A Tribute To Naismith Hall Of Fame Inductee Tara VanDerveer
by Nate Parham on Aug 12, 2011 5:02 PM EDT
in NCAA: Pac-12
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Rarely in sports do we witness a sign of true sportsmanship quite like what happened at the University of San Francisco after suffering a 100-45 loss to the Stanford Cardinal this past December.
It was Tara VanDerveer's 800th win and USF had planned for the loss, held a post-game ceremony, and USF employees were passing out cardinal red "800" signs to help fans create an atmosphere appropriate for the moment. And, by all appearances, former Stanford players Jennifer Azzi and Katy Steding couldn't be prouder to be part of that win even as losing coaches.
Many had expected the milestone to occur at either DePaul or Tennessee in their previous road games, but hitting the milestone against former players with Stanford and USF fans joining together to celebrate the milestone added a nice touch to an already special moment.
That night stands as one of my favorite memories as a basketball fan, not only because it was the "classy" thing to do, but also that VanDerveer is so highly respected by Bay Area fans and most reasonable people in the women's basketball community that not doing something to stop and commemorate the moment probably would have felt even more odd.
When considering that VanDerveer became only the sixth coach to accumulate 800 wins at an institution with academic standards that make recruiting objectively harder, she has to be regarded as one of the greatest basketball minds our nation has seen. That's evident just in hearing her talk through games, whether it be at the Final Four or a Pac-10 opponent in the Northwest; she's built a powerhouse in Northern California by picking apart every nuance of every matchup while her teams routinely thrive on simply making less mistakes then the opposing players. The quality of coaching that has gone into her career didn't really require 800 wins to certify it, but it does serve as a great shorthand for VanDerveer's place in history.
C&R shared a great list of Tara-isms, which should probably be used during the WNBA games tonight to honor her greatness. For more thoughts on VanDerveer, my summary of that 800th win. For my naive thoughts on Charles Barkley saying Teresa Edwards is the best ever and why history is good, click here.
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Tara went and talked to the USF players after that game, too
It was class and mutual respect all around. Tara knows is has to have been hard for those players to see their own school help celebrate the other team’s win, so she made a point of asking Coach Azzi if she could talk to the USF players post-game.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 5:44 PM EDT reply actions
i am watching the game with the mystucs and the liberty
22 to 19 ny
by thewiz06 on Aug 12, 2011 7:28 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
For a moment I thought you wrote Mystsucks
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Only down 3
at halftime! I think I’ma root for underdogs for the rest of the season…
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
My computer
was farkled. And I was imbibing a lil bit too…. haha
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 8:11 PM EDT up reply actions
the pun is mystakes
I mispelled the name… That sucks..
by thewiz06 on Aug 12, 2011 8:34 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Or was that Mystucks?
I like both names.
I don’t mind the Liberty, but I’m rooting for the Mystics, if only because I tend to go for the underdog.
(BearBloke demands to know “whether anyone is ever on the side of the overdog?” Sadly, yes.)
A question: Are there more than two Miller sisters? Millers seem to be everywhere in the W.
Meanwhile, go, Mystucks!
wow i am starting trends by accident now
by thewiz06 on Aug 12, 2011 9:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
OMG, some nuns
from Chris Mullen’s past are in Springfield in the audience and recognized. And one is apparently 90 years old!
Mullen drafted by the Golden State Warriors
“One of my buddies says to me, where the heck is that place?”
Nancy Lieberman giving
props to Tara. And now Sheryl Swoopes has a say.
Jody Conradt – former UT coach – is Tara’s escort.
Not clear why they have someone escort the inductees to the
stage since they aren’t saying anything. For Chris Mullin it was his former college coach – Lou Carnesceca.
Ann
Is one of Teresa’s people (indroducer/escort … dunno which)
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Three ex-players in the house and
Tara gives them a shout out. Only one I heard was Vanessa Nygaard.
Bob Lanier and Bill Russell
providing testimony for Satch Sanders. His escort to the stage is Tom Heinsohn.
leilani mitchell scored 18
and we can’t stop her……
by thewiz06 on Aug 12, 2011 8:58 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
that said it is 64 63 dc
37 secs left
by thewiz06 on Aug 12, 2011 9:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Quiet in here
I SEE YOU LYNX BENCH WITH YOUR SCORING TONIGHT!
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:04 PM EDT reply actions
and we lose.....
By negative one point!!!!!
by thewiz06 on Aug 12, 2011 9:07 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I'd congratulate you
but if you lose by negative one point that means NKP14 & co. lost my +1 point and that makes me unhappy. :P
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Currently leading the Lynx in rebounding...
…is Candice Wiggins? o.O
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:13 PM EDT reply actions
Augustus just got clobbered
and still finished. Badass.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:19 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, yeah, we know:
Taj has kids, Taj is ancient, Taj juggles everything.
Taj is Everywoman and Taj is a goddess. Don’t talk about her as if she were—weird. Think of something new to say about her.
Taj is a force of nature!
Never forget!
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Possible SwishAppeal tagline:
“Taj shoots last. "
[Rip-off of bumper sticker popular in NorCal coastal regions: “Nature bats last.”]
They are certainly letting them play in the paint
Bodies flying everywhere!
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:23 PM EDT reply actions
Whalen -> Taj
Seen that before. Still pretty.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:25 PM EDT reply actions
Lynx killing Sky on the boards
Brunson has as many by herself as Syl & Snow do together, 4" height differential be damned.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:38 PM EDT reply actions
Better yet...
How’s Syl doing against y’all? lol
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Lynx up 59 to 52
Syl with 20 pts and 8 boards now.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Seeing a lot of PT for Harris tonight
She’s so talented, but I want her to go to the Jessica Adair off-season get-your-ish-together camp. Adair’s put in so much work.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 9:59 PM EDT reply actions
I love it when players are told "look, this is what you need to do to make it in this league..."
…and then they do it. And that’s why Adair is on a roster and some other people aren’t.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I love it
When people are told what they need to do to succeed and they do it.
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Syl howling in frustration
I love you, Syl, but you have to lose this one. Sorry.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:03 PM EDT reply actions
Another tagline possible...
Something about Lindsay and the Whalenites (like it’s a band)….dunno exactly how to do it, but I think it could be fun…
Lindsay & the Whalers
(meaning, I suppose, that they can take on players as mighty as Big Syl).
Or Lindsay & the Wailers, of course, because the Cats have so much soul.
Naturally, Chicago would be
Syl and the Sloots.
Speaking of people still on rosters...
Kudos to Kraayveld. I never would have guessed that she would be in the W this long when I saw her play at Oregon.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:09 PM EDT reply actions
Chicago not going away.
Whalen going to try to put them away.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:11 PM EDT reply actions
He's wearing
a monogrammed bedazzled jacket – like only he can! http://twitpic.com/655qi2
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone who rebounds like that
…can wear whatever he /she wants
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
* waits for Brunson to pick up a monogrammed bedazzled jacket *
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
She did have an interesting outfit at the Lynx fashion show
It was kind of “librarian about to go wild”
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions
AND AGAIN!
I like it when WIggins gets en fuego from 3!
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, Whalen got whacked
No she was not acting.
But you haven’t been terrible homers, Sky announcers, so I will forgive you. ;)
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:16 PM EDT reply actions
Oh Seimone
You look so fierce with your glare and your hair and your tats and then I remember the tats are of big freaking flowers. FIERCE FREAKING FLOWERS.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:24 PM EDT reply actions
I love Seimone.
I’ve loved her ever since she took that charge against Wiggins that helped LSU beat Stanford at the nationals however many years ago: 6 or 7, I think.
That was so not a foul
Don’t get me started! ;)
But seriously, what I thought was so fun was when WIggins got drafted by the Lynx she was SO EXCITED to get to play with ‘Mone. Not that Wiggins isn’t just, well, excited, but still.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Candice
IS an excitable girl! I think she and Augustus are adorable together.
YAY!
No thread is now complete without a photo! ;)
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Well duh.
The captions are super awesome too!
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Lindsay and Bekky got my back.
(Lindsay and Bekky so not fierce sounding compared to Whalen and Brunson. LOL)
Syl does not want to let this one go away. She’s really so awesome. 28 pts 13 rebounds? Rawr! But she still has to lose this one.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I do agree with the announcer re. fouls on Syl
I think part of her not getting calls is that she can shake fouls off, and I think part of it is that people always think about her in such an almost inhuman kind of way because of that strength that it doesn’t really occur to them that yes, she can still get fouled.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Resilience being shown by the Sky
For all of the offensive rebounds the have permitted the Lynx,
they are close enough to get the win. But, as usual against most top 4 (in the East or West) teams they have created their own hole and it may be a little to deep.
Gah.
I feel bad for Syl about that one. Damn.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 12, 2011 10:37 PM EDT reply actions
Maybe should be Taj bricks last? Eeeek.
by Jessica Lantz on Aug 12, 2011 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, look at those sweet, rowdy little girls.
I wish I had had role models like these when I was their age.
Taj get critical defensive rebound position
Min. beat the Sky in offensive rebounds, 12 to 6.
Role Models - limited to athletes - always have had women's golf, tennis
But that is different than a team sport like basketball.
I had hoped that the Women’s Basketball League would have been successful in the early 80s
had stayed in business.
The Chicago Hustle made the playoffs in 2 of their 3 seasons.
During this period, the only other Chicago pro teams that had that kind of success were
the Bears and the Blackhawks hockey team. This was 1978 to 1981.
Must go eat.
(Put AGL on! Now! Or my tantrum will make Taj look positively demure.)
Just noticed they are going into overtime
in LA.
Parker was listed as possible but she has not played.
90 - 91 LA up
3.4 seconds remaining. Possession being determined by officials.
Now it is determined – Sparks ball!
Milton-Jones fouled hard by
Taurasi on the inbounds.
Makes the first free throw.
Makes the second free throw.
2.5 seconds left LA up by 3 and 20 second Phoenix time out.
I'm sorry I didnt stick around to watch that live
I found out this morning Sparks won.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 13, 2011 1:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm sorry I didnt stick around to watch that live
I found out this morning Sparks won.
by Shannon Cotterell on Aug 13, 2011 7:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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