Stanford Cardinal
Pac-12 (31-2, 17-1)
Legendary coach Tara VanDerveer has once again put together an extremely talented team. Many wondered heading into the year if Stanford could overcome their personnel losses from last year. Thanks to the amazingly consistent play of Chiney Ogwumike, this is a Cardinal squad that is now expected to reach yet another Final Four. Ogwumike, a 6-3 junior, averages an impressive 22.4 points and 13.1 rebounds per contest. Just about every team will have to double team Ogwumike. That does not always help and Ogwumike is a pretty good interior passer as well.
Big Wins: 11/16 vs Baylor (71-69), 12/22 at Tennessee (73-60), 1/8 at California (62-53)
Bad Losses: 12/29 Connecticut (35-61), 1/13 California (55-67)
Coach: Tara VanDerveer
Why They Can Surprise:
When Ogwumike has pressure in the paint, she can kick the ball out to a handful of scoring options. Joslyn Tinkle and Amber Orrange are the usual secondary scoring options behind Ogwumike. Tinkle, a 6-3 senior, can stretch out the defense with her ability to hit the long ball and score on the inside. Tinkle is also a fine shot blocker, making her along with Ogwumike very tough in the paint on the defensive end. Orrange is not much of a shooter, but she can score in bunches inside the arc. Orrange is also the smart catalyst of the offense. She makes the smart passes and keeps the offense running smoothly. Mikaela Ruef rarely makes an impact in the scoring department, but she is a key piece to the team. The 6-3 junior averages 6.6 rebounds and is one reason why the Cardinal are so tough on the glass. Toni Kokenis, a 5-11 junior, is another potential scorer. She has averaged just 7.7 points per game, but she can score in bunches on occasion and is an amazing perimeter defender. She has missed some time this year and her status for the NCAA Tournament is unknown. Sophomore Bonnie Samuelson, junior Sara James and 6-3 forward Taylor Greenfield are at least threats to shoot from long range.
Why They Can Disappoint:
However, three-point shooting tends to be the one thing that can keep Stanford from dominating a game. The team does not shoot particularly well from beyond the arc. Tinkle and Samuelson, who are both forwards, have made the most three-pointers this season. Not making a lot of long balls is fine, especially for a team that has a dominating frontcourt player like Ogwumike. However, the Cardinal tend to take a few too many three-pointers when they do not need to. The offense should be working through Ogwumike and the frontcourt, not putting up low percentage three-point shots. The Cardinal generally play smart, so it is not like they are jacking up long balls at every opportunity, but it can be tempting when the defense is collapsed in the paint to take that open look even though the percentages are not favorable.
Probable Starters:
Amber Orrange, Sophomore, Guard, 10.5 ppg, 4.2 apg
Sara James, Junior, Guard, 5.3ppg, 1.8 rpg
Joslyn Tinkle, Senior, Forward, 11.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Mikaela Ruef, Junior, Forward, 4.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Chiney Ogwumike, Junior, Forward, 22.4 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Taylor Greenfield, Sophomore, Forward, 3.9 ppg, 1.0 apg
Toni Kokenis, Junior, Guard, 7.7 ppg, 2.0 apg
Sara James, Junior, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.4 (24th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 51.9 (16, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.6 (8, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 31.6 (2, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.0 (155, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 30.6 (139, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.1 (76, 1)
Rebound Margin: 8.0 (15, 3)
Assists Per Game: 14.4 (74, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (2, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Hampton
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over West Virginia
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over South Carolina
2012 NCAA Regional Final win over Duke
2012 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Baylor
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC Davis
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over St. John's
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over North Carolina
2011 NCAA Regional Final win over Gonzaga
2011 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Texas A&M
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC Riverside
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Iowa
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Georgia
2010 NCAA Regional Final win over Xavier
2010 NCAA National Semifinal win Oklahoma
2010 NCAA National Final loss to Connecticut
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over UC-Santa Barbara
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over San Diego State
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Ohio State
2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Iowa State
2009 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Cleveland State
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over UTEP
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Pittsburg
2008 NCAA Regional Final win over Maryland
2008 NCAA National Semifinal sin over Connecticut
2008 NCAA National Final loss to Tennessee
*all team stats through 3/7
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
