Before the season, Stanford women's basketball sophomore point guard Talana Lepolo caught up with CardinalSportsReport.com about what she most enjoys about this year’s squad and what her goals are.
VIDEO: Talana Lepolo enjoys the competitive environment of Stanford WBB
Lepolo said she’s been really focusing on her pace. That’s really important to her. Looking for her teammates and also looking for her own offense as well. Just finding that right balance. And then on defense, looking to set the tone and defend the ball. Looking back on last season, Lepolo said their main focus has been to stick together and build relationships off the court so then when they are on the court, they are trusting each other. She thinks they’ve done an amazing job of that. Just building a good team culture.
On the freshmen Nunu Agara, Courtney Ogden, and Chloe Clardy, Lepolo has high praise for all of them. She likes how versatile they are and how energetic they are. She said they don’t feel like freshmen. They’ve done a great job of hopping into things and transitioned well to the college level.
On the key to her poise as a point guard, Lepolo said she was really fortunate to grow up with a lot of quality coaches that instilled that poise in her. Her whole mindset is to get her team to a win. That means doing whatever that takes whether it be getting a bucket or making the right pass. She’s all about doing her job and that has brought a lot of that poise in addition to her quality coaches.
Lepolo’s favorite point guards include Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, Courtney Vandersloot, and Sue Bird. She enjoys watching the best do what they do and seeing what she can learn from them.
What Lepolo has most enjoyed about being at Stanford is the community. Both the athletic community and the overall Stanford community at large. She likes how there is a seamless transition between the two groups. She also loves the campus and just the opportunity to go to school at such an amazing academic institution.
On the mood and vibe of this year’s team, Lepolo said because they have smaller numbers, that creates more opportunity and drive. She feels like everyone is fighting for their minutes and that creates an atmosphere that they didn’t have last year. She likes the competitive environment that it has fostered.
On playing for USA Basketball in the summer, Lepolo said it was a great opportunity to play with players from all across the country. She wants to play overseas professionally and getting the chance to play in Spain gave her that feeling of what that will be like. It helped her dreams feel more tangible. Lepolo said she speaks a little Spanish but wants to improve it. She studied it a bit in high school and also in college.
When asked about interesting classes she’s been in, Lepolo said she was in an OB-GYN class that she enjoyed. All about pregnant women and abortion policies and things like that. It had nothing to do with her major, but it was a class she felt was interesting to her and she wanted to take advantage of it being offered. She likes that Stanford has a diverse course catalog and she wants to make the most of it.
Lepolo said they have a close relationship with the men’s basketball team. They’re always bumping into each other and also feel like they have a lot in common by playing the same sport. So that makes their bond stronger than it might be with other sports.
Finally, Lepolo weighed in on her favorite flavor of Gatorade. Watch the end of the interview to see what she selected!
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