On Wednesday at 7:00 PM PT on Stanford Live Stream and Varsity Network radio, #15 Stanford women’s basketball will open up their season at home against Hawaii.
Last time out: Stanford defeated Dominican 126-53 in their exhibition last week.
RECAP:#15 Stanford WBB breezes past Dominican in exhibition
On Hawaii: The Rainbow Wahine are coming off a season in which they went 18-15 overall and 13-7 in the Big West. They had a close 61-60 loss at Oregon State last season, so they have shown that they can compete against Pac-12 teams. That said, against Stanford last season, they fell by a final score of 68-39, so that should give Stanford a lot of confidence.
The Rainbow Wahine are led by junior guards Lily Wahinekapu (12.5 points & 3.9 rebounds per game last season) and Daejah Phillips (11.1 points & 3.9 rebounds). Both of them form a solid backcourt that the Cardinal will have to respect.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is defend the perimeter well. Both Wahinekapu and Phillips will look to get going and do their thing. They are the ones who run this Hawaii offense and so it’s crucial for Stanford to contain them and not allow them to have a big night.
Secondly, Stanford needs to do dominate the glass. Hawaii averaged a rebound differential of less than one last season. With Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen inside, Stanford should control the boards and rebound with ease.
Finally, Stanford should look to take good shots. They’re heavily favored to win, so this game is as much about building good habits as anything else. If the shot selection is good, not only will they win, but they’ll also build strong habits for when they face tougher opponents (like Indiana on Sunday).
Prediction: I got Stanford winning 85-40. I expect the offense to perform well and for the defense to do its thing. Outside of Wahinekapu and Phillips, Hawaii just doesn’t have much.
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