Stanford Basketball gets glamorous, lazy, and studious!

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

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

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

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

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

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…

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

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:

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


2. Jimmy V's is delicious.


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


4. 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.


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


6. Jimmy V's is delicious.


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


8. The Stanford Band is crazy, but awesome.


9. And, our fans are the best!

See you at the games!
Sara

Lauren looks GOOD in RED

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!

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