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RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - WBB fan - 04-10-2024

Press conference, loved the fact that Kiki was there and asked a question. That and the way Tara talked about her makes me think it's highly likely that she's sticking around for next year.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - TonyLima - 04-10-2024

(04-10-2024, 02:37 PM)jacket3ree Wrote:  I'll try to put a finger on it: She's ****ing awesome. Hard to say goodbye even while happy that someone who gave so much gets to step off the daily treadmill.

A+ agree 100%.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - MV72018 - 04-10-2024

(04-10-2024, 01:51 PM)yvonne Wrote:  Not gonna lie. I've been bumming ever since I heard the news. I can't put my finger on it. Watching the press conference didn't help.

What a magnificent closing press conference! It showed vividly what a humane, thoughtful, competitive, humble person Tara is, an individual of exemplary civility. Best wishes to Tara as she embarks on her new path. Without a doubt, Tara VanDerveer was and still is a world-class representative of Stanford, of Stanford women's basketball, and of women's basketball in general. It was wonderful to listen to her prepared remarks and to her thoughtful, often subtly humorous responses to the questions posed. Lovely to see that side of Tara's warm personality shine so brightly.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - crackpot - 04-10-2024

I can't remember ever watching a press conference where so many of the reporters were choked up.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - chimera - 04-10-2024

I don't post here much anymore but I still follow the team.  This is the first year in decades I wasn't able to attend games.  Strange time for me, for sure.  Wishing Tara all the best in her retirement.  She deserves it.  I started following the team in the late 90's, so I have never known another Stanford WBB coach.  Stanford WBB has always been and will always be my one true sports love.  I follow other Stanford teams, but WBB is The One.  The current college sports environment has killed some of the joy for me, but I can't help but still care.  Tara made it all happen.  She created the program that I gave my sports heart to.  She is also a great person.  I used to have her cell phone number years ago when I wrote for The Bootleg.  She was always generous with her time even to me, a non-pro writing for maybe a few hundred people on a Stanford fan board site.  Glad for her she found a good time to leave, but also very sad to see her go.  

Kate will have her work cut out for her in this crazy time.  Whether she succeeds in keeping the program at the top of the sport long term probably depends much more on how Stanford handles NIL and the portal than on her skills as a coach.  Here's hoping she and Stanford can make it all work.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - lsmant - 04-10-2024

Endless thanks to 81 for your many posts which have taught me so much about the game and the coaches and players. I hope you will be able and willing to lead us on a very steep learning curve as we become part of the ACC. It was great to see a Chimera post today. I’ve missed seeing you and reading your thoughtful comments on this board. 

My folks were in that small handful of people who attended those early Tara games. We are now on our fourth generation of Tara/SWBB fans. What an incredible honor to have watched Tara bring Women’s Basketball to the powerhouse it now is. I look forward to seeing her across Maples cheering on Kate and the team at every home game. Go Tara! And THANK YOU!

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - crackpot - 04-10-2024

(04-10-2024, 03:55 PM)chimera Wrote:  I don't post here much anymore but I still follow the team.  This is the first year in decades I wasn't able to attend games.  Strange time for me, for sure.  Wishing Tara all the best in her retirement.  She deserves it.  I started following the team in the late 90's, so I have never known another Stanford WBB coach.  Stanford WBB has always been and will always be my one true sports love.  I follow other Stanford teams, but WBB is The One.  The current college sports environment has killed some of the joy for me, but I can't help but still care.  Tara made it all happen.  She created the program that I gave my sports heart to.  She is also a great person.  I used to have her cell phone number years ago when I wrote for The Bootleg.  She was always generous with her time even to me, a non-pro writing for maybe a few hundred people on a Stanford fan board site.  Glad for her she found a good time to leave, but also very sad to see her go.  

Kate will have her work cut out for her in this crazy time.  Whether she succeeds in keeping the program at the top of the sport long term probably depends much more on how Stanford handles NIL and the portal than on her skills as a coach.  Here's hoping she and Stanford can make it all work.

You've been missed, chimera. And, as always, great post.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - Blue Hawk (Mizzou) Card - 04-10-2024

What's the saying? Don't be sad that it is over. Be glad that it happened. But maybe it is human to be both.

"It" was a mighty fun ride. Through all of the ups and downs of being a sports fan, Stanford women's basketball has been the old reliable for my family and me. Though there were ups and downs, the downs under Tara were never that far down. Sure, we ended most seasons on a loss, as all but one team does, but often those losses were at, or very near, the end of the season. Mini and I, who have seen a grand total of maybe three women's games at Maples, took a lot of road trips to see a whole lot of those last games in person. I will always be thankful that San Antonio was one of those destinations. [Come to think of it, it was the last one.] Imagine winning two Final Four games by a grand total of two points, with the ball heading toward the wrong basket at the end of both of them. What a strange year, but what a great ending. The team with the most grit won it all that year.

But the other years that did not end as well where mighty memorable, too. Tara brought so many good players to our team, and they sure seemed to be good people, too. Mini and I walked out of a lot of arenas sad, but always proud, too.

Nothing lasts forever. The game is changing, in ways both good and bad. Though I hope I am wrong and though I am confident we have the best possible replacement, it is hard to escape the feeling that the good old days just ended.

Still, I am glad she went out on her terms, with a good team. Because our team this year had a lot of success, it is easy to forget that they were expected to be also rans at the beginning of the year. One can never tell from a distance, especially when watching via the media and not in person, but this team seemed to really enjoy the game and enjoy each other. I am glad this was Tara's last year, rather than last year, where it seemed different. [Maybe it was better than it looked last year. How the heck do I know? But this year was a good year, up to the third quarter of the last game, and anybody can have a tough stretch.]

As others have, let me add a personal note. One a few occasions, my family and I had a chance to interact with Tara. She was always kind, warm, and even interested. She was all in for Stanford, even for distant fans like us who had to be about at the bottom of any reasonable DI coach's priority list.

You deserve a happy retirement coach. But we are going to miss you. Sigh.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - amytarafan - 04-10-2024

And one more honor: Tara is the answer to a clue in this Thursday's NY Times crossword puzzle!

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - Hoops9092 - 04-10-2024

Per Michelle Smith on Twitter: "Kiki Iriafen's answer to the question about whether she will return to Stanford next season was "I don't know." Stanford folks hoping to convince her to stay by adding pieces, but don't know who that is yet." 

A little concerning.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - CompSci87 - 04-10-2024

Excellent team banquet this evening. As we'd all expect, Tara made it all about the team, not herself.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - johnbar - 04-10-2024

Tomorrow's NYTimes crossword puzzle clue (2024/04/11):

[Image: vanderveers.png]

ETA:  I missed that amytarafan had already mentioned this when I posted.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - Card10Fan - 04-11-2024

(04-10-2024, 09:28 PM)CompSci87 Wrote:  Excellent team banquet this evening. As we'd all expect, Tara made it all about the team, not herself.

Any other insights from those who were able to attend this?

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - AxeMan89 - 04-11-2024

Great banquet this year, much different than last year when Haley didn't show. Players seemed genuinely happy as a group. Lots of laughing and congrats to all those who make the program happen. Cam and Hannah gave nice speeches - Cam in particular had very thoughtful compliments about all the coaches and staff. And the food was good! As said earlier, Tara made it all about the team and her retirement was barely mentioned.

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - petersalas - 04-11-2024

Usually we get an idea of non conference games or tournaments for the upcoming season, I’m sure there was too much to even think about with the upcoming changes. But was there any inkling?

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - AxeMan89 - 04-11-2024

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe Tara mentioned at Indiana and Gonzaga at Maples. I think she also said Ohio State at Chase center as part of the ACC/BIG10 challenge?

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - BobK - 04-11-2024

Thanks

RE: Coach Vanderveer Retiring - cctop - 04-11-2024

If you've got an hour to spare, this morning KQED Forum did a really nice piece on Tara and her legacy:

https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101905330/legendary-stanford-womens-basketball-coach-tara-vanderveer-announces-retirement


People interviewed were sports writer Michelle Smith and former players Jennifer Azzi, Charmin Smith, and Val Whiting.

I especially liked Jennifer Azzi talking about her evolving relationship with Tara from being a teenager/student/player to being a peer.

RE: 76lsjumb - UltimateCard - 04-12-2024

(04-10-2024, 06:14 AM)76lsjumb Wrote:  According to Craig Melvin on The Today Show this morning, Tara’s career wins record is “one of those records that will never be broken,” … which shows how much he knows about women’s basketball. Unless he knows something we don’t, I suppose… :-)

Belatedly adding my gratitude to Tara, who has given me many wonderful memories over 35 years. I had figured Geno would pass her next season but that she’d coach longer and pass him in the end. Alas, who am I to question someone who has gotten it right way more often than not for the program, for the sport, and for herself? Glad we’ll continue to see Tara at Maples. My son (whom I dragged to many games including the one that ended UConn’s winning streak in 2010) speculates that she may be asked by Lacob to advise on the new Bay Area WNBA team. Rest assured, Tara will continue to impact WBB on the Farm and beyond.

RE: 76lsjumb - Hoops9092 - 04-12-2024

(04-12-2024, 02:39 PM)UltimateCard Wrote:  
(04-10-2024, 06:14 AM)76lsjumb Wrote:  According to Craig Melvin on The Today Show this morning, Tara’s career wins record is “one of those records that will never be broken,” … which shows how much he knows about women’s basketball. Unless he knows something we don’t, I suppose… :-)

Belatedly adding my gratitude to Tara, who has given me many wonderful memories over 35 years. I had figured Geno would pass her next season but that she’d coach longer and pass him in the end. Alas, who am I to question someone who has gotten it right way more often than not for the program, for the sport, and for herself? Glad we’ll continue to see Tara at Maples. My son (whom I dragged to many games including the one that ended UConn’s winning streak in 2010) speculates that she may be asked by Lacob to advise on the new Bay Area WNBA team. Rest assured, Tara will continue to impact WBB on the Farm and beyond.

I was thinking the same thing. If Tara was a few years younger, she may even consider being the GM down the road in San Francisco for the WNBA team but I think she's ready to be a fan.