009-01-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

Well, the team and I just returned to sunny California from our road trip in Oregon coming home with 2 W’s! I think the team played very well against Oregon and Oregon State, making some good progress towards our obvious goal in winning the Pac-10 regular season. We’re playing more up-tempo, aggressive basketball, and if we continue along this road there should be no doubt that we will come out on top!

Now, of course I could spend valuable homework time writing my blog solely about basketball, but I’ve decided to take a different route (haha).

Recently, teammate Sarah Boothe and I enjoyed seeing the movie Marley & Me, and probably surprising to most of you is that I actually didn’t cry! Not to say that I didn’t think it was sad, but I somehow I held back the tears.

The point to this is that it got me thinking about my amazing dogs back at home, especially my 3-legged dog Skout (aka Tripod). Skout lost her leg my sophomore year of high school after being hit by oncoming truck. Although being quite pudgy throughout her mid section these days due to lack of mobility, Skout is happy and healthy.

What’s profound about this experience, however, is witnessing how much perseverance this little animal has. I remember very vividly the day she came home from having her leg amputated. All wrapped up in heavy bandages, and down one leg still could not hold back her joyful spirit as she showed the same excitement when seeing us for the first time as she would’ve had no accident occurred.

Reminiscing about all the challenges I have faced, and still face, throughout my ACL injury, I could not hold a candle to how this little dog fought through such adversity, as to lose an entire leg and still be as happy as ever. I feel that through Skout’s example I have come to learn that happiness goes much deeper than any physical attribute.

Happiness is being around people you love, sharing special moments with those who truly care about you, and relying on that love to literally become the extra leg that carries you through. I certainly miss that dog everyday, sometimes conspiring to steal her away and keep her out here with me .

I’m just grateful for the small, but invaluable life lessons that she has been able to teach me, and I’m also glad that I get to share it with all of you!

GO CARD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michelle Harrison

The True Player Bios

2009-01-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Rosalyn Gold-Onwude

Hello Everyone! Glad to be this week’s blogger! I write my own blog called The Rhetoric of RosGo and I’d like to share something from one of my more recent blogs that I’d thought you’d enjoy! Here’s a little more information about the players on our team that you won't usually find in the media guide!

#0 Melanie Murphy… is from New York. I think that speaks for itself.

#1 Grace Mashore … looks like she is 14 years old. Grace takes hair gel very seriously. She doesn’t just use any kind of hair gel either. She has her parents air ship boxes on top of boxes of hair gel across country to our locker room. Seriously… she does.

#2 Jayne Appel … is a 6’4 Paris Hilton. A social butterfly by nature, and Pi Phi by pledge, she can be counted on to know what’s happening on and off campus on any given night. One thing to watch out for: Be careful if you happen to be around her before games. When excited, she sometimes hits.

#5 Michelle Harrison … is from Utah. That CERTAINLY speaks for itself.

#10 JJ Hones … went out like a G. She balled out in our game against Rutgers before she sadly tore her ACL. After hanging out with her this summer in Oregon I also discovered her hidden talent: JJ is really good at doing the Moonwalk!

#14 Kayla Pederson … puts the Responsible in Responsible. This girl has been here before. Kayla was a fifth year senior in a past life. She came to Stanford as a freshman knowing all the plays and what time the bus leaves.

#15 Lindy La Rocque … likes to shoot threes. That’s all I really know about her.

#20 Hannah Donaghe… is the team’s resident hippy. Hannah still has a flip top cell phone. I think that speaks for itself.

#21 Rosalyn Gold-Onwude… is the person who is writing this blog! To find our more about me check out this YouTube video clip.

#23 Jeanette Pohlen… is the type of person who knows all the words to every song ever made and practices dance moves in the mirror. She especially loves any song that was made by a group of 3 or more people.

#24 Ashley Cimino… enjoys awkward conversation about Maine. In her free time she works on her deadly three point shot, otherwise known as “The Ashley Special”.

#30 Nnemkadi “Nneka” Ogwumike… was last year’s Gatorade National H.S. player of the year. It’s probably just a coincidence that she always has a hotel room with a view.

#31 Morgan Clyburn… enjoys movies that make her cry. Also, Morgan is studying to become a biomechanical engineer. That is so Stanford of her.

#33 Jillian Harmon… is a smooth operator. Things just have a way of working out for Jillian. She’ll charm you out of a house and home if you’re not careful.

#42 Sarah Boothe… is the most adorable 6’5 person you might ever meet. She also looks like Liv Tyler.

## Kerry Blake… is hands down the best manager ever. Nothing funny about that.

Yup, this team is full of characters! Hopefully you like us more now that you know a bit more about us! See you at the games!

Reading Frenzy

2009-01-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

For my blog this year I would like to talk about something that has recently caught a lot of people’s attention on our team: a book, rather, a series of books. If any of you have heard of the Twilight series that is out there, then you will know exactly what I am talking about when I say how addicting those books are.

There are some of us who started reading these books a while ago, but it has now become a huge interest within our team. Over winter break is when people really started getting into them. It’s kind of funny because a bunch of us (I won’t name any names) will just read them anytime and anywhere. For example, on the way to practices and games, on the bus rides, sitting in the hotel, in airports, on planes, and just walking in general are many places and ways that these books are being read on our team.

People just want to know what happens next! Also, people wanting to talk about the characters and different situations in the books now dominate conversations. This can be a problem sometimes though because many people are at different stages in the books and “don’t want to hear” what’s going to happen next, so the conversations end up becoming two person discussions.

One amazing thing that has come out of this reading frenzy is that we seem to gain more and more followers as we go. (we have even managed to somehow suck Mel into this group). You have to cut us a little bit of slack though, we rarely get to read books that we actually want to read, so I am all for this. So, if you haven’t heard of these books or have heard of them and thought they were not worth reading, they are worth reading!

Just ask almost anyone on our team.

Go Card!
Jeanette Pohlen #23

Bud's Video Blog

2008-12-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

Aloha from Hawaii!

2008-12-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

I am writing to you as we are unfortunately getting ready to depart from the beautiful island of Honolulu, where we just got to spend the last five days! While we did travel to Baylor a couple of weekends ago, this was our first long trip as a team, and my first Thanksgiving away from home. I would say that if you can’t be at home with your family, then Hawaii is definitely the next best option, in fact some might argue it’s an even better option.

I think this trip was great for our team chemistry. As a freshman, it is so nice whenever we get a chance to get to know our teammates better, whether on the court or off and so it was great to be able to travel over a break where we had a little more time to do that. We got to spend some time together soaking in the scenery and enjoying things like the beach and the pool, but most importantly we came together and won three great basketball games. Playing three games in a row can be pretty difficult, but everyone stepped up and helped the team in little ways to make our wins against Purdue, Iowa State, and the University of Hawaii real collective efforts.

Overall, it was an awesome experience to have, and I can’t wait to carry over our success to our next road trip so we can continue our winning streak against the Blue Devils, the Gamecocks, and of course, the Lady Volunteers. We are going to be working very hard over the next two weeks and I know we’ll be ready!!

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and GO CARD!

Grace Mashore

Field trip to Monterey

2008-11-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast this year is going by. It's already almost Christmas!!

I thought I would talk a little bit about a field trip I went on recently. I got to go to Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey for my Marine Biology class. It was raining when my class arrived, but after a couple of hours it cleared up and the water was gorgeous. This trip was the first time I had been to the ocean since I came back to school.

I went on a tour of the station and got to see the different laboratories and classrooms, which all had beautiful views of the ocean from every window! I couldn't ask for a better place to study than the library at the station with its floor to ceiling windows looking out to the ocean! In one of the labs there were huge tanks of water. Some had baby hammerhead sharks in them and others had various types of fish whose populations have declined in the ocean.

My favorite part of the trip was getting to explore the tide pools. One of my professors, Mark Denny (whose daughter played basketball at Stanford), took my class down to the tide pools during low tide and pointed out different organisms and the different types of research he and others do at Hopkins.

I saw lots of sea anemones, which are pretty cool if you ask me, and there were also tons of shells and many types of seaweed. I also saw a couple of sea otters, which was awesome.

I had fun, learned a lot, and managed not to get drenched by the waves. Others weren't so lucky!

Hannah Donaghe

Meeting the challenge

2008-11-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

These first few months have been an amazing and exhilarating experience. It has definitely been an adjustment from high school, but I have developed some great friendships on the team and in the dorm. The best part of Stanford is the challenge it offers, both in basketball and academics.

Basketball has been a blast. I have had a great time getting to know my teammates and playing with such dedicated individuals. I am extremely excited for what this team can do this season. The first two games have been exhilarating. It was nerve-racking but it was a lot of fun to finally play in a college game. I am really looking forward to what the rest of the season will bring.

Another plus Stanford offers is the weather. Back in my hometown in Illinois it has already started to snow!

Sarah Boothe

Cheering the team on!

2008-11-05T21:23:00.001-08:00

This blog finds me at the start of another season, but this time from a very different perspective. Usually at this point in the year my body’s dying from getting in great court shape, my brain’s overwhelmed with all the plays, and emotionally I’m a mixture of anxious, nervous, and excited.

This year, as a senior and unfortunately, injured, I’m in a little different state. My body is sore but in completely different ways. The physical therapy I do for about four hours a week makes the tiniest of muscles I never knew I had ache. Instead of my hamstrings, quads or calves killing me, the tiny muscle that flexes my second toe is sore.

Fortunately my brain isn’t quite as tired from preseason. After three years, the plays are pretty much engrained forever. I’m hoping that remains the case when I’m back on the court. Something tells me Tara will not cut me any slack if I mess up a play, even if I haven’t been running them.

From an emotional standpoint, I’m extremely excited about this season and anxious to get back out there. I can’t wait to see this team reach its potential. We have great depth and continue to have a lot of the intangibles that made us so successful last year such as toughness and team chemistry.

It’s weird watching everything from the sidelines in that I see things I never realized when I’m out there. I find myself learning from the coaching staff, not in the obvious ways, but watching things such as the sequence of drills, and breakdowns for guards and posts. I see more of the background work and concepts that when I’m out there are just drills. The bigger picture is a lot more apparent when you take a step away.

I’m trying to make the most of my experience on the sideline by learning from Tara about how she coaches. I think I would enjoy coaching as a hobby down the line so I’ve been trying to absorb as much as I can.

From Coach Morgan’s perspective, the team is coming together really nicely. I’m so proud of how well the freshmen especially performed in the exhibition against Chico State. It’s amazing how well they’ve adjusted. I just remember my first week of practice my freshman year I was concentrating so hard on remembering where I was supposed to be in each of the plays I could barely let myself just relax and play. Grace was one for one from three, Sarah dominated on her hook shot, Lindy was bombing, and Nneka killed it on the glass. I’m so proud of them.

I honestly think this team will have a lot to show the country, and while we lost an amazing player in Candice, we have several people more than ready to step up. I can’t wait to be out there playing with them, but in the meantime I’ll be cheering them on in any way I can.

Morgan Clyburn

Sarah Boruta: Stanford has everything

2008-10-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Every season this blog needs a first post. Consequently, this is it. The initial purpose of this post will be to record my thoughts. Specifically, it will be used as a platform to record what I think about the various topics Amy has asked me to write on. However, I hope that my blogging adventure will continue beyond my Stanford career. Perhaps this blog will serve as a launching point for a famous blogging career. Okay, I admit that is quite unlikely…but you never know.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m one of the two Sarah B’s on this team. But please, call me anything but that—it brings back too many memories of kindergarten with all the other Sarahs trying to steal my first name. So, to be exact, I’m Sarah Boruta, and if you’ve seen me around, I’ve probably been armed with a camera and tripod, trying to shoot you. This is because I will be doing the film work for the team this season, with the official title of “Video Intern”.

Now, I’m from Michigan, and what, you might ask, would make a born and raised Midwesterner want to move 2,500 miles across the country to work at Stanford? To be honest, it wasn’t a hard decision. I could sum it up and say that Stanford has everything a person could ever want, but I still have some space to fill, so I may as well list some of my reasons.

Championship Basketball: Get ready to watch us cut down the nets!
Tara and Her Staff: 700+ wins. 1996 Olympic gold medal. Need I say more?
Warm Weather: In other words, a new wardrobe and an excuse to go clothes shopping
California Cuisine: In-N-Out cheeseburgers with toasted buns and a lot of ketchup are just my style…
Entertainment: The Bay Area is a land of opportunity; there’s always something fun to do!

So there you have it—a few reasons for my cross-country move!
…And until next time… Go Card!

Sarah Boruta

I hate the pad!

2008-03-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a whirlwind since the first time I set foot back on the Farm since graduating in 1996. I never thought I would be back here at Stanford as an assistant coach working alongside Tara, Amy, and Kate. I love it. This has truly been a blessing in disguise. However, working with the players has been the most special part of my time here. It has always been about the players for me regardless of the school or conference. Of all the places I have worked Stanford by far has the most talent. Candice, Jayne, Kayla, Ros, JJ, Jill, Jeanette, Morgan, Cissy, Hannah, Ashley, Mel, and Michelle have all individually and collectively put a smile on my face throughout the season.

Because I work on the post end with Amy I have had the opportunity to play defense against Jayne, Kayla, Morgan, and Ashley. Now I am 35 years young and not as energetic as I use to be. All of the posts are obviously stronger than me to say the least.

I found this out the first time Tara yelled, “B, get the pad!” Those are the most dreaded words I hear each day. “B, get that pad!” I hate the pad. It is an instrument of the devil. When the girls hear Tara yell for “the pad” they lick their chops. You would think I would love “the pad” but I hate it. One day Jayne lifted me off the floor with “the pad.”

This has been a wonderful season. I would like to think that “the pad” has had a lot to do with it but nothing short of a national championship will change my mind about it. I hate that @*%# pad!!!

This blog serves as my official boycott of the pad. Thank you for your support!

Bobbie Kelsey

The best cheer leader

2008-03-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

Finals Week isn’t usually the best time to look forward to for us student-athletes, but what it also means is it's time to gear up for March Madness!

We came off an outstanding performance in the Pac-10 tournament (obviously bringing home the gold), and we are rolling towards the post-season. Everyone has been playing really well, and it’s been a blast getting to cheer the team on in our run towards the final four! I have great expectations for our team as we head into the NCAA tournament. It has been a great learning experience to watch everything unfold from the sidelines. Especially now that NCAAs are approaching quickly, I’m able to observe all the things that you seem to miss when you are absorbed in the atmosphere of March Madness. I’m so excited for our team, because I know we have the potential to cut down those nets!

Now that the brackets are final, we’re gearing up for our first game this Saturday! The team is confident about the position we’re in, and everyone seems determined to accomplish what we’ve been striving for since the off-season.

But we would never look beyond one game at a time in this journey. So, it’s about taking care of business this Saturday before even thinking about what comes next.

Even more importantly, it’s about improving our play and concentrating on turning our weaknesses into strengths. And the most important of all is enjoying the opportunity we have to be playing together as a team and as a family.

Although it’s difficult to be sitting the sidelines during this exciting time of the season, I know that I can still contribute to our success by being the best cheer leader for our team! There might be some fans that would want to challenge me on that, but I doubt anyone could take that title away.

We thank everyone for their continual support for our team and program!

Come out and enjoy a great tournament, and GO CARD!!!

Michelle Harrison

The Greatest Year EVER ...

2008-03-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ok so initially I was going to discuss the reasons why I think San Diego is the greatest city in the country with substantial evidence to support every claim I made. I have a lot of friends on the east coast who have this crazy idea that the entire left side of the country doesn’t exist, or isn’t important (I know! Crazy right?) For all of us who have the great privilege and luxury of living in this beautiful state, and for the even more fortunate ones who can call Southern California home, it has to be redundant to hear me talk about the many reasons why San Diego is so amazing …

So I decided to instead go into detail about what a wonderful senior year I’m having! (I don’t want to start any controversy and have it turn into catastrophic warfare.)

I got the most touching letter from Susan King Borchardt a few days ago, and it made me start thinking about the last four years of my life at Stanford. She said that no matter how old I got, I would always be “her freshman”. It seems like yesterday Susan and I were racing each other around the track or playing in the sweet 16 against Connecticut. The crazy part is, when I was a freshman I never thought about what it would feel like to be a senior. It’s something that you aren’t able to fathom until the moment arrives, and for me this feeling has made me cherish every single moment of every day with my teammates and coaches.

This year has been so special, and from the very beginning of the year I saw something in my teammates that I hadn’t seen in my four years at Stanford: Youth. I, at the time a 20 year old, was the second oldest player on the team! The youthful energy of my teammates just took over the team in a really good way, and when you carry that type of fearless mentality around, you meet no challenge that you cannot face. And I believe that is what has made our team so successful this year. I just want to take time to reflect on a few moments in games that have really made this year stand out…

Rutgers: This was a very special win and experience for the team. Although it was early in the season, we knew we had a lot to prove to the rest of the world and we did. And Kayla made herself a household name in the process! This definitely was what jump-started our season and let us know that this team had something in them.
Utah: No one really talks about this game, but seriously this might have been the most exciting win of the season! We were down like six points with under a minute left and came back in two overtimes and won. This game completely belonged to Mel. She gets a steal, converts on a pull up to get us within two, and then after they make one of two free throws she has the ball to run a three-point play for me. When I wasn’t open she took matters in her own hands and shot the three and it went in!!! We go into overtime. It also happened to be her first made three-pointer of her career, which makes me so incredibly proud. Unfortunately she has been out since the Virgin Islands with an ACL tear, but its clear that Mel has made a lasting impact on the season with her heroic antics in Utah.
Temple: Another game that doesn’t get discussed, but was soooooo fun! First, it was really cool for me and Jayne to play against Dawn Staley, who coached us this summer and is someone I look up to in so many ways. The game didn’t feel like it was too out of control, and we always kind of felt like we were fine. We were down, but it didn’t feel like that much. Until I look up at the scoreboard after they score and it shows we’re down 19!!! We go into halftime with a 17-point deficit. The amazing thing? Nobody panicked. Nobody was upset; the locker room at halftime was filled with encouragement. We could have easily given up, felt overwhelmed at the probability of coming back, but we stuck together and we had so much trust that we were going to make it through together. The result? A 17-0 run to begin the second half, we ended up winning the game by nine. That was the day I realized that this is not some ordinary team. To me, that win in the Virgin Islands planted the seeds for this year, which has been nothing short of amazing.

Maybe I am getting older, but what I love most about this team is that they keep me young.

Thank you to my teammates, my wonderful coaches, and most importantly the fans!!!!!!!

Candice Wiggins

Preparing for the NCAA Tournament

2008-03-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Now that the Pac 10 Tournament Tournament is over (PAC 10 CHAMPIONS!!!) you may wonder what we are doing. Like many of you who came to the games this weekend at HP and supported us so enthusiastically, our team and staff is tired. Playing (or cheering for) three games in three days is very demanding both physically, mentally and emotionally. I am extremely proud of our team for their outstanding effort this past weekend. Our players had a well deserved day off and all were busy writing papers and studying for upcoming exams. We did not practice Tuesday, but like you the coaches had work to do so we all were in the office to visit with a recruit visiting unofficially and to catch up on things.

Today we are on our regular schedule which means the coaches meet at 1pm to watch video, plan practice, go over upcoming recruiting trips and prepare for the NCAA Tournament. Our team will have a light practice today which will include going over our goal sheet (something we do after every game), watching our game Hi Lites from the Cal Championship game and talking about the beginning of the "third" and most important season!

We divide our season into 3 parts. Our preseason, conference season and post season. Our team has had both a fabulous preseason and conference season and now is the most exciting and fun part -- the NCAA Tournament. At this time of year my job is to focus on doing everything to give our team the best chance of being successful in the NCAA. The keys to our team making a long tournament run are 1) being healthy, 2) being well rested, 3) continuing to improve, 4) playing confidently, 5) preparing for all but playing one game at a time!!!

We are going to the NCAA, and our team is VERY excited about that opportunity. We will all be watching ESPN (ESPN will be here on campus showing our team's reaction!) and we can't wait to see who we will be playing.

We know three things. We are playing at Stanford, WE ARE READY and YOU will be LOUD!!!

Thank you all for your terrific support of our team and program. ENJOY

Tara Vanderveer

Getting her beauty sleep

2008-02-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!!

I thought I would share something interesting some of my teammates and I are doing this quarter. Ash, Jill, Kayla and I are all participating in a sleep study for athletes. The goal is to see if increased sleep leads to increased athletic performance as well as overall alertness.

One of the requirements is that we get ten hours of sleep a night, which definitely gets tricky with our busy schedules! We also keep track of our daily alertness and take PVT reaction time tests twice a day. The times are supposed to decrease as we get more sleep. (Ash and I definitely have room for improvement!)

Another part of the study is that we are required to wear watches, called Actiwatch, which serve as motion sensors to track our sleep. They are quite stylish, all of our teammates are jealous. (Not really, they are actually quite unstylish, but we manage.)

All of us have weekly meetings with Cheri, the leader of the study, at the Sleep Center. She has us fill out questionnaires about how we are feeling and collects our sleep journals. Ash and I bike over together every Tuesday. I definitely enjoy our lovely bonding time as well as the scenery.

So far, I have noticed a difference in my alertness throughout the day with ten hours of sleep. I feel like I have more energy, especially at practice. I highly recommend sleeping as much as you can.

According to Dr. Dement, the Sleep and Dreams professor, "Drowsiness is red alert," which means people are in danger when they don't get enough sleep. So, get all the beauty sleep you need!

Hannah

P.S. I should also mention that the sleep study counts as a class. I've decided that sleeping is definitely the best way to get units!!

P.P.S. Save a tree! RECYCLE!!!!!

Oregon, a fantastic but underrated state

2008-02-16T04:51:00.000-08:00

I just want to say that I went online to read the previous blog entries and am not sure if I can top the public display of headbands, which I think is an amazing topic (touché Ros, touché). I completely 100% agree that, “While they may not get all the game calls right, referees are serious about headband infractions.” I have already had my fair share of “serious headband infractions” and let me tell you, they are no joke!

Ok so now onto my topic: Oregon. I feel that Oregon is a very underrated state by everyone on the team (Jill excluded) and that people do not enjoy the full benefits of such a wonderful state. However, I do not claim to be associated with anywhere beyond, and including, Oregon City. AAU teams from all over the nation congregate in this little town and take this small part of a huge state as a representation of what the rest of the state must be like. Even my roommate believed that her mother, who is from this fantastic state, grew up in covered wagons, like in the computer game “The Oregon Trail.”

Let me set the record straight: where Jill and I are from, things are a little different. Especially Portland, where I usually find myself when I am looking for something to do. It is a big city and I am constantly discovering new restaurants and boutiques. However, it is not too big that you get overwhelmed. I always tell people that it is big enough where you can get lost, but if you take a second, you can usually figure out where you are. Plus, it is extremely clean, as far as cities go.

My usual cruising spot is NW 23rd St., where many of my favorite restaurants are. A place that I am particularly proud of knowing its location is Voodoo Doughnuts. This little hole-in-the-wall shop is now open 24 hours a day, but when I was in high school, it was open during the obscure hours of 10pm to 10am. The doughnuts here are very peculiar, for they have combinations you would not expect: a glazed doughnut with Captain Crunch or Fruit Loops on top and one that I have yet to try, and doubt I will, a maple bar with a strip of bacon. On any random Friday or Saturday night, when I have nothing to do, I may hit up Voodoo Doughnuts with my friends, which turns into a 20-minute car ride blasting old school Britney Spears songs.

As I sit here in my room writing this blog, Jillian is sprawled out on my couch, and for some reason I am reminded of high school basketball when Jillian was the best thing since sliced bread (and she still is!) and I was extremely intimidated by her. But that’s how every person on every other team should feel when they look at her. When she gets back on the court, expect greatness.

GO CARD!!!!

JJ Hones

The Coolest Pet Ever

2008-02-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

So ... I know many of my teammates write their blogs about basketball and that’s really cool and all because I mean basketball is basically our life, but I would like to focus my blog on something else that is very special in my life ... Yes, if you guessed my desert tortoise Rocky you are 100% correct.

Some of you may be thinking, “Why in the world is she writing about her pet desert tortoise?” Well, I think first off he is really cool, and second, there are many things about desert tortoises that people don’t know, which I found out when Coach Kate was asking me a million questions about desert tortoises one day. In fact, she was the one that gave me this brilliant idea to write about Rocky because she was so intrigued.

So to continue with my blog ... one thing many people don’t know about desert tortoises is that they go into hibernation and sleep for almost 6 months. That is a very long time; I would love to be able to sleep that long!

At the end of the winter, Rocky usually wakes up and starts to move around again. Before hibernation though, my mom tries to feed him as much as possible so he stays healthy all winter. Around late October we put him in a box in the garage with newspaper so he’s nice and comfortable and my mom even puts a stuffed animal with him in there too. Haha! She also checks on him every now and then to make sure he is OK. So basically we only have a desert tortoise as a pet for half a year. It’s really weird.

Another thing people don’t really know is what desert tortoises eat. Rocky loves lots of different types of lettuce, carrots, fruit, squashes, and the occasional hibiscus flower, which desert tortoises love. My mom really gets into it and buys him a wide variety of food. It’s like a buffet! He eats better than I do.

Something really funny about Rocky is that he actually knows when people are around and if you call his name he will come to you, slowly but surely. He’s quicker than you think though, don’t let the rumors about turtles and tortoises fool you.

During the day when he’s not in hibernation, he stays on our front porch, which is a pretty big area for him and he can roam around. We are thinking about putting a camera out there to see what he actually does when we are not around. I think he throws parties with his tortoise friends but that’s just me.

He’s probably the coolest pet ever and sometimes he and my cat interact which is pretty funny. I like to think of Rocky as my little dinosaur.

On a basketball note, I just want to say how exciting this season has been so far and how truly blessed I am to be in such a great program with such amazing people.

GO CARD!!!

Jeanette Pohlen #23

Public Displays of Headbands

2008-02-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

I’ve decided to use my blog to alert the masses about a controversial subject arising in women’s college basketball. First, a quick shout out to my mom and sister, and all the people who hold me down, "What’s up!"

There is a hot button topic that has become an issue of concern this year in women’s college basketball. Referees everywhere are cracking down on PDH’s this year. That’s right folks, I’m talking about public displays of headband.

Entire teams must wear the same color headband, and a color that matches the uniform. There cannot be too many logos or endorsements on the headband, and size is sometimes a touchy subject. Infuriated, players with lucky headbands tried to beat the system and wear them anyway but no player has succeeded. Stanford captains, Candice Wiggins and Jillian Harmon, are often sent back to their teammates to bear the bad news.

While they may not get all the game calls right, referees are serious about headband infractions. A few times, wild haired players like Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Cissy Pierce play an entire game working tirelessly on defense to keep their player away from the basket and their hair away from their face.

So why the sudden fuss over head apparel you wonder? Some studies show this isn’t an overnight trend. Headwear and hairstyles are very conscious and strategic choices made by the Stanford players.

Sophomore JJ Hones always wears her hair in a neat bun in belief that a neat player plays a neat game. Center, Jayne Appel, better known for her versatile stash of drop steps and power slides, also keeps an arsenal of variations on buns, pony tails, braids, and twists. Personally, I have experimented with both braids and twists, and currently I wear a high ponytail with a broad white tie-on headband, sporty yet casual cute at the same time. Injured point guard, Melanie Murphy, another New Yorker with style, wore her headband thick and low over her ponytail. Even Jillian Harmon’s famous “woke up this morning with this bun” hairstyle is more planned than she lets on; reports claim she wears this style to both games and dress-up events.

Objective and sensible people agree, “Refs, leave the players alone!" If the players want to wear their hair and headbands a certain way, then so be it. Basketball was better when the players focused on themselves and the refs focused on their calls.

-Rosalyn Gold-Onwude

Tara's teammate

2008-01-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

Arizona...

What a lovely trip to get out of the way! I wanted nothing more than to get to Arizona, win two games, and get out!

The team really pulled it together this weekend and showed a lot of fight in the second game. Jeannette making those two free throws to seal the deal vs. ASU really showed how our team expects contributions from the whole team to win a game. It took effort from everyone to pull together and get the wins that we needed. Of course, there were many other highlights of this road trip besides the two wins.

The seniors of last year told me stories about Tara that they said they would never forget. This weekend, Tara made a memory in my mind that I cannot imagine ever slipping away.

As we got to Arizona for our practice the day after our win most of the girls were still putting on their ankle braces when Cissy and I began to watch Kate and Tara play one on one. We decided to make it more interesting and join in on the game.

Now, I have never really seen the coaches truly play basketball, so this was a new sight for me. And what a sight it was. Tara and I were on one team versus Cissy and Kate. A little one-sided on the speed factor, if you ask me. We had been going full court and Tara got a couple of lay-ups but mostly was lobbing the ball inside. The final time down the court when Tara and I were down by a couple of baskets she said, "Next basket wins," as she lobbed it in the air. I made a lay-up and the game was over. Kate and Cissy still claim that they won the game. I guess it really is true that the head coach has the final say.

Being a teammate of Tara's is something that I will never forget. The best part about the game is that Bobbie video taped the whole thing. Expect it on you-tube soon.

I would say that this trip really defined our team as one that fights when we get down. We have lots to work on this week with the big game coming up on Saturday. Can't get my hopes up that Tara will be playing with us this week again as it will be back to business so we can get done what needs to be done.

Jayne #2

Ready to play!

2008-01-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

When I decided to come to Stanford, I knew I was making a big sacrifice because I would barely be able to see my family for nine months out of the year. With my family living 3,000 miles away from campus, it isn’t very realistic for them to fly out every weekend for games, especially since I have been hurt. So I was extremely excited to get the opportunity to back home to Yarmouth, Maine for Christmas.

After our huge win against Tennessee, I rushed to the airport to catch my flight home and thirteen long hours later, I was back in Maine, just barely making it back before an impending snowstorm hit New England. While the constant sunshine and temperatures above sixty degrees are two things that I love about attending Stanford, it doesn’t feel completely like Christmas without snow. So while I was home, I spent as much time as I could enjoying the twenty degree temperatures and three feet of snow that covered my entire yard.

Once I got back from a short Christmas break, it was back to practice to get ready for Pac-10 play. And after a long month of rehab and working myself back into shape after back surgery, I was finally cleared to participate in practice. After five long months of not being able to play, it felt awesome to be back on the court with my teammates instead of being stuck on the sidelines. It is a great feeling knowing that I can make it through a whole practice without any pain!

I want to thank everyone who comes out and supports our team! Come out and watch us make our way through out Pac-10 schedule. It means a lot to all of us!

GO CARD!!

Ashley Cimino

Welding, drilling and tapping

2008-01-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

I am currently writing this blog sitting in the hotel in New Mexico. We have just finished playing against UNM, and can I just say-wow. What a great place to play! It was an amazing environment to experience! Even if a majority of the fans were yelling against us, it was a fun and exciting place to play.

The trip itself was glorious in that it finally allowed me to catch up on some MUCH needed sleep. After two weeks of cramming and practice, I am more than a little sleep deprived.

Although, fortunately I think finals went pretty well. During dead and finals week, I spent a majority of the time trying to catch up on a project I was making for ME203-Engineering Manufacturing and Design. I had to create my own product from scratch, and I chose to make a basketball shooting aide. The basic concept was a guard that was raised about 3” above the rim that made you shoot with higher arc. The manufacturing was an interesting process. I had to bend steel using a torch and pliers into an 18” diameter ring (for those of you that don’t know- that is the size of the rim). It also included milling pieces from aluminum, heat forming poly-carb, welding, and drilling and tapping. If you don’t understand any of what this entails-before this class neither did I.

It’s amazing how much you can learn in 9 weeks! I am extremely glad to be done with that class. Although it was a fun experience, it was extremely stressful. After all, I can make up problem sets, missed lectures and readings on the road, but it is impossible to make up shop time. But I guess that is what I get for undertaking an engineering major.

But I’m hoping it will all pay off in the end. I want to be sure to get the best education I can-after all that’s why we go to Stanford.

Anyway, to conclude I’ll just say COME OUT AND WATCH US BEAT TENNESSEE!! We’ve been working our tails off, and you should definitely come see our efforts at work.

Step Up Your Game

2007-12-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of the main reasons I got into coaching and chose to come back to Stanford was because of my experience as a member of the Stanford women’s basketball team. Playing at Stanford taught me so much about the game AND life and I have loved the opportunity to share some of those lessons with young people, specifically now with our Stanford team.

When I got word that I was charged the task of writing a blog for the Fastbreak Club, I admit my first thought was, “I’m going to suck at this.” But then I immediately thought of two of the biggest lessons I learned as a player at Stanford and now try to pass on to our team as a coach:

Lesson #1: Good teammates work together to make each other look good.
Lesson #2: If you invest everything in each other, your teammates will be your teammates for life.

So my next thought was, “Yes, I would suck at writing a blog…but Va would be great!” So I texted Va and asked her to be my “Guest-Blogger.” She said as long as I proofread, she’d be happy to help me make the play…and, as usual, my teammate came through.

So without further adieu…here’s The One, The Only, The Truly Incomparable, Vanessa Nygaard, coming straight to The Fastbreak Club from her coaching gig in the Da’ Bu…

STEP UP YOUR GAME!

So it has been a good long while since Stanford has been to the Final Four or won a National Championship. Cardinal fans, alumni, boosters and players don’t really need anyone else pointing that out.

As the years pass with heartbreaking losses and ridiculous charge calls, it is easy as a fan to sit back and say, “Well, wait till next year.” But instead of living in the past and hoping for the future, what about taking a good hard look at YOU, the fan of Stanford basketball. Have you ever considered that YOU might be the problem? Yes, YOU!

Maybe in the cosmic scheme of things you don’t just sit there and cheer, maybe you do have an effect on the game?

Are you in a rooting rut? Do you do the same things before games that you did ten years ago? Park in the same spot? Buy the same churro? Wear the same Fastbreak club t-shirt over your button-up shirt you wore to work? Maybe it is time to change it up? If this is the year that the Card wins it all, are you really ready????

Change is good! Don’t hold onto your old traditions. As Pearl Jam so eloquently stated, “Sometimes the hand you hold is the hand that holds you down.”

RELEASE…. And be reborn as a new genetically advanced, twenty hundreds, Internet ready, UBER-BOOSTER!!!!

So you say, “Vanessa, I don’t know how to do that. I love my faded red polo shirt and Una Mas pregame?”

No fear, I am here to help! Trust and learn. Let’s go….

First, you need a fresh outlook. What is a fan to you? Someone that follows the team and goes to some games? Or someone with a true commitment and insufferable loyalty to their team of choice? You can’t just sit back anymore and watch - a real fan, an UBER-BOOSTER is a woman or man of action! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Tailgate – set up the BBQ, pull out the lawn chairs and get ready to cheer on the home team in true America sports fan style.

Invade the Blogosphere! – Visit the East Coast blogs and fight the bias with some old fashion trash talk laced with west coast style. Example: You Huskies might have beat us this time, but at least our coach doesn’t look like a stunt double for French President, Nicolas SARKOZY!

A tattoo – nothing says commitment like flesh art.

Paint your car – make your transportation a mobile advertisement for your favorite team.

Creative and organized heckles – I used to love when the Maples fans chanted, “Sit down Chris!” I am sure that you can come up with something that rhymes with “Tia,” and “Boyle” is a heckler’s homerun

My personal favorite – name your next kid or pet something Stanford. Who wouldn’t want a bird named “Star” or a moose named “Carolyn”?

I hope these ideas get your booster juices flowing so STEP UP YOUR GAME, and I can’t wait to see the results. Who knows, maybe your new red Mohawk will push the Cardinal over the top?

GO STANFORD!

Frequent Flyer

2007-12-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

HELLO!

This year our team has accumulated quite the collection of frequent flyer miles: 6,000 miles to and from New Jersey, 750 miles to Utah, and another 6,000 miles from Utah to the Virgin Islands and back! When the coaches recruited me to play basketball at Stanford they said we would travel, but I never imagined it would be this much. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to travel all over the country to play. This year alone I will have been to three new states if you count our upcoming trip to New Mexico, and in my first two years at Stanford I went to Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, and Massachusetts for the first time. That brings my total to seven new states in just three years!

I must say that our recent trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands has been the most memorable. What better way is there to spend Thanksgiving than in the Virgin Islands with my teammates and family? Since we got the week of Thanksgiving off from school, we traveled straight from Utah to St. Thomas. That gave us a full week to enjoy all that St. Thomas has to offer. If you know our coaches, then you know we spent much of our time watching film and getting as prepared as possible for each of our three opponents. However, we still found our way to the beach a couple of times. Let me tell you, I sure could get used to going from practice to the beach for a few hours! As simple as this sounds, my favorite part of the entire trip was sitting on my balcony overlooking the ocean and attempting the daily crossword from the New York Times.

Even though we just played yesterday, I am already anxious to play Baylor! However, these next two weeks will be a great opportunity to catch up on all of my homework that “I couldn’t seem to find” while I went to the beach. [Jillian wrote this blog on Dec 3.] Thank you to those of you who follow our team so closely and are so supportive! See you at home versus Baylor.

GO CARD!

Jillian Harmon

How time flies!

2007-12-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Let me start off by being cliche and saying that I can't believe that I'm a senior! But I don't mean that from a "how time flies" perspective alone (because the time has gone pretty fast). I really mean it when I think that only 3 years ago I was a freshman and a teenager, and now, in that short span of time, I am suddenly the oldest player on our team and one of the most experienced. The level of change and maturity in a short amount of time is unbelievable. And what really gets me is that this is my last year of playing organized, amateur basketball - after this, it's either play for money or play for fun (or have fun while you're playing for money).

I want to play professionally for a few years (overseas would be awesome!!!) and eventually go to veterinary school. Vet school is hard to get into, possibly harder than med school because there are so few vet schools nationally, but hopefully this Stanford diploma I'm about to receive will help me out a little. :)

We're into December now, which means finals for classes, the last of our preseason schedule, and then Christmas! So wish our team luck this year as we make another try at the Final Four and a National Championship. Especially come root for us against Baylor and Tennessee! We've never had such a competitive schedule before and we want our fans cheering us on through the whole thing!

Well I've got to go write some papers. Thanks for all the support and GO CARD!

Cissy

Why I'm Zero

2007-11-23T05:22:00.000-08:00

Some people think Gilbert Arenas is crazy. For the most part I do too. I can respect it though. You got to think all athletes have to be crazy. We put so much time into our sport, but most of us will never even make it to the top. I spend about six hours with the team everyday. I don’t get to have home cooked thanksgiving meals, and I only have about 2days for Christmas break. My roommate thinks that’s crazy. I respect Gilbert Arenas because of his great success story. He became something from nothing. At the University of Arizona he was expected to average zero minutes, so that was the jersey number he chose. He spent hours in the gym shooting so that he would be ready when he was given his chance. Arenas was finally given a chance and capitalized on it. The same thing happened to Arenas when he went to the NBA. In both situations he went from zero to hero.

All spring, all I did was shoot. I didn’t attend one outing with my teammates. My goal was to make 1500 threes a week. One day in early spring training, Candice and I were shooting together trying to get our 300 makes for the day. She was using Matt (our practice player) as a rebounder while at the time (because of my terrible shooting) it was more efficient for me to use the shooting gun. Candice got her 300 makes in about 30 minutes, it took me hours. I finally left the gym at 8:30, successfully reaching my goal of 300 makes. I texted Candice that night to let her know I finished. Candice always took me under her wing as a guard, but I think that day is when Candice and I started getting really close.

To me zero represents the athlete struggle. It represents the doubters, the haters, the non-believers. For everyone who thought I couldn’t hold my own in games, and that I wasn’t good enough. Every game I get into I need to prove myself. I’m no longer a star in high school, I’m a normal player, I’m a zero. My goal is to go from zero to hero, just like Gilbert Arenas did.

“I’m the peoples champ. I’m robin hood. This is the role I was born to play”

I want to give a special shout out to my mom Rochelle Murphy, my dad Joseph Murphy, my sister Monique Murphy, my friends Candice (birdman), Tiema, Charisma, Lauren, and Nyla for always believing in me.

What a welcome to the college game

2007-11-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

The team just got back from the Yale/Rutgers east coast trip and it was amazing! We ended up going 2-0 by beating Yale last Friday and Rutgers yesterday. The Rutgers game was an incredible experience. I felt very confident going into the game especially after seeing everyone in our new stylish black jerseys (I absolutely love them by the way!)

From the tip-off we played pretty much head to head with Rutgers with neither team creating a huge lead. Then it was crunch time. It was 58-58 and Rutgers was going for the last shot. With 7 seconds left on the clock, they missed a three pointer. I grabbed the rebound and passed it to Candice who was fouled with 0.1 seconds left. We were in the bonus so Jayne, Candice, and I lined up at the free throw line. I had all of the confidence in the world that Candice was going to hit both free throws. She did and we won 60-58. We had upset the #3 team in the country!

It wasn’t until I got back to the hotel in which I put into perspective what had happened: In my second collegiate game, we had beaten Rutgers at the RAC on ESPN. Wow! Talk about a welcoming into the college game. But that was yesterday. It was only our second game and we have an entire season ahead of us. Therefore, we are going to learn from our mistakes and grow as a team so that we win the big games that really matter in the end. But overall, it was a great trip and I had a lot of fun bonding with my teammates!! Next we take on USA!

GO CARD!!

Kayla Pedersen