Stanford women’s basketball is getting an important returner this season in 5th year guard Hannah Jump. Jump caught up with CardinalSportsReport.com about why she came back and what she’s most looking forward to about this season.
VIDEO: Hannah Jump is excited for her 5th season on The Farm
Jump said she is super excited to be back for one more season. She felt it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up both academically and athletically. She’s getting her master’s degree, which is exciting and then also getting one more season to play the game that she loves at Stanford. She feels like the team had a solid summer and fall and can’t wait to start playing games at Maples Pavilion this season.
Jump’s master’s degree is in communications with a focus in media studies. Her undergraduate degree was in developmental psychology. She isn’t sure where those degrees will take her, but she’s confident that she’ll find a home in at least one of those fields once her basketball career is over.
Jump is most focusing on getting in the weight room to get stronger while also staying healthy. And then on top of that, just tuning up her shot and expanding her craft in that realm by coming off screens, step backs, and using more shot fakes.
Jump said the main message they’re getting from head coach Tara VanDerveer and the rest of the staff is make this the best year ever. Get better with each practice, work hard, and have fun in the process. Reflecting on her time at Stanford, Jump said she can relate to the freshmen because she was there not that long ago. She is doing all she can to be a leader and fill the role that the upperclassmen did for her when she was a freshman.
What Jump has most enjoyed about being at Stanford is the sisterhood that is felt on the team. She said that part is real and genuine. She is excited to continue in that tradition. She also praised the freshmen Nunu Agara, Courtney Ogden, and Chloe Clardy for the way they’ve come in and gone to work. She likes how confident they are and the presence they have on the court. She also likes how coachable they are and their ability to be threats on both ends of the court.
On assistant coaches Tempie Brown and Erica McCall, Jump said she and Brown have gone full circle as she was on staff her freshman year. She’s happy to have her back for her last year. As for McCall, given she’s a former player, she’s able to connect to the players in that way and bring a new energy.
Jump said she feels like they ended last season with a lot to prove and so she’s very much excited to show what they can do this year. She feels like they are coming into this season ready to get back at it and get back to the level that they know they are capable of.
Jump said they have high expectations as a program with the thought of winning a national title. At the same time, they want to make sure they take things day by day and accomplish those daily goals as well. She feels like that will help them accomplish their big picture goals.
On playing under a legend in Tara VanDerveer, Jump said she is grateful for the chance to play one more year under her. Jump said VanDerveer’s basketball IQ is insane and you learn from her every day you are out there. A very basketball-minded coach that knows how to communicate the game well to her players.
On her shooting success, Jump said getting up a lot of reps is very important. Game reps is important. Doing all she can to replicate game reps is something she spends a lot of time on. Putting in the hours.
Jump looked up to former Cardinal Karlie Samuelson and the way she shot the ball on The Farm. She came to a lot of Stanford games as a kid and remembers watching her play. Stephen Curry is another one she likes to study. Just his ability to move off the ball and create shots for himself.
On Spencer Jones on the men’s team and his shooting ability, Jump said she admires his game a lot and how good of a shooter he is. She is excited to see what he’s gonna do in his fifth year and has had fun watching him grow. When asked who would win in a 3-point shootout between the two of them, she said she thinks she’d win.
Finally, Jump shared her favorite flavor of Gatorade. Watch the end of the interview to see what she selected.
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