Stanford Women’s Basketball Tradition “Stanford afforded me the opportunity to have the best of Athletics both the academic Stanford Women’s Basketball: and athletic worlds. I cherished the chance 2 National Championships to continuously grow 6 Final Four appearances and learn, constantly 11 Elite Eight appearances striving to be the best ‘me’ I could be. 14 Sweet Sixteen appearances Stanford provided 20 NCAA Tournament appearances the perfect environ- 15 Pacific-10 Conference titles ment for me to chal- lenge myself and Since 1985-86: reach my goals, 481-121 Overall Record while simultaneously (. 800 winning pct.) allowing me to enjoy 2 Naismith Players of the Year Tara VanDerveer, who was recently inducted into the Women’s Basketball the ride.” Hall of Fame, is fourth on the Division I Active Coaches winning percentage 7 Kodak First-Team All-Americans roster. –Kristin Folkl, Economics (1995) (four two-time selections) 7 Pacific-10 Conference Players of the Year Academics 2 United States Olympians • Ranked as the fifth best national university by the U.S. “Of all the things News & World Report that basketball has • 6,556 Undergraduates given me, the thing I • 1,700 Full-time faculty members value most, by far, is • 97% of professors hold doctorates my education at Stanford.” • Classes taught by actual professors as opposed to GA’s or TA’s –Kate Starbird, • 17 Nobel Laureates Computer Science (1997) • 21 Recipients of the National Medal of Science • 4 Pulitzer Prize winners • 60 Fields of study • Excellent support staff and tutorial access Division I Active Coaches by Winning Percentage “My Stanford educa- minumum five years head coach Rk Coach Team Yrs. W L Pct. tion has opened 1. Pat Summitt Tennessee 32 913 177 .838 many doors for me 2. Geno Auriemma Connecticut 21 592 116 .836 and has given me 3. Gail Goestenkors Duke 14 364 97 .789 instant credibility for Molly Goodenbour cut down the net after Stanford defeated Western 4. Tara VanDerveer Stanford 27 660 179 .787 Kentucky to win the 1992 NCAA Championship. anything I’ve been 5. Kim Mulkey-Robertson Baylor 6 158 44 .782 interested in.” 6. Wes Moore Chattanooga 17 390 110 .780 7. Kristy Curry Texas Tech 7 179 51 .774 –Sarah Evans-Moore, 8. Robin Selvig Montana 28 645 188 .774 Economics (1986) 9. Andy Landers Georgia 27 657 208 .755 10. Tom Collen Louisville 8 190 62 .754 The 1990’s – Stanford’s Decade of Dominance "I felt very comfort- Year W-L .Pct NCAA Finish Stanford vs. the Pac-10 in the 1990’s able around the 1989-90 32-1 .970 NCAA CHAMPIONS Arizona 18-2 .900 team and coaching 1990-91 26-6 .813 NCAA Final Four Arizona State 19-1 .950 staff while I was there, and returned 1991-92 30-3 .909 NCAA CHAMPIONS California 18-2 .900 home knowing that 1992-93 26-6 .813 NCAA Sweet 16 Oregon 19-1 .950 Stanford was the 1993-94 25-6 .806 NCAA Elite 8 Oregon State 17-3 .850 place I truly felt at 1994-95 30-3 .909 NCAA Final Four UCLA 18-2 .900 home. I knew I 1995-96 29-3 .906 NCAA Final Four USC 19-2 .905 would be challenged both athletically and 1996-97 34-2 .944 NCAA Final Four Washington 16-5 .762 academically, and 1997-98 21-6 .778 NCAA Tournament Washington State 20-0 1.000 that is the only way I 1998-99 18-12 .600 NCAA Tournament Total 164-18 .901 want it to be." Totals 271-48 .850 10 Tournament appearances –Kristen Newlin, 6 Final Fours Cultural and Social Anthropology 2 National Championships (2007) 94 2007-08 Stanford Basketball Stanford Women’s Basketball Tradition Top Teams of the 1990s (By wins and winning percentage from Jan. 1, 1990 through Dec. 31, 1999, as compiled by the University of Colorado Media Relations Office) By Total Wins 1 Tennessee 314 2. Connecticut 290 3. Louisiana Tech 278 4. Stanford 270 5. Texas Tech 268 By Total Games Winning Percentage 1. Tennessee 314-37 .895 2. Connecticut 290-47 .861 3. Louisiana Tech 278-52 .842 4. Stanford 270-51 .841 5. Texas Tech 268-56 .827 “After teaching at By Conference Wins Stanford captured its first NCAA Women’s Basketball Title in 1989-90, Stanford for almost 1. Stanford (Pac-10) 162 going 32-1 and outscoring its opponents by over 26 points a game. 20 years, I am still in 2. Connecticut (Big East) 158 awe of the Cardinal athletes. They are 3. Stephen F. Austin (Southland) 155 typically among the 4. SW Missouri St. (Gateway/Missouri Valley) 149 In the 1990’s, Stanford went to the Final Four six times, more most confident, 5. Toledo (Mid American) 142 than any other school in the nation, and won two national titles. focused and well-bal- Mount St. Mary’s (Northeast) 142 anced students with whom I come into By Conference Winning Percentage contact, and as a 1. Louisiana Tech (Sun Belt) 106-9 .922 result, it is great fun 2. Stephen F. Austin (Southland) 155-14 .917 to have them in class. Their accom- 3. Old Dominion (Colonial) 120-12 .909 plishments (both as 4. Stanford (Pac-10) 162-18 .900 NCAA Champions NCAA Final Four NCAA Champions undergraduates and 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 5. Montana (Big Sky) 133-19 .875 graduates) are excep- tional even among Final Fours in the 1990’s Stanford students, a Stanford 6 pretty exceptional Tennessee 5 bunch. I am thrilled Louisiana Tech 4 for my daughter to have the chance to Connecticut 3 NCAA Final Four NCAA Final Four NCAA Final Four be part of this won- Georgia 3 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 derful group.” Virginia 3 –Mark Denny father of Katie Purdue 2 Denny “A wonderful cam- “Stanford is a mix of pus with academic so many extremely choices and learning gifted and talented opportunities at individuals. When “Stanford was a “Stanford is for every corner. The you graduate from place where the top overachievers who most difficult part is Stanford you know, basketball in the want to be sur- getting accepted. A and everyone else nation was being rounded by people rich experience is knows, that you played and I wanted they have a lot in achieved through a have achieved some- to be a part of that.” common with.” combination of quali- thing spectacular.” ty sports and –Kate Paye, –Sonja Henning, –Charmin Smith, Political Science (1995) Economics (1991) education.” Civil and Environmental –Meg Metzger, Engineering (1997) Human Biology (1983) 2007-08 Stanford Basketball 95 1989-90 NCAA Championship Team 1989-90 NCAA 88 Stanford Championship Team 1 Auburn 8 or a program on a very quick ascent, 1989-90 Fwould be the breakthrough year for Stanford women’s basketball. In her fifth year as head coach, Tara VanDerveer and her staff knew that all the ingredients were in place for a championship team. Great post play, an exceptional back court, good scoring balance, and solid leadership. The question was, “just how good The Cardinal brought home its first NCAA title in 1990. would they be?” had five players scoring between 12 and 18 points a Entering the season with a #3 ranking, the game. Cardinal answered that question by spinning off 20 Stanford was fortunate in that one of those players consecutive wins to start the year. Then, after suffer- was a shooting guard named Jennifer Azzi. Azzi was ing their only loss of the season to the University of the consensus NCAA Player of the Year, winning the Washington, Stanford wrapped up the season with Naismith Award, the Wade Trophy and the Honda- 12 straight victories – including five postseason wins Broderick Award. She shot 49.7 percent from the and Stanford’s first-ever National Championship. floor, 79.8 percent from the line, an impressive 44.2 While the Cardinal compiled an impressive 32-1 from 3-point land and was the heart and soul of the record and won the Pacific-10 Championship with a team. But she was joined in the back court by First- 17-1 conference mark, those numbers hardly begin Team All-Pac-10 selection Sonja Henning who led The 1989-90 NCAA to tell the story. The Cardinal simply dominated the conference with 221 assists. Forward Katy Women’s Basketball everyone. Averaging over 92 points per game, Championship was Steding – who would eventually join Azzi on the Stanford topped 100 points on 10 different occasions 1996 gold medal winning USA Basketball team – held in Knoxville, and outscored its opponents by an average of more Tennessee averaged over 15 points and almost seven rebounds than 26 points per game. They controlled the boards per game. She and C/F Trisha Stevens (17.6 ppg/5.9 with an average of over 43 rebounds per contest and 96 2007-08 Stanford Basketball 1989-90 NCAA Championship Team rpg) led the team in scoring and joined forward Julie beat both #24 Mississippi (78-65) Zeilstra (13.8 ppg/6.1 rpg) to complete one of and #22 Arkansas (114-87) on its Stanford’s all-time best front courts. way to the Final Four. The Cardinal got their first big test in just their The Cardinal met #12 Virginia fourth game when #2 Tennessee came to Maples in the semifinals at Knoxville, Pavilion. Sonja Henning led the way with game- Tennessee and came away with a highs in points (23), rebounds (6) and assists (9) as nine-point win behind a very bal- Stanford sent the Volunteers to a 14-point defeat.