Stanford Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame today, with coverage of the ceremony beginning today at 3 p.m. PST. (Photo by Craig Bennett/112575 Media)
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.
1 recs | 108 comments
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
i am watching the game with the mystucs and the liberty
22 to 19 ny
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
For a moment I thought you wrote Mystsucks
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Only down 3
at halftime! I think I’ma root for underdogs for the rest of the season…
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
What happened to you last night
Jessica?
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
My computer
was farkled. And I was imbibing a lil bit too…. haha
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Too much drinking 5x for Sue Bird commercial
:P
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
my bad!
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
the pun is mystakes
I mispelled the name… That sucks..
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
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!
BearBint - August 12, 2011
wow i am starting trends by accident now
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
HOF inductions
Not streaming anywhere? Bummerrrrr.
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Teresa E looking nice...
Is she even wearing a dress? Or is it just a fancy top?
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
StormBasketball.com
Be part of it.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Springfield Massachusetts
the birthplace of basketball?
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
So they say!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
OMG, some nuns
from Chris Mullen’s past are in Springfield in the audience and recognized. And one is apparently 90 years old!
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
And he refers to them as
“The Nuns”. Appears to be two of them.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Mullen drafted by the Golden State Warriors
“One of my buddies says to me, where the heck is that place?”
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
the bay..
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
Tara Van Derveer up 2nd
The young Van Derveer and the young Mullin both sport the same haircut.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Whoa
showing Stanford players – including praise from Candice Wiggins.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Katy Steding on the
1996 Olympic team?? Tara did you pull some strings??
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
LOL!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Nancy Lieberman giving
props to Tara. And now Sheryl Swoopes has a say.
Jody Conradt – former UT coach – is Tara’s escort.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
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.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Anne Meyers Drysdale sitting next to
Laurel Richie
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Ann
Is one of Teresa’s people (indroducer/escort … dunno which)
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Tara's mom
in the house!
Tara and her siblings all played all the sports.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Tara's siblings
in the house.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Three ex-players in the house and
Tara gives them a shout out. Only one I heard was Vanessa Nygaard.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Satch Sanders who played for the Celtics
back in the 50’s and 60’s up third.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Bob Lanier and Bill Russell
providing testimony for Satch Sanders. His escort to the stage is Tom Heinsohn.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Gonna go to the store
will have to catch the rest on the rerun…
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
leilani mitchell scored 18
and we can’t stop her……
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
that said it is 64 63 dc
37 secs left
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
Quiet in here
I SEE YOU LYNX BENCH WITH YOUR SCORING TONIGHT!
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
and we lose.....
By negative one point!!!!!
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
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
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Currently leading the Lynx in rebounding...
…is Candice Wiggins? o.O
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Augustus just got clobbered
and still finished. Badass.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
Taj is a force of nature!
Never forget!
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Possible SwishAppeal tagline:
“Taj shoots last. "
[Rip-off of bumper sticker popular in NorCal coastal regions: “Nature bats last.”]
BearBint - August 12, 2011
They are certainly letting them play in the paint
Bodies flying everywhere!
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
WIGGINS!!!!
With the shooter’s roll…
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Whalen -> Taj
Seen that before. Still pretty.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Lynx killing Sky on the boards
Brunson has as many by herself as Syl & Snow do together, 4" height differential be damned.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Pokey is cracking me up
47 is a lot!
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Took a dinner break
How y’all doing against Syl?
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Better yet...
How’s Syl doing against y’all? lol
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Lynx up 59 to 52
Syl with 20 pts and 8 boards now.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
And it def shows for Adair!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
I love it
When people are told what they need to do to succeed and they do it.
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Truth
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Syl howling in frustration
I love you, Syl, but you have to lose this one. Sorry.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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…
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
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.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
Naturally, Chicago would be
Syl and the Sloots.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
LOL - nice!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Chicago not going away.
Whalen going to try to put them away.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Sky within 1
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Um wow.
Nice sparkles and boa Dennis Rodman… http://www.twitvid.com/4SNN3
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
He's wearing
a monogrammed bedazzled jacket – like only he can! http://twitpic.com/655qi2
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Anyone who rebounds like that
…can wear whatever he /she wants
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
* waits for Brunson to pick up a monogrammed bedazzled jacket *
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
LMAO!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
She did have an interesting outfit at the Lynx fashion show
It was kind of “librarian about to go wild”
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
WIGGINS!!!
For threeeee!
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
AND AGAIN!
I like it when WIggins gets en fuego from 3!
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Yes, Whalen got whacked
No she was not acting.
But you haven’t been terrible homers, Sky announcers, so I will forgive you. ;)
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Candice
IS an excitable girl! I think she and Augustus are adorable together.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
YAY!
No thread is now complete without a photo! ;)
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
what about captions?
thewiz06 - August 12, 2011 via mobile
Well duh.
The captions are super awesome too!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Oooh Syl vs Brunson
Lovin’ it.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Getting closerrrr....
(Shannon, you pacing yet?)
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
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.
77DJK - August 12, 2011
Damnit
Kraayveld! Grrrrrr….
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
How did Syl not grab that?
Wow….this one is so close!!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Gah.
I feel bad for Syl about that one. Damn.
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
What was that tag??
Taj shoots last?
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Maybe should be Taj bricks last? Eeeek.
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Eeeek indeed.
I need another beer.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
OK, changed again...
Taj boards last!
Jessica Lantz - August 12, 2011
Taj has never missed this many FTs in a row in her life
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Oh, look at those sweet, rowdy little girls.
I wish I had had role models like these when I was their age.
BearBint - August 12, 2011
^^This
Shannon Cotterell - August 12, 2011
Taj get critical defensive rebound position
Min. beat the Sky in offensive rebounds, 12 to 6.
77DJK - August 12, 2011
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.
77DJK - August 12, 2011
Chicago Hustle
that must be the league that Donna Orender and Ann Meyers played in.
ttdomi - August 12, 2011
Must go eat.
(Put AGL on! Now! Or my tantrum will make Taj look positively demure.)
BearBint - August 12, 2011
Just noticed they are going into overtime
in LA.
Parker was listed as possible but she has not played.
ttdomi - August 13, 2011
90 - 91 LA up
3.4 seconds remaining. Possession being determined by officials.
Now it is determined – Sparks ball!
ttdomi - August 13, 2011
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.
ttdomi - August 13, 2011
Jantel Lavender
has CAREER-HIGHED Phoenix in points – 25 – and rebounds – 10.
ttdomi - August 13, 2011
Penny Taylor
misses the potentially game-tying three.
Sparks victory.
ttdomi - August 13, 2011
I'm sorry I didnt stick around to watch that live
I found out this morning Sparks won.
Shannon Cotterell - August 13, 2011 via mobile
I'm sorry I didnt stick around to watch that live
I found out this morning Sparks won.
Shannon Cotterell - August 13, 2011 via mobile
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Swish Appeal to post a comment.