Stanford hosts UC Davis Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in an annual tradition that shouldn't lose its excitement because of its repetition -- postseason basketball in Maples Pavilion. Stanford earned a No. 2 seed in the Chicago region after defeating Oregon 64-57 March 10 in a top-10 matchup.
"We're in the bracket of the defending national champion and to go to the Final Four (in Tampa) there's a lot of work ahead," said head coach Tara VanDerveer at a press conference Monday.
Senior captain Alanna Smith is deservedly picking up honors it seems on a daily basis, but probably more important in recent days was some rest after a grueling Pac-12 season. The Cardinal played some of the best individual talent and teams in the country and only dropped three games in conference despite injuries to several starters.
"This is the time of year you want to be playing your best basketball. We have had the best preparation you can get playing Pac-12 teams. You learn from the tough games and the ones you have to squeak out," Smith said.
"The practices the past week, you can feel it. We're ready. We look good in practice. We're practicing really well. I think we're excited and ready to play Stanford basketball."
The road for the Cardinal wasn't always easy. It had its share of highlights (a win over current No. 1 Baylor) and lowlights (a 40-point loss to Oregon). Also, Stanford has been without point guard Marta Sniezek all season -- a savvy, tough leader who helped guide Stanford to its last Final Four.
A quick fly by of this Stanford team on the eve of the NCAA Tournament offers a view familiar to Cardinal fans -- A group of players who describe themselves as a sisterhood regrouped from disappointment to win the conference tournament, consequently earning the No. 2 seed in the same region as Notre Dame.
Two years ago the Cardinal overcame two gut-wrenching losses to Sydney Wiese's Oregon State to beat the Beavers for the Pac-12 tournament crown. That Stanford team was a gritty group accustomed to finding ways to win when they're weren't playing their best. Team defense led the way and the trio of Erica McCall, Karlie Samuelson and Brittany McPhee clearly carried most of the scoring load.
This Stanford team was walloped by the Ducks in February and punched back in March to quiet the best offense in the country. There is an even more obvious "Big Three" (Smith, Kiana Williams and DiJonai Carrington) who scored all but nine of the points in the Cardinal's win over Oregon. And look, it's Notre Dame as the No. 1 seed.
Of course, situations are always more complex than the view from a few thousand feet.
On paper and to the eye test this is a better team than the one two years ago that needed a miracle rally to upset Notre Dame in the Elite Eight.
On a team level they spent most of the season as one of the best three-point shooting groups in the country to go along with the No. 1 defense in the Pac-12. Individually, a fun stat repeated often in the build up to the Final Four in Dallas was that Stanford was the only team there without an All-American -- whether it be first, second or third team.
Smith made ESPN's second team this year and is projected to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft after a sensational senior season.
Smith overcame a nearly overwhelming first two years on The Farm when she fought anxiety and panic attacks that would grip her on the court. The pressure of people counting on her, combined with when she perceived she failed, was sometimes crushing.
As a senior she fought through the rough times of enduring the physical play of opponents hell-bent on stopping her. She's done so without Nadia Fingall (who tore her ACL Dec. 29) or Maya Dodson (who missed a month due to a foot injury and is still not 100 percent) to help give her breaks. She lost a fingernail on her right index finger at USC Feb. 17 but still hit the game-winning shot. That win wrapped up a road sweep of the LA schools the week after the loss to Oregon.
"Alanna has been a great leader of this team," VanDerveer said. "The team has exceptional camaraderie. They're an exceptionally close team that plays really hard for each other with really extraordinary unselfishness and leadership, which I'm very proud of. It bodes well for playing well."
Stanford will need more than its "Big Three" to reach the Final Four.
Having Dodson on the court at close to 100 percent is a critical development for Stanford: "Her defense was huge in the whole tournament," VanDerveer said of Dodson matching up with Cal's Kristine Anigwe and Oregon's Ruthy Hebard. They're two of the best posts in the country.
The Cardinal have gotten contributions from Alyssa Jerome and Shannon Coffee to cover for the loss of Fingall and the return of a slightly hobbled Dodson.
Twins Lacie and Lexie Hull are "playing big minutes as freshmen and are killing it," added Smith about two other important pieces. "That's a lot of pressure for freshmen to take and they've taken it in stride. I'm really proud of everyone on the team. And Anna (Wilson), defensively she's a nightmare. I wouldn't want her guarding me ever. She's a dog on defense. I think everyone on our team has stepped up."
