Amber counts her blessings

Hello Fastbreak Club.

As this week's designated blogger I'd like to take the time to show gratitude to everyone who has given us so much support. I speak for the whole team in saying that we don't take for granted the blessings and opportunities we have as being student-athletes at the number one university in the world. From our parents, family members, and friends back home who helped support us along the way to the wonderful, dedicated fans that come to every game-thank you. To our coaches, managers, trainers, interns, and to everyone that makes it possible for us to do what we are able to do, we are extremely grateful.

Last night was a historic and momentous one in the fact that after our win against Colorado, we were recognized as the first ever conference winners of the Pac-12. We received t-shirts, a banner, a gleaming trophy, and a much appreciated round of applause from those in attendance. It was an exciting time for me personally, especially being a freshman, and it was an honor to be part of our program's amazing history and tradition of winning and success. In those moments all I desired was to appreciate the moment and make a promise to myself to keep the tradition going. It was one of many occasions in which I'll never forget and definitely brought our team closer together.

Thanks for reading and until next time,
Amber

Size discrimination

During this basketball season there is something that I have noticed. I discovered it through the many trips our team has taken throughout the year, and I feel it is my duty to share it with the world. What I have noticed is that, at least throughout the travel industry, there is a severe case of size discrimination.

Now, I know that I am not the tallest player on our team. Actually, the Stanford Women’s Basketball team is the one place where I actually feel normal in the height department. I can have a conversation with someone eye to eye without having to look down. The fact that I am noticing the size discrimination means that it is even worse for my teammates that are taller than me. There were three main instances where the discrimination caught my eye.

Instance number one was on the plane ride to Ohio. I walked onto the plane, put my bag in the overhead bin, and took my seat. As I sat down, I realized my leg space was so small that my knees were touching the seat in front of me, even though I was sitting straight up. I could not believe that they had allotted such a small area for their passengers’ legs. They clearly were not taking into account anyone who is over 6 feet tall. I find this unfair. Tall people deserve leg room too.

Instance number two was at the hotel in Fresno. During this trip I was lucky enough to be rooming with the incredibly lovely Sara James. This has nothing to do with my story; I just thought you all should know that she is awesome. Back to the point, after a long day of hard basketball work I went to curl up in my cozy bed only to find that my feet dangled over the end of the bed. In order to get my entire body on the bed I had to make sure I slept diagonal. It was an outrage! Tall girls need to sleep too.

Instance number three was at our hotel in Colorado. We had just come back from practice, and I desperately needed a shower. What can I say, we work hard. However, to my disappointment, the shower head was so low I practically had to touch my toes in order to wash my hair.

Enough is enough. Size discrimination has got to stop. I know these are not issues for everyone on our team. However, if I am dealing with these issues I can only imagine what Sarah Boothe must deal with. Yes, we may have long legs, and we can reach the very top shelf, but we are people too.

Erica Payne

Ode to a Record Player

My goal in my time here at Stanford is to never write a team blog about basketball. My reasoning for this is because immediately when you think about team blog you think, “Oh yeah, that should be about basketball and the team.”

A few important things to know about me are that I’m extremely austere so, naturally, I think sarcasm is for the birds, I hate doing things I should do, and I’m 98 and ¾ percent certain that the world revolves around me. That being said, this blog will be an extension of the aforementioned characteristics.

This Christmas I received the most amazing present from my mom, and so I’ve decided to write an ode to this particular present, so without further adieu, I give you…

Ode to my Record Player (and my other strange interests)

Some say the greatest gift you can receive is love
That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard of.

I want what I want; I don’t want what I need
I want zany, bizarre, some unheard of new breed.

Ok, a record player isn’t that weird,
Well it would be if it had a beard,

But I love it for so many reasons
It’s useful in all the 4 seasons

Eltilly I named him, you shall soon find out why,
He’s a formidable companion, one helluva guy

He sings to me when I get too bored,
As long as I remember to plug in his cord.

He has the voice of an angel, does Eltilly,
Sounds just like Rick or Elton or Billy.

Rick Springfield and Elton John that is,
And Billy Joel, the preferred artist of his.

So Eltilly, you say, and that is how come?
Elton and Billy, you see, is where it comes from.

He plays records of course, but, no that is not all
He plays CDs, MP3s even basketball!

Well not that last one, but t’would be sweet if he did
Though he does have a radio underneath the lid

Oh and one more thing, a tape deck
Don’t have tapes, but ah what the heck

It’s funny how the times are
Or at least how they’ve been in my life thus far

I have records, though tapes are much “newer”
Vinyl is older, one may think there’d be fewer.

But records are retro; they’re cool and back in
T’will be years before tapes are in again.

And I, unlike my friends, feel strongly about choice music
The junk my teammates listen to makes me feel sick

Pre-game pump-up Rack City? Not a fan
I’d rather listen to Billy sing The Piano Man

How about Hall & Oates, Rich Girl anyone?
Or perhaps the Beatles, Here Comes the Sun.

We could listen to Vienna, don’t change my song, Let it Be,
It might be pre-Mikaela, but It’s Still Rock and Roll to me!

Jesse’s Girl and Tiny Dancer are a few of the good twos
Levon is sad, but I guess that’s why they call it the blues

Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress is good during weights,
Or Danger Zone, A song Grace Mashore truly hates

In the shower, play me Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen,
I’m no Big Shot, but I have the voice of angels, not 1, 18!

And while I’m shooting? I Say a Little Prayer For You
Or Ain’t too Proud to Beg, that’s a good one, too.

I should stop with the rhymes now; I’m to the end of the page,
The take home: Some things (like music) get better with age

I realize now as I finish this poem, it’s less about the actual record player, and more about my fantastic taste in music. That’s how things go sometimes; they start out one way and end another way. Anyway, I like Dr. Seuss and I like rhyming, that’s why I wrote a poem. I’m thinking next year might have something to do with fashion (you know, cuz I’m an expert).

I know you are all immensely depressed because my blog is over, but as Dr. Seuss himself once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because happened.” Plus there will another one next year.

THE CARDINAL RULES!!!
Mikaela

The Cardinal's got moves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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