Tara VanDerveer gets 1099 wins to pass Pat Summitt

Well, she got it. And she aptly got it in the style she was probably most comfortable with, no fanfare, big speeches or packed fans hanging on her every word. We, or course, are talking about Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer setting the all time career women's basketball wins, surpassing the legendary Pat Summitt.

In an empty gym at the University of Pacific, albeit televised on ESPN2, the Stanford Women's Basketball team beat UoP by the score of 104-61 (making this the third time this season they have broken 100 points). With this win, she now has 1099 (and counting), passing Pat's record and just a handful of wins ahead of still active UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

And wasn't it serendipitous that UConn had their first two weeks put on pause due to Covid concerns that allowed Tara to sprint ahead and beat Pat first and hold it for a little while? Yeah it was! Glad everyone up in the frozen north is healthy, mind you, but the basketball gods wanted Tara to have this, to have her be the one that surpasses Pat.

When she tied the record, the story Tara kept telling about Pat was the one that happened when she came out West to play Stanford, after just receiving her diagnosis of early onset dementia. They met courtside, and Tara said to Pat, look what you built, sweeping her arms to the packed and raucous Maples crowd. And Pat Summitt turned to her and said, "Tara, I love you." Tara then describes how, in that moment, it took the wind out of her sails because she wanted to maintain a fiery edge and just beat her...The fact that is the quote she remembers and shares with the world is not what we expected. 

So much has been written about this historic milestone, and better than C and R could ever spit out, (Ann Killion has a great article) but take a listen below. Tara over the years has been described as dry and understated, in a slightly negative light, to analytic and even-keeled in a somewhat positive light. But in the video with her addressing her team, she tells her players she loves them. And that everything she does is because of that love for them. And yes, the message sometimes gets lost in translation, and that "Sprint back" doesn't seem like love, but it is, Tara style. Have a listen yourself and get a feel for this unique, one of a kind coach.

And, in typical Tara fashion after she broke the record, she thanked the ADs that hired her, her coaching staff, her family (even though she often trots out the quote her Dad said when he said "basketball will never take you anywhere," which, if you understand Tara, was more of a challenge then the end of a conversation), and every single player that has ever played for her. She also says she is looking ahead to the next game, and how her current team can improve. Typical Tara.

We love you too, coach!

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