On Friday, Stanford Athletics held their ceremony to formally induct their Hall of Fame Class of 2022. It is the first all-female Stanford Hall of Fame Class in celebration of 50 years of Title IX.
Eight former student athletes were inducted: Lisa Bernhagen Ramos (women's track and field), Elaine Breeden Penrose(women's swimming and diving), Margie Dingeldein (women's water polo), Ashley Hansen Church (softball), Carly Janiga Reardon (women's gymnastics), Nneka Ogwumike (women's basketball), Christen Press (women's soccer) and Sally Voss Krueger (women's golf).
Two additional people were also inducted: Stanford head women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer and Linda R. Meier for her years of service and dedication to Stanford Athletics. VanDerveer is the first person inducted while still actively coaching/playing. She is entering her 37th season on The Farm.
The only person inducted who I’ve gotten to cover is VanDerveer as Stanford women’s basketball is one of the teams I regularly cover on this site. One of the major reasons why I’ve had so much fun covering Stanford women’s basketball is because it’s given me a chance to cover one of the greatest basketball coaches of all-time. I used to think it was pretty cool to say I’ve been in the same press room as VanDerveer one time. Now I get to say I cover her program day in and day out. As a basketball junkie, I think that’s pretty freaking cool.
VanDerveer’s career truly boggles the mind: 1,157 wins (most in NCAA women’s basketball history), three NCAA championships, and 14 Final Fours. Prior to her time at Stanford, she coached at Ohio State and guided the Buckeyes to the Elite Eight in 1985. While her time at Stanford is what has made her a legend, her time at Ohio State was really impressive as well: 110-37 overall record (.748) and a 55-5 (91.7%) record in the Big Ten.
VanDerveer was destined for greatness no matter where she was going to end up coaching, but one can’t help but wonder how things would be different if she had stayed at Ohio State or gone somewhere else. She’s meant so much to Stanford and Stanford in turn has meant so much to her. It’s been a phenomenal combination that has truly benefited both sides far greater than either could have imagined back in 1985.
Touching quickly on Nneka Ogwumike, she was instrumental in four straight Final Four runs that stretched from the 2008-09 season to the 2011-12 season. In the 2009-10 season, Stanford lost in the national championship game to Connecticut by a final score of 53-47. During her Stanford career, she averaged 17.2 points & 8.5 rebounds per game. In her senior year, she had her best statistical season on The Farm, averaging a double-double: 22.5 points & 10.2 rebounds. To put it simply, she is one of the greatest players in program history even if a national championship eluded her.
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