Pitching Our Way Back into the Olympics

Today's blog is a guest post from high school student Lydia Dunbar. She had a high school assignment to write about something important to her. She chose softball, specifically why it should be brought back to the Olympics. And unlike C and R, she even provides the links at the end where she got stuff. And unlike C and R again, she actually edited it carefully and there are NO typos! Such a change of pace! And really unlike C and R, she listens to All Things Considered on low volume instead of watching reality TV.

Okay, here's more from Lydia.

"The reason I wrote an article about softball in the Olympics and why it should be reinstated is because softball is a topic that is very important to me. I have been playing since I was six years old (I am seventeen now) and I remember how exciting it was to watch the USA Olympic team execute perfect plays in the infield and make spectacular throws from the outfield. I just think that Olympic softball players provide an inspiration for younger girls to become better softball players. Jennie Finch, the starting Olympic pitcher, is a phenomenal player and I remember when I was growing up I really wanted to pitch like her. I don't pitch anymore, but I still love watching how fast she throws the ball."

After removing all her nice MLA formatting, here is her article in its entirety:

Pitching Our Way Back into the Olympics

Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman are two of the best pitchers on the United States Olympic softball team. Of course that was not always the case. Like many other celebrities, they grew into fame by becoming increasingly better athletes. These two women inspire many people by their admirable dedication to the sport of softball and how they represented their country when softball was an Olympic sport. For that reason, softball should be reinstated back into the Olympics because it provides opportunities for females, life lessons, and an occasion for equality in the Olympics.

Softball, which was an Olympic sport from 1996 to 2008, was full of the best athletes during its time in the Olympics. The US team for example, won the Gold Medal every year except when Japan won Gold in the 2008 Olympics. The dedication these women put into the sport is admired by many young girls who dream of playing the sport as well. It gives girls and women opportunities to participate in a sport they love and want to compete professionally. In some countries such as Afghanistan where female inclusion is less common, softball “has been instrumental in allowing women and girls to play a sport in some of the most restricted countries” (Zinser). Without softball in the Olympics, there is less inspiration spreading to younger generations of girls who dream of playing professionally. Softball in the Olympics has been proven to be motivation for thousands of girls to participate in the sport, therefore it should be returned to the Olympics.

Like any other sport, softball requires good sportsmanship, teamwork, and dedication. The US Olympic softball team is full of athletes who exemplify these qualities. The coach of the US Olympic softball team drilled into the athletes’ heads that they were going to dominate. “That’s all we were going to do is dominate. And that’s what we did” Crystal Bustos says in an interview on All Things Considered. The fact that the US team had the determination to win the Gold every year from 1996 to 2008 is admirable, and lots of girls and women look up to the “dream team” of the Olympic Sport. Softball is an inspirational sport for many athletes determined to play for their country.

Softball and baseball are two very similar sports with just a few differences. Both were in the Olympics at some point in time, which offered an opportunity for minor league athletes of both genders to play in a world event. If for instance the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to put only one of the two sports back into the games, that would draw back from gender equality, which is one of the focuses of the IOC, according to Kelly Whiteside in her  article Why 3 Key Sports Will (or Won’t) Make Games. By having one sport, baseball or softball, reinstated back into the Olympics, that would draw attention to the lack of the other one. If that is the case, the IOC should strive to reestablish both sports to the 2020 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games consist of sports that do not seem as popular as the American past time. There is synchronized swimming which does not seem nearly as well-liked as Softball. Other female sports, such as tennis, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball, and more are a big deal for girls and teenagers who dream of representing their country. People love watching these sports because they are a competition of the best female athletes. Whether it is a team sport or individual, it is still an exciting event, therefore softball, a team sport, should be put back into the Olympics because it is another one of those sports that is exciting to watch and aspire to be.

In conclusion, softball should be added back into the Olympics because it is inspiration for athletes to try to play and represent their country in a world event. Softball is a sport that motivates women and girls to participate in extracurricular activities, and it strives for gender equality and teaches people life lessons. One way for the IOC to see the impact of such sport in the Olympics is provide programs for children to work on their skills and encourage them to continue to their best of ability.

-Lydia Dunbar

Bio
My name is Lydia Dunbar, I am a high school junior. I am currently enrolled in AP English 11 which focuses on the English language. I do enjoy English very much, but my favorite class is science. I enjoyed writing this article because it is a topic very close to my heart. When I was younger, I wanted to be an Olympic softball player and I always admired Jennie Finch, the starting pitcher for the United States Olympic team. I hope people are inspired by my article to see the importance of reinstating softball back into the Olympics.

Works Cited
"Baseball, Softball Still Taking Swings for 2020 Olympics." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2014/05/31/Baseball-softball-still-taking-swings-for-2020-Olympics/stories/201405310115

Baseball Softball Hopeful of Reinstatement to Olympics." FOX Sports. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/baseball-softball-hopeful-of-reinstatement-to-olympics-012314


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What’s in a Number? Turns out, Everything for Lauren Hill

Numbers are very important to athletes. You could say they are superstitious about them, even. It is on their back and sometimes the front. It is their identity.

Now starting, number 22…

Foul on number 10…

Hey 12, good game…

Oh, did you see what number 45 just did?

I’m coming for you number 7…

Number 22 was special for Lauren Hill. At the age of 18, she found out she was diagnosed with Diffused Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a nasty, inoperable brain tumor, shortly after declaring she would play college basketball at Mount St Josephs in Ohio.  She accepted the terminal diagnosis it as best she could.

However, Lauren, after going through all the stages of grief and make a wish trips, decided she really wanted to wear that number 22 one more time. To wear it on a bigger stage, to say her time was not done. She stated she wanted to hear the roar of crowd, the bouncing of the ball, and the squeaking of the shoes, to put on number 22 one more time. “…I just can't wait to be standing on this court in a basketball uniform, with the No. 22,” she said.

Sometimes you are dealt a bad hand in life, like Lauren. Or you can look at it that you got a tighter deadline than most. What will you do with it is up to you. Lauren decided to make the most of her short time on earth. She wanted to raise awareness for childhood cancer and be a voice for DIPG sufferers specifically. Usually small children are diagnosed with the fatal tumor and don’t even get half the years she got. Maybe they never get to wear a special number on their small backs. She wanted to be their voice, raise awareness, and raise necessary money to find a cure and end this suffering. And, maybe, wear number 22 one more time.

Lauren got her wish. Doctors sad she likely would not survive until December. The NCAA moved her team’s basketball game up earlier to November. More people heard. The game was moved to an arena that housed 10,000 people. The tickets sold out in minutes. She donned the jersey. She heard it announced, she felt through her feet the floor vibrate with the applause.

She heard.

She felt.

She played.

We cheered.

We were inspired.

The other team was in on the special “layup for Lauren" play, a play that involved Lauren using her non-dominant left hand for a lay up because her right was too weak. She nailed it the first time out. The first basket of the season scored by number 22. She scored the closing basket in that game, too. By that time her plight and word of her courage had spread and she had raised just under a million dollars for the cure. She would go on to play in four games, finally wearing  number 22 on the home court of Mount St Joseph’s, the college she committed to on her 18^th birthday. She scored 10 points for the season, but for once, that wasn’t the number that mattered.

It is always said when someone young dies. We mourn their loss and the loss of their future life,
family, memories, perhaps children. Lauren Hill passed away April 9^th, 2015 at the age of 19. She lived longer than the doctors said she would. At this writing, she has raises over 2 million dollars and lived a memorable life. Her courage will not be forgotten.

Did you see what number 22 just did?

Turns out it was a lot.

Please donate to Lauren Hill’s cause, the Cure Starts Now Foundation.

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Stanford Trampled by Tennessee

The good news? The Stanford Women’s Basketball team held Tennessee to 27 first half points. The bad news? Stanford only scored 15 in the same period. Stanford shot 23% in the first, making five of 21. They shot 25% for the game. To be fair, both teams struggled early on. Tennessee shot 35 % in the first before heating up in the second. How bad was it for Stanford? They were stuck on 10 points for eight minutes, from 10:24 to 2:10 left in the first. Stanford scored one basket over the last 10 minutes of the first half.

Tennessee guard/forward Jaime Nared (31) and Stanford forward Erica McCall (24) get tangled up (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

The good news? When Stanford did score in the first, it was guards driving on high ball screens. The bad news? Tennessee finally caught on to the play and cut off drives or contested shots when the guards did make it to the blocks. Tennessee is always known to be physical, and there was contact many times without whistles, but you still have to finish. A lot of missed shots (13-51). Once that drive was cut off, Stanford once again did not have a post option to go to all game. That was coupled with Tennessee’s long bodies and athletic ability to rush Stanford at the three point line to limit good looks. Stanford made 6 out of 18 for the game from three point land.

Let’s just say Tennessee’s defense made Stanford offense look bad.

Second half was just more of the same. Both teams struggled early on and no one scored in the first 3 minutes. Then Tennessee finally got hot, and Ariel Massengale started bombing threes. She made four of them and finished the game with 18 points. When Stanford would make a shot, or even a three, they could not get a defensive stop on the other end.

The final score was Tennessee 59, Stanford 40. Both teams combined to miss 75 shots and commit 37 turnovers.

The good news
Lili Thompson scored 13 points, including two 3-pointers.
Kaylee Johnson lost a contact, continuing the Ogwumike trend. Let's hope this translates to Ogwumike rebounds and points (She was held to eight boards and four points in this one).

The bad news
No one else from Stanford was in double figures. Take out Lili’s 13 and the rest of the starting five scored 10 points. The next highest scorer for Stanford was a tie with four points. Stanford had not lost consecutive games since December 2010.  Also, it was the first time Stanford has scored below 50 points in consecutive games since 1976-77 season. Fewest points (by 8) for the Cardinal in 32 all-time games against Tennessee, and fewest points by an opponent ranked in the top 10 against Tennessee.

Stanford comes back to Maples Monday, so we hope they can get a win for Christmas and build up some confidence and better inside presence.

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Stanford Wins Second Exhibition Game

The Stanford Women’s Basketball Team won their second and final exhibition game against UC San Diego 74-51. This game was most memorable because it is the first time the VanderVeer sisters are coaching against each other as head coaches.

Tara VanDerveer in the Hall of Fame coach for Stanford’s squad who used to drag little sister Heidi around to basketball camps in a beat up ol VW bus when she was just starting her basketball journey. Little sister Heidi VanDerveer, head of UC San Diego just wants big sis’s approval (and is very, very familiar with the Cardinal). Mom Rita was in attendance wearing a UC San Diego T-shirt and a Stanford sweatshirt. Guess which logo was on the outside? Smart of Tara to send the sweatshirt then…always thinking.

The VanDerveer sisters, Tara and Heidi (Photo Courtesy: Heidi VanDerveer)

The Stanford players, admittedly by coach as a team without a superstar that will get things done by committee, had four players in double figures. Erica McCall had 18 points. Taylor Greenfield added 16, 14 in the second half. Guard Lili Thompson had 10. Senior guard Amber Orrange had a double double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, something guards don’t normally do. Freshie Kaylee Johnson had 12 rebounds as well. And it was a block party with 12 blocks from six different Stanford players. (One each by guards Lili and Amber. Now that is stepping up!)

Stanford fans also got to see freshie guard Brittany McPhee for the first time. She is battling some injuries. She scored 4 points in 9 minutes. During her high school career, she had more points than Stanford great Kate Starbird. We learned from the post-game talk that she has a twin sister named Jordan who plays for Seattle Pacific and runs the mile faster than she does. Here’s more on these amazing Freshmen women.

Still it was hard to get a feel for the team as they start the season against Boston College and then play their second game against a very stacked UConn team here at Maples.

See ya when the season starts.

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A Look Back at Stanford Draft Day

Hey hey, two Stanford, basketball players, or should we say former players were drafted by the WNBA. It was not surprise that Chiney Ogwumike was drafted number one by the, dare we say it, Connecticut Sun. She and sister Nneka join Peyton and Eli Manning as the only two siblings in pro sports to be drafted #1. Cool. Hope Chiney does as well as Nneka, who won rookie of the year her first year. Although it will be the first time they have ever played on opposing teams.

Chiney Ogwumike, front right, hugs forward Mikaela Ruef after Stanford defeated Nortth Carolina in a regional final of the NCAA's (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The other former Stanford player drafted was Mikaela Ruef. The fifth year senior wasn’t even sure she was coming back or if there would be a scholarship for her, but there was and she grew as the season went on. He career was capped with getting nabbed as the most outstanding player in the regional NCAA’s. Everyone assumes it would be all everything Chiney Ogwumike. That helped her stock and Ruefie as drafted 31st by the Seattle Storm. Good news for her, she is reunited with bestie and former Stanford alum Joslyn Tinkle (remember tinkle bells?) Going to a team with a friendly face was a good thing because she has a million questions about how to be a pro.

To quote the Stanford official site: Ruef is the 23rd Stanford player to be selected in the WNBA Draft (Chiney was 22^nd). Ruef’s and Ogwumike’s selections give Stanford multiple picks in a single WNBA Draft for the seventh time (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2014), and the first since Kayla Pedersen (seventh, Tulsa Shock) and Jeanette Pohlen (ninth, Indiana Fever) both went in the 2011 first round.

Looking forward to following the summer!

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Stanford, Shakes off Bad First Half, Takes Down Tulsa

It was a Tale of Two Halves. The Stanford Women’s Basketball Team opened the first round of the NCAA tournament (otherwise known as “The Big Dance,” or in Stanford’s case, “Quest for Six” – Final Fours, that is) against Tulsa and almost had their run end before they started.

Chiney Ogwumike knows she needs to get her teammates invloved if Stanford is to advance (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Tulsa gave all the right pre-game quotes, “we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we could win,” just like any other 16 seed, then visited the Golden Gate Bridge. And then the 16th seed is supposed to get crushed and all they get is a lousy T-Shirt they bought from the illegal vendors at the parking lot to the Golden Gate Bridge. Except this time the number 16 seed didn’t realize it was supposed to be smoke and mirrors and they actually believed the hype. So much so they came out swinging, and made four steals in three minutes and went up by six points in the first five minutes.

The Tulsa coaching staff must have been figuring the refs were not going to call as much in these games and so were very, very physical. They pushed around Bonnie Samuelson as if she were a paperweight and were holding, holding holding Stanford’s best player Chiney Ogwumike to try and stop her scoring.

But you can’t keep an Ogwumike down. Chiney scored two quick baskets to open the game and to say to herself and the basketball world at large that see, I just scored four points, one more than the three points I scored in the whole game in the Pac-12 finals against UCLA.

Tulsa drove a fast-paced game and attacked the basket early on. They also were very good shooters and since they were undersized, would pull up for jumpers. Most of them went in. Chieny could score almost at will to keep Stanford in it, and bench player Taylor Greenfield added six first-half points to help out. But not much else happened scoring-wise in the first for the Cardinal, and if they want to advance even more in the Big Dance, they will have to have others step up.

Tulsa couldn’t keep such a frenetic pace and was tiring in the first half when Stanford took a small lead. But with three and a half minutes left in the first, Chiney Ogwumike got her second foul and joined Joslyn Tinkle on the bench. If you saw the UCLA game, then you know Stanford does not do well with Chiney on the bench. Stanford’s Amber Orrrrange scored the last four points of the half for Stanford and the game was tied at 24 going into the locker room.

The  Twiterverse went a little gleeful at Stanford’s struggles, and of course brought up the only number one seed, men’s or women’s to be beat by a number 16 seed was of course the Stanford Women’s Basketball Team on their home court. They were hoping history would repeat itself. But although those that don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer lived through it and has not forgotten. And she is the mastermind of half time adjustments.

Tara VanDerveer at the half told her team that their season could be over in 20 minutes. Message received. Both teams came out for the second and Tulsa took a one-point lead at the 18 minute mark. Then Chiney, with a little help from Amber Orrrrange, got a 12 point Stanford lead just like that and now the number one seed started to look like their ranking. Also, Tulsa, who had success with mid range jumpers, started to drive on the much taller cardinal and Stanford’s wall o’ defense took away shots or made them air-ball their shots. Around the same time, the refs finally started calling fouls on Tulsa, even stuff they got away with in the first half.

Chiney, perhaps instinctually knowing she needs her teammates to step up, forgo drives to the basket, her bread and butter, to feed Joslyn Tinkle several times for easy lay ins. Chiney lead the team in assists with four, and Tinkle would finish with nine points, although she had just one point in the first half. Taylor Greenfield also had nine, and Amber’s drives and pull ups netted her 14 points.

Tulsa, to their credit, did not fold like a number 16 seed. They got it back to within 10 with four minutes left. Then three minutes later, Stanford held them scoreless and suddenly had a 20 point lead. Chiney went to the bench with one minute left having scored 29 points and grabbed eight boards. Stanford's back up center Tess Picknell got a basket and a block, and frankly, the block made her more excited than the basket.

Tara VanDerveer gave all the right quotes after the game, saying she would rather have a game like this (bad first half, terrific second half) then “play a great first half and stink it up the second half.” Yes, and it would be even better to play two great halves. The next rounds won’t let them get away with a bad half, or even a bad quarter. Stanford will play Michigan Tuesday at 6:30 in the second round.

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Stanford Bombs Arizona State

Beautiful, sunshiny day in the Bay Areas as the Stanford Women’s Basketball played their Breast Cancer Awareness game vs. Arizona State. Stanford looked all-cool in their pink, pink shoes with neon pink laces and pink piping on their shorts. Arizona State was all in pink, pink everything. Shorts, shirts, numbers. I guess since they were the away team they got to be “dark” so could pinkify their uniforms to the max. It didn’t help them score, though. Stanford beat them 69-45.

All season long Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer has been imploring other team members not-named-Chiney-Ogwumike to step up and score. Last game it was Mikaela Ruef with a career high 11 points and her first career double-double. Ruef even said in the post-game interview that the coaches were asking her to shoot instead of looking to pass.

Bonnie Samuelson goes in for a layup and hit five 3-pointers for a career high 19 points. Photo by Bob Drebin.

This game it was Bonnie Saumelson’s turn to step up. She scored a career high 19 points and made a career high five 3-point shots. She is not nicked named Bonnie the bomber for nothin’. Joslyn Tinkle also got in on the “First” act, by getting her first double-double of the year (11 points and 13 rebounds). 

Bonnie said Tara pulled her aside and said, “I have confidence in you.” Bonnie would have scored more in this game, but she picked up her fourth foul at the 8th minute mark and Tara did not have confidence in her not fouling out.

Chiney Ogwumike, on the other hand, scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for her 19th double-double of the season, and her 8th in a row. You can see why Tara has been begging other players to match her or at least score in double digits.

On the other hand, after the trio of double-digit scorers, starters Ruefie scored five and Amber Orrrrange four. The only bench player to score was Jasmine Camp with two points. Bonnie scored five 3-pointers, but Stanford was 5-20 from behind the arc. Really? No one else could make a three? Stanford needs scoring consistency at every position, not just one or two, possible three players.

Speaking of starters, Toni Kokenis was in the sweat-suit-of-injury for the second game in a row. Fans who sit next to the bench got the word that it was for “an upper body injury.” That’s more then we got from the staff at last game’s press conference of  “undisclosed medical condition.” Toni has missed games before with the same “undisclosed medical condition” and “upper body injury.” What’s weird is how evasive the staff is being about her condition. Anyway, we wish her a speedy recovery from whatever it is that ails her.

Stanford definitely missed the experienced guard play of Toni, sometimes having only one guard in at a time. When Arizona State went into their half-hearted press, Chiney Ogwumike brought the ball up. Why is our post player the only one capable of dribbling the ball out of a press? Hard-pressing teams will eat us up comie NCAA tournament time.

Speaking of guards, Stanford’s Alex Green made her first appearance in 15 months. She played the last few minutes of this game and scored no points. She ruptured her Achilles tendon in Nov of 2011. Ask Candice Wiggins how difficult it is to come back from that when she missed a whole year of the WNBA for the same injury. We wish Alex continued success at recovery.

Stanford’s win keeps them tied with Cal for first place in the Pac-12. Next up is a trip down south to see USC and UCLA.

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Stanford Beats Oregon State, Chiney Gets Career High 32 Points

Hey, C and R actually take a back seat and let our guest blogger from Oregon write the blog again. Here is a live and in person view of the Stanford Women’s basketball game vs Oregon State, where Chiney Ogwumike scored a career high 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for her 17th double-double of the season. Oops, better let TH tell it:

Greetings from up north, C & R!  Yesterday, the Cardinal gave us a win that was hard fought and intense for a full 40 minutes.  Oregon State was on the attack and showed that a program on the rise can draw a good crowd to a women’s hoops game, even on the same afternoon as the Super Bowl.  The OSU faithful brought their kids and wore their orange fleeces into Gill Coliseum, an old-school gym with bleachers, rafters, and giant jock pictures on the walls.  That crowd stomped its feet, clapped its hands, and stayed in the game until the final buzzer.  After watching University of Oregon play last Friday, in the hush of a gleaming, but relatively empty arena, yesterday’s down-home contest was a breath of fresh air.

Whenever I watch the Cardinal play OSU, I see OSU coach, Dave Rueck, jog over to Coach Tara’s half of the gym to share an enthusiastic greeting.  The guy is young, smart and hungry—excited to talk shop with the likes of a VanDerveer.  He came to OSU three seasons ago as a Division I rookie, in the midst of a  program-wide implosion and a rash of player defections. The leading scorer, the leading rebounder, and a handful of others had fled. Rueck was forced to hold an open try-out just to complete the roster. Kids from community college, kids working jobs three and four years out of high school, and one 47-year old showed up in practice jerseys.  (I’m not picking on the 47-year old; I heard she was really good).  What emerged was a freshman-heavy squad with only one player who had in Div. 1 experience.  Three seasons later, Rueck has a stable of loyal fans, top Oregon recruits who were willing to forego offers from other schools, and last year’s Pac 12 Coach of the Year title.

Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike scored 32 points and pulled in 18 rebounds (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

So, my point in sharing the OSU back-story is to say that this coach, this crowd, and these OSU kids are a spirited bunch who would not accept a loss unless the Cardinal earned its win.  As a result, our players dug deep and turned in a high level performance.  Chiney finished the day with 32 points and 18 rebounds.  The stats—while staggering—don’t even begin to tell the story.  Chiney was everywhere and did everything.  She came screaming up to the half court line to relieve pressure on our guards; she barked orders during in-bounds plays; she found the basket again and again, even when she was double and triple teamed, even after absorbing hard fouls, and even after claiming her own rebounds.  At one point, a frustrated OSU player jammed an elbow into Chiney’s stomach during a struggle for a loose ball (could you see that on TV?).  It didn’t keep Chiney from scoring.  When you watch Chiney live, from a good seat, you hear how hard she pounds the ball into the floor before she turns, gets her half-second look at the net, and explodes through a mass of chests and waiving arms.  She rounded out her power game with some longer-range jump shots and a beautiful assist to Taylor Greenfield, cutting into the lane for a lay-up. 

Amber Orrrange was Chiney’s foil.  She added an assortment of perimeter jumpers and scored 12 points.  She had three steals and converted one to a full speed, coast-to-coast lay-up.  On another, in the second half, she snatched the ball, took it all the way down the court, drew in two OSU defenders deep under the basket, and then executed a perfectly timed dish to Chiney for the lay in.  And perhaps most importantly, Orrrange had eight assists on the day, a sign of healthy communication between the perimeter and the paint.  Bonnie Samuelson had four 3-pointers—two of which were scored in crucial back-to-back Cardinal possessions (snap!).

Toni K and Jos Tinkle added hustle to a great defensive effort.  If we can squeeze some more consistent points out of them,  we will be ready for tournament play.  Final score:  65-45.  Go, Cardinal.  Go, Pac 12.
TH-

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Stanford at Santa Clara

The Stanford Women’s Basketball team traveled down El Camino Real to Mission Santa Clara to play the Broncos. C and R rode their bikes approximately one mile and saw the original Mission Wall and their stunningly clean campus on a clear and crisp fall day. That, coupled with a 92-57 Stanford win and promise of free burritos, made it a great day.

C and R have always had a soft spot for Santa Clara sports, what with it being in the city where we live and all. C remembers taking her girl’s soccer team to many Santa Clara soccer games, especially when they had that one player who would do a complete flip when she did a throw in. She also took her Girl Scout troop to a couple of SCU basketball games, too. In one memorable game, the player's program said if Santa Clara hit a three and spelled out ”Santa Clara, ” everyone would get a free burrito. Now, ten three-pointers in a game are hard to make. Those girls cheered and cheered, most not understanding the intricacies of the game or the rules, but they knew what a three pointer was and what free food was. In the closing seconds, Santa Clara hit the 10th three, won the game and endeared their team to our troop. As fate would have it, the troop was visiting the Fire Station right down the block from Mondo Burrito the next day, and we got our free burritos.

Fast forward to present day, and we see on Santa Clara’s jumbo jumbo-tron if Santa Clara hits threes and spells out “Mondo, ” everyone wins free burritos. Now five three-pointers are much more manageable. So, although we were rooting for the Stanford win, we wanted those five threes. The Broncos obliged once again. Unfortunately, Mondo Burrito is closed on Sundays, a fact C and R did not discover until we rode our bikes there in the early afternoon. So R will have to go Monday to pick up some yummy burritos. Keep in mind, in the past, there were just plain bean and cheese burritos, nothing on them, so you might have to spring for the full size thing to get the whole Mondo effect.

It was a festive day for the Stanford team as well. They had a new line-up with Erica Payne and Jasmine Camp added to Chiney Ogwumike, Joslyn Tinkle and Amber Orrrrange. The extra energy was a tonic for a lackluster outing just two days ago against Fresno State. Stanford worked it early and often inside to Preseason All-American Chiney, and Amber Orrrrange drove and penetrated and pulled up.

In fact, Amber lead all scorers for most of the game, and C and R were thinking this might be the first time in more than a year that someone other than an Ogwumike might be high-scorer. But Chiney wouldn’t have any of that, and took over late in the game, driving inside and putting the ball up strong. Her strength is clearly around the basket, although she did hit a jumper at the free-throw line. Chiney would lead all scorers with 22, and become the 33rd Stanford player to score 1,000 points.

Back to the first 5 minutes of the game: Stanford went up 15-5. Then Chiney went to the bench. And Stanford looked flat. And Santa Clara almost caught up, 19-14. Granted, head coach Tara VanDerveer was subbing people in and out to try to give everyone a tryout again, and that might be disconcerting, but it is a bad omen when Chiney is on the bench, Stanford becomes ordinary and teams gain confidence to score.

With Chiney in the game, she got help from Tinkle with 19 points and Amber’s 18. Glad to see this triangle doing well. However, it is a huge drop off from there. Stanford as a whole also shot the three better, making 5-12, for 41%. Stanford also out-rebounded Santa Clara 37-25, a better job than last game against Fresno State. Still, it is not clear who the fourth and fifth starter will be. Stanford better figure it out quickly, as the next game is Baylor in balmy Hawaii.

It was kinda ironic that C and R were sitting right next to the Santa Clara guys with the Vuvuzelas. Remember those horns from the World Cup, when blown make that deep, obnoxious noise? They had a version of that. We are all for fan fun and games. I mean, we did start the Tinkle Bell tradition. We now know that you can’t bring any artificial noisemaker to a basketball game. However, we never rang the Tinkle Bells during anyone shooting a free throw, as these guys did. There has to be some sportsmanship! They gave a sharp blast when a Stanford player shot a free throw. The second time, the ref caught him and made an official go over and confiscate the horns.

Does anyone know if the Baylor-Stanford game November 16th will be on TV or online anywhere? Right now we don’t see it scheduled. Let us know.

Follow C and R for more bike rides and Stanford games on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Stanford Destroys Corban University in Exhibition Play

So Stanford Women’s Basketball opened their season with an exhibition match against Corban University. C and R were not able to make the game as we had basketball practice for the girls we coach. When I got in the car and turn on the radio to KSZU, I was shocked to discover it was 63 to 10 at half time (Yes, Stanford was winning). I think Bonnie Samuelson had something like 4 three's in the frist half alone. She would end up making 9 threes for 27 points in the game. Sara James had 24 points and six Stanford players scored in double figures. The final score would be 117-33! The only suspense was to see if Corban could out-score Bonnie.

The KSZU boys were trying to put a happy face on this at half time, saying that hopefully the bench players will get to play a lot the second half. He got his wish as all Stanford players played and only one player did not get a point. Chiney Ogwumike scored 12 points in just 15 minutes of play. One of the Corban players tweeted to her, “Thank you for not playing the entire game.” Chiney later praised the Corban team on twitter and even posed for photos with them, Corban looking as if they were star-struck freshmen, which they probably are.


Photo courtesy of Chiney Ogwumike's Twitter Account.

C looked up Corban, thinking they must be Division III. Nope, they are NAIA, which the web informed her is lower than DIII. Well, you always want to play someone better than yourself if you want to improve.

Next game is Saturday vs. Vanguard at 2PM Stanford time. Check the schedule closely, C was told there were some changes.

Follow C and R;s exhibition season on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Friday Frenzy

Hey, what are you doing this Friday? Nothing? You are like C and R and have no social life?  Then come on down to Maples Pavilion for a sneak peek at the Stanford Women’s and Men’s basketball teams.

First of all, some background. College sports are given an “official” first day of practice, and basketball is no exception. Some coaches in the past had started practice at 12:01 AM the first day of practice to get a jump on the competition, hence the alliterative moniker, Midnight Madness. Over the years, it has evolved into a formal school event with entertainment acts, T-Shirt giveaways, dunk contests and intersquad scrimmages. Wikipedia calls it a form of “boosterism and recruiting.” It is a great way to promote your school’s team, get the student body involved and some schools have even used it as a fund raiser.

When I was growing up in the Midwest, it most definitely was all about the men’s teams. And “Midnight Madness” meant men’s basketball. Some schools celebrate both their men and women’s teams, and I am proud to say Stanford is one of those schools. It’s funny, because it seems the schools that have women’s teams equal or surpassing the men’s teams are the ones that include the women’s program, even though women’s basketball traditionally starts their first day of practice about two weeks before the men’s. Couldn’t all schools celebrate both of their programs?

Anyway, since the first day of men’s basketball practice was October 12th, and the women have been practicing for two weeks already, Stanford is hosting a  “Friday Frenzy” this Friday, October 19th^, and as C and R mentioned, featuring both programs.

The details from Stanford Friday Frenzy site:

Schedule of Events

5:30 PM-Doors Open
5:30-6:00 PM-Fan Activities in the outer concourse and women's basketball open practice viewing on the court
6:00-7:00 PM-Friday Frenzy Join the Cardinal in kicking off the season with fan contests featuring members of both the men's and women's teams, prizes including Stanford swag and a chance to win a trip to watch the men's team compete in the Battle for Atlantis in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving, a men's basketball dunk contest (if Nneka were still here, she could enter this!), and a women's basketball showcase.
7:00-8:00 PM-Men's Basketball Cardinal & White Game Come see the 2012-13 Cardinal for the first time this season as they take the hardwood for their annual intersquad scrimmage.
Win a FREE trip to the Bahamas!  Fans who arrive by 6 p.m. will have the chance to enter their name in a drawing to win an all-expense paid trip for two to watch the Cardinal compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving*.  Prize includes flight, lodging, transportation and tickets to the games (Estimated Value of over $3,000).  Winner must be present for the duration of the event to win and will participate in on-court contests at half-time of the scrimmage. 

Best of all, the Friday Frenzy is free. No, check that, best of all, they will be offering prizes! Hope to see you there!

Go Card!

Follow  the Frenzy with C and R on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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First Day of Practice

October 1 marked the first day that collegiate women could officially practice basketball with their coaches. Stanford Junior Chiney Ogwumike tweeted it was like “being home.” Stanford welcomed 3 freshmen to the mix, and the team is ranked 1number 0 in the preseason polls.

But Monday also revealed some holes in the boat for Stanford. Top recruit Aly Beebe is already out with a torn ACL, although she tore it in May before she was officially at Stanford, she won’t be playing this season. Jake Curtis of the SF Examiner reported that red shirt freshmen guard Alex Green still has not been cleared to play and her status remains in question. She missed all of last season with an Achilles injury. Those are tough to rehab, we have heard, just ask Candice Wiggins, who missed a full year of the WNBA when she ruptured hers. Both Mikaela Ruef and Jasmine Camp, who both saw limited playing time last year due to injuries, are both back at full strength.

As well as attend practices, players also have to attend classes. GoStanford.com website caught up with 2 of the freshmen, Tess Picknell and Kiran Lakhian, and asked them questions about the first day of class. They are cute as a bug on a rug. And why does it seem the freshmen get younger every year?

Looking forward to the season!

Follow C and R for other firsts on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Brandi’s Game

When soccer legend Brandi Chastain was near the end of her soccer career, two local teams, in leagues that have since disbanded, unceremoniously let her go. Brandi, rather than cry in her beer, threw herself one heck of a retirement party. She invited some of her closest friends, you know, all the World Cup and Gold Medallists she has played with over the years, and some stars of other sports and then did what she loved: played a soccer game. (She got to play on both sides so she could play with everyone on the field). Oh, she also invented a new charity just in time to give the proceeds of the game to said charity. How cool is that?

Well, Brandi is at it again, hosting a second game for her charity, the ReachUP Foundation. She’s not calling it a second retirement party, however most of the same people are coming, along with some news faces. Most notably for C and R, she is making some of the local women’s college coaches actually play the game. Being a coach over the years and asking player sot make plays, you forget, it’s always harder than you think!

Brandi recently wrote a blog for the Huffington Post entitled “The Importance of Determination.” In the article, she explains that her charity helps girls realize their dreams. The Reachup! Foundation was created to provide a community where young girls can be inspired, empowered and challenged to reach beyond what they feel their limitations may be. They produce content and programs that encourage girls to develop the skills necessary to make healthy lifestyle choices, become true champions and challenge young girls to reach for their dreams, from the website.  Brandi says in the Huffington article; “it's vital for young girls to have strong, positive role models and to see the game they love played at a high level. Sport does this for girls and provides them with empowerment and positive body image.” Brandi also talks about not having strong female role models growing up, especially women’s soccer. And what a shame today girls today still don’t. Shame indeed.

If you are around Saturday, September 22, and find yourself near the San Jose Municipal Stadium, come out and see a game played with great passion and joy. And celebrate a great, cause, too. Then stay for the free Radio Disney Concert. It features some young things your younger kids have heard about. Friends scheduled to appear and play soccer are numerous: Friends scheduled to appear and play soccer are numerous.

Here is a more detailed timeline:
Ultimate Field Day is run by Disney. Noon to 4 PM, for everyone
Soccer Clinic with Brandi and friends 2-3 PM, and requires special ticket
The Parade of Teams is at 4 PM (youth teams and organizations like Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, Girls For a Change, etc, to wear their uniforms/a shirt from their group and welcome the celebrity athletes onto the field).
The game kicks off right after that, at around 4:15.
The Disney stars will take the stage at 6:30
Click here for Tickets

Follow C and R on Facebook and Twitter, as they will live tweet from the Brandi event!

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Reachup With Brandi Chastain in Celebrity Soccer Game in San Jose

Hey Bay Area Women’s Soccer fans, mark your calendars for September 22, 2012, for Soccer Legend Brandi Chastain’s All-Star Celebrity Soccer match for charity and post game Radio Disney Concert at San Jose Municipal Stadium (home of the minor league baseball team the San Jose Giants) in San Jose. Akin to the retirement party Brandi threw for herself in the fall of 2010, Brandi has asked her friends to come play soccer and raise some money for her Reachup! Foundation.

And what friends Brandi has. Scheduled to come are Soccer legends Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Tisha Venturini Hoch and Leslie Osborne. Other non-soccer players scheduled to attend are Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, some guy named Bret Hadican. Think he skates or somethin’ (just teasing you Bret and Kristi, Bret Hedican played over 100 games in the NHL for various teams and is now does NHL analyst for the San Jose Sharks).

Also scheduled to come are: Joe Nedney (San Francisco 49ers kicker), Kristy Leskinen (skier), Leanne Pelosi (snowboarding) Mike Ricci (also NHL hockey) and a former Stanford volleyball player and Olympian by the name of Ogonna Nneka Nnamani, currently studying to be a doctor, and you know we love anyone named Nneka!

Other soccer women include: Sissi (Brazil soccer superstar, must be if she has one name), Meagan McCray (soccer), Meghan Maiwald (deaf soccer goalie), Veronica Zepada Cashman (soccer), Carrie Dew (soccer), and Lisa Nanez (soccer and Middle School Directory, so if anyone can order you around, it will be her).

And you can’t have great soccer players without some coaches, although these guys get to put their money where their mouths are, as they have to play. Scheduled to appear are Paul Ratciliffe, (Stanford Women’s Soccer Head Coach and defending National Champs, and I know his mom, so if her gets out of line, I’m tellin’), Jeff Leightman, (San Jose State Women’s head soccer coach) and Neil McGuire (Cal Berkeley Women’s head soccer coach). Sissi also coaches, but C and R still think of her as the great player she was.

You can find more info and bios on these great people here: Although the link worked on my newer laptop, it would not on my older desk top, so good luck.

About Brandi Chastaisn Reach up Foundatoin, formed with business partner Joan Oloof, from the press release:
“What Dr. Oloff and I have come to realize is how young girls continue to crave inspiration and connections with mentors. The ReachuP! Foundation was created to provide a community where young girls can be inspired, empowered and challenged to reach beyond what they feel their limitations may be,” said Chastain. Proceeds from the all star match will support the ReachuP! Foundation. We produce content and programs that encourage girls to develop the skills necessary to make healthy lifestyle choices, become true champions and challenge young girls to reach for their dreams. The all star match will also support like-minded organizations in the local community.

A new wrinkle will be an after game concert, hosted by Radio Disney. From the press release:
Radio Disney AM 1310 will be on-site with interactive entertainment and Radio Disney’s Ultimate Field Day activities encouraging kids and families to be active through a variety of organized, recreational activities including Soccer Goal Kick Stations, Miniature Golf Put-Put Holes, Jump Rope Village and more. Radio Disney AM 1310 will culminate the day of fun starting at 5:45 p.m. with on-stage entertainment from the Radio Disney AM 1310 Road Crew. Then, at 6:45 p.m., popular Radio Disney artists will take the stage for performances and Q&A sessions. Damian Otchere from the popular musical talent competition “N.B.T.” (Next BIG Thing) will take the stage first followed by a headline performance by singer, actor, dancer, songwriter and star of Disney Channel’s “Good Luck Charlie.” Shane Harper. (And what are they going to do when that baby starts getting older in "Good Luck Charlie"?).

The timeline goes something like this (Still a little unclear):
Noon to 2 PM, free on Ultimate field events (the Disney thing?)
Brandi Chastain will host a soccer clinic-taking place at the stadium from 2:00 – 3:00 PM.  Participation in the clinic requires separate tickets which cost $50, and can be purchased at www.reachupworld.com.
Then soccer game at 4 PM (Time is a little unclear).
5:45 PM starts on-stage entertainment from the Radio Disney AM 1310 Road Crew.
6:45 PM, popular Radio Disney artists will take the stage for performances and Q & A.
Will pass on more info as we find out. If you are in the Bay Area, come on out.

Get more up-to-date info about Brandi's game with C and R on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Olympic Hang Over

Now that the Olympics are over and there’s been some time to digest, I feel a little disappointed about the Olympics. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to be proud of if you follow American women sports.

What has C and R so rankled was NBC and their coverage. Their choice to not show events live really dampened the experience that we were all watching together. Isn’t the Olympics supposed to be a global experience? When we started watching previous Olympics years before the Internet, the events were not broadcast live, but we didn’t have any outlet to get advanced results. Now with the Internet and social media in particular, you could know the results before they happened. Yes, one could stay off the Internet, but the fact they showed the East Coast the events first and then the West Coast later made it really maddening. Couldn’t the USA at least share in the experience like Monday night Football shown in all time zones at once? Plus the “Prime Time” viewing of 8 PM to 12 Midnight made for bleary-eyed hours the next day at work. Couldn’t NBC have cut their crappy syndicated reruns at 7 PM and let us go to bed at 11? And…and, the coverage was so scant for most events. Pole vaulting and long jump maybe got 10 minutes each. Plus, each extended moment was sliced and packaged with commercials at just the right spot to draw out the “drama”, that it made us sick. Sports do not need any more help with drama from you, NBC, thank you very much. Let them run as they unfold.

Don’t get us wrong and paint us as a Gloomy Gus, there was a lot to cheer about, such as:

American women outnumber their male counterparts for the first time in like, forever, and out-medalled them, too, winning 59 medals, 29 of them gold to US men’s 45 overall, 17 Golds. If the America women were their own country they would have come in third on Gold globally, and fifth overall for medals.

And it is not just the statistics, it’s the way they dominated. Women’s gymnasts, track and field, and swimmers were outstanding. Women’s Soccer gave us thrilling come-from-behind wins and avengied their World Cup loss to Japan. US Women won a water polo Gold for the first time ever, behind a 19 year old who has yet to play in college!! (Maggie Steffans, and yeah, she’s going to Stanford!). Women’s basketball won a record fifth-straight Gold Medal, something never before accomplished by any women team sports in the Olympics. Women’s beach volleyball, a team of two, and the same two, Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh, won three Golds in a row. Do you know how hard that is to stay on top for 12 years?

Women got to participate in the sport of Boxing for the first time in the Olympics, yay! C and R hate boxing as a sport as the winner is the one who inflicts more physical punishing and bruising of their opponent. What other sport can claim that? Boo. Plus the building evidence that it greatly contributes to later brain damage of the participating athletes men or women, further makes us not be able to get behind the sport.

At first it was announced that for the first time ever, all attending nations were sending women athletes. Then it turns out after the Olympics that tiny Nauru did not, so much for that hyperbole. But, everyone else will point out, international pressure got Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei to send women for the first time. Yay! They had to wear heavy attire that covered their whole bodies and heads, could not walk unescorted without a male escort and could not talk to other men. This is progress? By “allowing” these women athletes, these countries want you to forget that women back home are heavily oppressed, and in Saudi Arabia, women cannot drive, walk freely, or legally exercise, let alone play on sports teams. Boo. Think about that as you grab your ball and water bottle and head out in your shorts and tank top to go do your sport.

Saudi Arabia in particular did not support, nor want, or even acknowledge their two women athletes, one who was an American college track athlete, Sarah Attar. Attar runs track for Pepperdine University in California. It really galls C and R that when Saudi Arabia announced Sarah Attar as one of their athletes, at the same time the International Olympic Committee pressured Pepperdine to take photos of Attar competing in shorts and tank top off of their school website. Why did they give in? This is America, not Saudi Arabia? It’s okay to show your skin here.

It was reported the Saudi Arabian women received death threats from their own countrymen, and a twitter hashtag described the two athletes as “Prostitutes of the Olympics.” Other Internet articles stated that the hard-line clerics of that country are more resolved than ever to keep women from participating in sports, and have effectively made things worse (don’t know how much worse it can get). Still, the flip side of the coin is "every step forward counts,” says one Saudi journalist.

So it was a bit of a mixed bag for C and R to “watch” heavily edited, taped-delayed, prepackaged, heavily commercialized, pro-American Olympic events, even if it usually resulted in an American woman getting a medal draped around her neck.

Follow C and R on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Twitter Olympics

Welcome to the Twitter-lympics. Wish C and R could say they coined the word, but a quick Google search shows a lot of other people are picking up that the most important story about the 2012 Olympics is the social micro-blogging site, Twitter.

First, we had the American broadcaster responsible for showing the games on TV, NBC, make the boneheaded decision to not show the opening ceremony live. Then when they did show it on the East coast hours later, they further fractured the US by delaying it to start in prime time in each time zone. Poor Hawaii was still watching it when competitions began the next day.

Worse, NBC responded to the resulting criticism for the opening ceremony delays by saying they needed to edit it to provide context. The inane chatter from Bob Costas and Matt “Rwanda seems to have put that genocide behind them” Lauer had to hurt their case more than help. That and 200 commercial breaks right at peak times further hurt their position.

Many complained that day, on Twitter of course. All of us did, but one got singled out.
One journalist, Guy Adams, complained so hard about NBC that Twitter suspended his account. To be fair to Twitter, they said Adams posted the email address of an NBC executive, and private info is not allowed to be tweeted. Adams said he came up with the corporate email address by using Google and figuring out the complicated pattern of using first name, a period, then the last name, and “@nbcuni.com”. Then twitter unsuspended him. Conspiracy theorists have a field day saying NBC “forced” Twitter to censor him. Someone on Twitter gets the last laugh by creating “NBC Live Fail” and gets 1,000 followers in about an hour. They don’t get suspended.

Meanwhile, Twitter keeps giving out real time results and NBC keeps pretending you don’t know. NBC asks, “What will happen next?” and “Will the United States win a medal?” and “Can we set a record for how many times we mention Michael Phelps in one breath?”

So many people were using Twitter during an Olympic bicycle race that media officials couldn’t get the GPS signals of where the bikes were, and hence had scant coverage. Bet they could have just sent a Twitter post and asked everyone on Twitter where the leaders were.

Twitter even got at least two athletes (at this writing) banned from the Olympics. Granted they were making racists remarks about other countries on Twitter, but still. The Greek Track and Field woman’s comments were just downright bigoted to Africans and perhaps should have been used as a teachable moment instead of being kicked out of the games. But the Swiss soccer player tended to incited violence by saying he wanted to “beat up” South Koreans and that they should “burn.” Yeah, maybe he shouldn’t be in the Olympic Village.

And what about US athletes, who have the whole freedom of speech to fall back on? Well, of course America wouldn’t be America without a Twitter controversy. US Women’s Soccer Goalie Hope Solo tweeted some downright rude comments to “national treasure” Brandi Chastain, because Brandi as a commentator made disparaging remarks about the defense, in particular Rachel Bueler. Brandi did have a point about Team USA’s defense, and said it was her job as commentator to comment. Hope Solo was a might sensitive and went a little nutso on Twitter. Mainstream Media, who follows Hope Solo not so much for her athletic performance but because she is so darn attractive, took great notice. Within 3 hours there were 20 articles about the feud. Eventually, the Women’s Coach pulled Hope in and gave her a slap on the wrist and no punishment. By the way, Australian Basketball Star Lauren Jackson, who plays in the WNBA, took umbrage to commentator Lisa Leslie’s comments during a game and some Twitter comments flew back and forth. No one in the mainstream media noticed, as no one was named Hope Solo or has those smoldering eyes. (Poor women’s basketball, always a distant second). --And just Google the women to find out what they said.

But for all the other American athletes not named Hope Solo, they are super burned by the so-called “Rule 40”. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) bans any Olympic Athlete from using their names or likenesses for advertising during the games. The rule is in effect from July 18 to Aug 15, three days after the closing ceremonies. They even amended the rule to say you can’t mention any sponsor of yours on Twitter. However, official sponsors that give money to the Olympics may be mentioned and are encouraged to be mentioned on Twitter. So you can mention sponsors, but only the official ones. So no saying thanks to the organizations that actually got you to the Olympics. Many America athletes have taken to, yes, Twitter to protest, with the hastags “WeDemandChange2012” and “Rule40.”

Twitter continues to be the place where C and R get their results. Why? Because Twitter talks back to us. We can ask, “What time is the Women’s Soccer game being broadcast on TV?” And Twitter buddies will be quick with the answer. Or we can ask, “What is wrong with the whole first string of the US Women’s Basketball team that Geno substitutes all 5 out at once and the ‘scrubs’ have to save the day?” Then a lively discussion ensues. Using a static website like NBC Live just tells you when something is about to happen or implores you to “look at our latest pictures.” Twitter gets results and lets you have conversations. And we can find things out in real time.

Go Team Twitter

Follow C and R on, surprise, Twitter!

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Next Next Season

I know Stanford Women’s Basketball Fans the world over are looking forward to the upcoming 2012 Fall/Winter season, but while you were sleeping, Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer and staff are already thinking about next next season.

Word came the other day from High School Blogs that Khaliyah “Lili” Thompson, has committed to Stanford for 2013.

C and R received this email came from Greg Thompson to confirm that his daughter, Lili Thompson has committed to Stanford. Read from the proud papa.

The Sporting News Honorable Mention All-American transferred from Punahou High School in Hawaii, and led her Texas high school team to the state playoffs two years in a row.
Despite going largely unnoticed by national recruiting services due to a sprained ankle that forced her to miss last year’s summer season, Thompson was ranked #2 in the state, and #9 nationally by Premier Basketball Report and led the Timberview Lady Wolves (2009-2010, 5-4A State Champions) in points, assists, and steals.

The Texas Girls’ Coaches Association All-State Team unanimous pick, and TABC All-Region team member was also a First Team All-District select and earned All-District Academic honors. Thompson is the only high school athlete to be selected as an instructor at Point Guard College.

With a mid-range game not often seen in high school players, Thompson caught the eyes of many top-level D-1 programs. She was highly recruited by schools in the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Conference USA and the PAC 12.  She captured the attention of Stanford coaches with her slashing abilities, agility, court leadership, and lock-down defense.

Thompson also considered Georgia, Rice, Kentucky, Texas, Wisconsin, Princeton, Tulane, and the University of Texas at Arlington. She played AAU ball with the Nike-sponsored elite teams Michigan Crossover, DFW Elite T-Jack, and Cy-Fair Shock.

And if you don’t believe Dad, just take a gander at Lili’s highlights

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Wow! She has speed, drives to the hoop AND blocks shots!?! Just Awesome! While C and R are looking forward to next season (and the Olympics for the next few weeks). We also can’t wait for next next basketball season!

Follow C and R next next season season on on Facebook Facebook and and Twitter Twitter, two!

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Basketball Thoughts

Time has a way of slipping away when there is no schedule of women’s basketball games to follow. But since Stanford lost (again) in the Final Four to eventual National Championship Baylor, lots of basketball things have happened.

One, Stanford’s Nneka Ogwumike was drafted number one by the LA Sparks. It was fun to follow her and her sister Chiney on twitter and practically get a blow by blow account of everything back stage that lead up to the draft. We knew when Nneka was shopping for her draft dress (she selected orange, because she heard orange pops on camera), we knew when she was traveling to ESPN studios (yes, she HAD seen bigger satellites on the run up one of Stanford’s hills to the “dish”) and where she was and how she felt (nervous, calm, excited). It added a special touch to the pride all Stanford fans felt (first time Stanford alum went number one) when her name was called, even though it was a little bit anti-climactic in the sterile studio.

On the other hand, all the articles leading up to the draft, literally said, “Nneka, then who?” They really insulted the rest of the draft prospects. Then ESPN cut away televised coverage after the allotted hour had been reached even though there were still names to be called not Ogwumike. No respect.

Andrew Luck, another former Stanford player was also drafted number one, this time in the NFL, and congratulations to him. Projected income for him is $20 Million over, say, 5 years. Nneka and the other top three draftess will make $48,000 this year. Number 5 and down will earn less. Sigh.

To make matters worse, if you were drafted in the second or third round of the WNBA, your chances of making the team are slim to none. UConn coach Geno Auriemma said it took a number of years, but finally the WNBA has youngish, seasoned veterans that are not retiring, and with 11 roster spots, teams could conceivable take zero rookies. Wish there was more teams out there for women who still want to play in the US.

Nneka has said since she is in California, she wants to go back to Stanford in the off season for her MBA instead of overseas to make more money. After reading between the lines for Jeanette Pohlen, Jayne Appel and Kayla Pedersen, it didn’t seem like they enjoyed their time overseas, anyway. With Nneka’s $48,000 salary, though, she might need to make more money to pay for grad school. Luckily, Lisa Leslie is a part Sparks owner and Nneka’s new mentor. Let’s hope she helps Nneka get endorsements, commercials and or modeling jobs to pay the bills.

In other news:
Legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summit, who was diagnosed last year with early onset dementia retired from UT. She preserves her dignity and win loss record, lets head coach Holly Warlick officially put her stamp on things, gets the cameras and focus off her condition, and allows her son to graduate and leave home to accept a women’s basketball assistant coaching position. Tennessee gave Pat a title (professor emerits) and a position to stay and help mentor players as long as she wants. Very cool of them.

C and R were rankled by a blogger posting a headline stating Pat Summit was “forced out” by Tennessee. We have seen no evidence of that in any other media. Irresponsible blogger publishing things without checking facts and just going on opinions (hey wait a min…no it wasn’t us, we checked).

We wish Pat well even though we have rooted against her orange-tinged team forever.
Well, WNBA starts in like, five days, summer Olympics are right around the corner, so plenty more women’s basketball and women’s sports to watch and be dazzled, captivated and pleased by. Stay tuned.

Follow C and R doing nothing on Facebook and Twitter, too!

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Stanford Wins in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Well, now that the dust has cleared and the letter written about disrespect has been read (Hampton), they actually played the games starting Saturday. And Stanford, as befitting a number 1 seed, beat Hampton University 73-51.

Ya know, it’s tough for a #16 seed. Here you go and win your conference, scrape and scrap and suffer and sweat all season long, and your reward is to play a bigger, better team and lose and go home, which was about 10 miles from the gym in this case. So unfair to Stanford if you want to talk about disrespect, Hampton!

Anyhoo, the game started out close. Here Hampton got their hopes up by hitting a three-pointer to make it a one point game at the 7-minute mark in the first. And then, Nneka Ogwumike runs you over. She scored 28 points, 22 in the first, and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double, to overwhelm Hampton (and directed the mop up crew to clean the floor to boot).

Stanford fans have seen this phenomenon all season long. Sometimes it’s the one-two punch of Nneka and her sister Chiney. But not this time. Stanford had some drama of its own.

Early in the first half around the 17 minute-mark, Chiney knifed in for an offensive rebound. To C and R, it looked like the Hampton player fell on Chiney’s ankle, who then toppled into a second Hampton player. Chiney got called for the foul.  And stayed down. When she did get up, she was limping.

Stanford fans everywhere stopped breathing. She subbed out and went to the locker room. Social media was all abuzz, bruised knee was the official reading. Dad followed her into the locker room, so it seemed more serious then a bruised knee.

She came back out, rested, sat next to the coaches (See, good as new, put me in, coach), went back in, got burned on defense, came out a minute later, went back to locker room, came back out and rode a stationary bike for the rest of the half. Watched her sister Nneka hit a three-point shot with seconds left to lift Stanford to a 42-27 lead, and went into the locker room to listen to genius coach Tara VanDerveer give her famous half-time adjustments.. Then Chiney played the second half and ended up with 9 points. Whew, had us dizzy with worry and relief.

So, while Chiney’s drama was all going on and Hampton got within one at the 7-minute mark, Nneka took over. Stanford went on a 20-6 run since the one point difference, scoring 14 straight unanswered points after Hampton’s three. Hampton just had the 6 points after the 7-minute mark, and that was with the Pac-12 defensive player of the year riding a bike.

And that three-pointer with 7 seconds left, it was as if Nneka was saying, here, take that into the locker room and chew on that. And, as most teams have found out, there is no answer to Nneka. Stanford went on to win 73-51.

Jos Tinkle scored 16, adding points that Chiney usually provides. It helped that she hit 4 three-pointers. In fact, she was 4-4 from behind the line, we think a career high for made three pointers for her. That certainly helps open things up for Nneka to work inside. Guards Toni Kokenis also added 9 and Amber Orrrrange added 7, with a career high 11 assists. Well, when you are throwing it to Nneka, who can score at will, it helps a lot.

Next up is a very tough defensive team in West Virginia. They are long and tall. Hope Chiney’s knee is up for the challenge. Should be on ESPN2 at 4 PM Stanford time.

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Stanford Bombs Oregon

Oregon’s Paul Westhead is a good coach. ‘Course, Stanford’s head coach is no slouch either. But Oregon doesn’t have quite the talent, or, say, a Nneka like Stanford does. He does play a certain style and sticks to it, and that style is fast. He dictated the flow of the Oregon-Stanford game, pushing the ball and constantly subbing in fresh legs. ‘Course again, Stanford has some speedsters, too, and could match them stride for stride.

In Stanford’s practices, when they run sprints, guess who wins then all? Sophomore speedster Toni Kokenis, you might guess. Anyone of the freshmen guards who are lightening quick? Nope, you’re wrong on both accounts. The answer is senior Nneka Ogwumike. She is the fastest Stanford player, so running on Stanford is hard to do. And Nneka loooooves a challenge, She rose to the tune of 32 points and 15 rebounds tonight. She has a double-double after the first 11 minutes. She was amazing. At one point she went so high for a rebound, the crowd gasped. Jos Tinkle threw her an alley-oop pass and the olny reason she didn’t make it was because she was fouled in the air. C and R love the fact Stanford even has that in their playbook. Most women’s basketball teams can’t even attempt that. Oh, Nneka scored 17 points and had 11 rebounds by half. A good amount for anyone playing 40 minutes, let alone 20.

More good news in that Stanford had other people step up tonight besides someone named Ogwumike. (Sister Chiney had a respectable 12 rebounds and 9 points). Freshmen Bonnie Samuelson, who probably won’t win most sprints, popped 6 threes, 5 in the first half for 18 total points. Another freshmen Taylor Greenfield also had a great night, scoring 17. So it was good to see others contributing.

And how, Stanford set a team record for attempting 42 three-point shots. Forty-Two! They made 14, but still. Again, this was because of Paul Westhead. Oregon came into the game as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, having attempted 158 more three-point shots than Stanford. They attempted just 17 tonight. Heck, Bonnie shot 13 for Stanford. Weird that Stanford only went to the line 5 times, missing 2, and why are they still missing free throws? Guess Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer wanted to concentrate on the outside game tonight. Also weird in that Toni Kokenis was not all there tonight, in that she only made 1 out of 10 shots, a three-pointer. She has been consistently driving to the basket and scoring over 10 points a game.

And what is up with the Erica Payne experiment? Tara has her playing some point again in the second half when Stanford was up by 20 or more points. Of course, with all the subs, Stanford had five players on the court that were all over 6 feet and someone had to bring the ball up.

So as we said, Oregon dictated this game. Even though Stanford enjoyed a double-digit lead for starting 2 and a half minutes into the game, it never felt like Stanford was in control or was just going to cruise. Oregon didn’t back down. The half time score was 43-31, and Oregon went on a mini spurt to end the half, chipping away at Stanford lead that was 21 and got it to a respectable 12 points.

Not to make excuses, but Oregon was playing hurt. Their best player, 6-2 senior Amanda Johnson was out with a broken left thumb. In addition, senior point guard Nia Jackson had sore knees, and sophomore Deanna Weaver missed practice time with a hurt ankle.

Hold the phone. Did we just say Deanna Weaver? Deanna Weaver, the pride of Wilcox High School right here in Santa Clara? (Okay, my son goes to Wilcox, and although they have a rich sports program, we are a small public school and everyone plays multiple sports instead of concentrating on one sport year around and rarely does anyone from here go DI in anything, so hats off to her). In fact, my son had to play capture the flag against the women’s basketball team one gym period three years ago and he said those women were big and fast and destroyed the guys. Hee hee! You go, Deanna! She scored 8 in the first half in front of hometown fans and finished with 16 for the game. Santa Clara in da house!

Stat Alert:
Nneka needs 3 rebounds to get to 1,000 career boards. Bring your cameras Saturday for the game against Oregon State.

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