The Stanford basketball women represent Stanford University in Stanford, California. The Cardinals play in the Pac-12 Conference and are led by coach Tara VanDerveer, in her 35th year with the team. This article will give you a quick rundown of the team’s most notable players. We’ll start with the senior class, who are Haley Jones, Jenna Brown, Anna Wilson, and Tara VanDerveer.
Haley Jones
Haley Jones is a college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal in the Pac-12 Conference. As a sophomore in 2021, Haley Jones was named an all-conference selection in the Pac-12. That same year, the Cardinal won the national championship and Haley was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Today, Haley is one of the most decorated players in Stanford women’s basketball. But what’s her story?
Besides being one of the top players in the country, Haley Jones sets the tone for the Cardinal’s offense. She is one of only three players to average a triple-double this season, a feat only accomplished by two other players in the Power-5 conference. Haley Jones’ scoring efficiency has been a major reason for the Cardinal’s success in the NCAA Tournament. She leads the Cardinal in scoring and rebounding, and she is a reliable source of assists.
In addition to her scoring ability, she can also play defense. When Stanford plays a zone defense, she’ll likely be on the defensive end of a break. Other bigs are more likely to post up and head toward the block, but Jones takes advantage of the spacing on the perimeter and in the paint. The result is that Jones can be a disruptive force. In fact, she would prefer to be a point forward.
As the defending NCAA Tournament champions, the Cardinal is going to be tough competition. However, they still have a lot of experience and depth returning to their lineup. Jones averaged 20.5 points per game and grabbed six rebounds per contest, which capped off a stellar season for the Cardinal. And, of course, Haley Jones, one of the most complete players in the college game, will need to play an important role.
Jenna Brown
While her numbers didn’t show it, the sophomore guard has impressed with her versatility. She was the leading scorer at her high school, The Lovett School in Atlanta. Brown also led her team to a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Championship last year. In addition, she was a McDonald’s All American and a Jordan Brand Classic Invitee. She was also named the National High School Coaches Association’s Senior Girls’ Basketball Athlete of the Year.
The 5-foot-10 Brown verbally committed to the Notre Dame women’s basketball team during the 2017-18 season. A four-year starter for the Cardinal, Brown had played sparingly last season because of injury. She missed the final seven games of her sophomore season to rehab. Ultimately, she missed her freshman season due to knee surgery. However, she is expected to return in 2022-23. She will likely have two years of eligibility at Notre Dame, because of a COVID exemption.
The Cardinal’s roster includes 14 players, including Tempie Brown, who joined the coaching staff in July 2013. Last season, she played with Maya Dodson, who was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Draft. The Cardinal went 31-5 and reached the Elite Eight. In the spring of 2018, they won the national title. Tempie Brown, who previously played at Stanford, transferred to Notre Dame and competed for the Irish.
The bench at Stanford is now linear and has only 16 players dressed. The bench was short of the expected 19 players who will be on the 2021 national championship roster. Only one member of the team that won the NCAA Championship in 2017 did not play this past Sunday. Jordan Hamilton, a four-year starter at Northwestern, was the only player who was not on the 2021 roster. The other four freshmen dominated Texas, while none of the top recruits from Stanford did.
Anna Wilson
Anna Christine Wilson is an American college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal in the Pac-12 Conference. She is a four-year starter for the Cardinals and has been an all-conference performer as a freshman. Her athleticism, speed, and versatility have made her a popular recruit for college teams. She is currently ranked number four in the nation among women college basketball players. Read on to learn more about Wilson.
While she does not have a dazzling offensive record, Anna Wilson has made an impression as a defensive specialist. In addition to her 4.9 points per game, she has also recorded 46 steals. Wilson was named to the Pac-12 all-defensive team two years in a row. Her best friend, Tara VanDerveer, was among the first to tell her that Wilson was superior on defense to Russell. After two seasons, she made five starts and came into games as a defensive stopper.
The Stanford women’s basketball team had a strong senior day on Friday. They defeated Washington and finished with a 15-0 record in conference regular season play. The seniors were lauded for their efforts, and Wilson was a standout on defense. She was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. She is the unsung hero for Stanford’s success. If she wasn’t so famous, maybe she wouldn’t have played in college.
Despite the recent success, Wilson’s role in the upcoming NCAA tournament defense will be larger than many think. Wilson holds degrees in art practice, media studies/communication, and recently completed business courses. If she wished, she could continue playing professional basketball overseas or in the WNBA. If the NCAA grants her a fifth season, she might be able to make her dreams come true. It’s unlikely that the NCAA will let her go.
Tara VanDerveer
Tara Ann VanDerveer is an American basketball coach. She has been the head women’s basketball coach at Stanford University since 1985. She is currently the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball at Stanford University. VanDerveer’s team has won three NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championships. In addition to her coaching accomplishments, she is a respected figure in the world of basketball.
VanDerveer began her coaching career at the University of Idaho and spent five seasons at Ohio State. She was named the Big Ten Women’s Coach of the Year twice and guided the Buckeyes to four straight 20-win seasons. After leaving Ohio State, she came to Stanford and led the Cardinal to a 306-7 record. The Cardinal won two national titles in 1989-90 and 1991-92.
The Stanford basketball program won the NCAA championship in 2017 and was led by VanDerveer. The team beat Pac-12 rival Arizona in the semifinal, and won the title in the process. But VanDerveer was not tortured, or was she even driven by a trophy? Her relentlessness did not add to her legacy. She is perhaps the most successful women’s basketball coach in the history of college basketball.
As a three-time national champion, VanDerveer will remember this season for its perseverance. Her team was forced to play through a pandemic and was displaced for most of the season. She considered ending the season due to concerns for the health of her players. Her team’s success
was so impressive, she’s grateful for her reward. In addition to coaching the Stanford basketball women, VanDerveer is also a great ambassador for her university.
UConn’s Dorka Juhasz
Graduate transfer from Ohio State, UConn’s Dorka Juhass plans to return for her final year of eligibility in 2022-23. She made a name for herself as a late-season contributor to the Huskies’ comeback. Despite averaging just over seven points per game this season, Juhasz played an important role off the bench during the Huskies’ late-season surge. In 28 games, Juhasz averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds.
The UConn women’s basketball team confirmed Thursday that forward Dorka Juhasz would return next season after recovering from a broken wrist. Juhasz suffered the fracture after landing on her wrist during the Elite Eight game against NC State. Juhasz had only played two minutes before falling on her wrist and then had surgery. She will not play for at least four months after the injury.
The No. 1 seed in the Spokane Region is a team UConn will have to beat. This means that the Huskies’ reserve guard should be a top-10 prospect. The goal is to find a player who is capable of making a huge impact immediately and can be productive for the Huskies from day one. UConn has one incoming freshman in the backcourt this year, and that freshman was Anna Makurat of Poland. She was an important freshman.
The Huskies were able to take advantage of the Cardinal’s lack of depth early on. The Huskies are 3-of-17 from the field and 0-for-4 from the 3-point line. With 4:39 left in the first quarter, UConn has a 4-2 lead. However, this game will be difficult for the Huskies because they will be without Dorka Juhasz. The 6-foot-5 forward is expected to be a major obstacle against Stanford’s depth.
