[M T]

The WBB all-century team comes out this week, if I recall correctly.  They've been touting it during the televised games.  I don't know how many will be on the "team".  We should be prepared for some surprise omissions.  I'm sure there's no doubt about Coach of the Century (but note that 31-time conference champion & 20-time conference Coach of the Year Skip Kenney was overlooked).  But there have been many great players, being a first-round WNBA pick may not be enough. I feel Stanford itself could have at least 5 all-century players, but you know they're going to try to spread them around.

I don't know the earliest days of Stanford or PAC-n basketball, so I can't comment earlier than the mid-1980s.  And, I'm not going to judge about the players on the other teams (except one).

I can't imagine an all-century team without Jennifer Azzi.  Yeah, she led Stanford to the first national title, but more than that, she helped to get WBB into the pros.  She had such a pretty shot.  The only knock on Jennifer is that she is from the crowded field at Stanford, and the fog of the years.

Val Whiting was the top scorer for the 1992 NC team.  But, to be honest, I don't think of her as an all-century player.  Maybe I'm just losing my memory; after all, she did win a NC.

Kate Starbird held the Stanford scoring record for a decade until 2008.  But she didn't go high in the draft, and wasn't a standout in the pros.  Maybe gets in about 10th - 15th?

Kristin Folkl.  She had talent and was fun to watch.  If there was ever a player who got the short shrift from Tara, it was her.  And still she was great.  Six Final Fours, three NCs, but still probably not (in WBB -- she did get all-Century in WVB).

Nicole Powell.  I always thought she was under-appreciated.  She made everyone else on the team better.  According to Wikipedia, she's the only PAC-12 WBB player to have multiple triple doubles in a single year.  She was picked #3 in the draft, and got stuck with a coach that didn't seem to appreciate her. She was traded and became the Most Improved Player (really, a function of a coach that knew her value and played her).  I'd guess she'd be chosen about #10.

Candice.  (Yeah, she's got a last name, but doesn't need it.  You just need to remember the "i".)  She may have a record for the longest personal Wikipedia page in WBB.  Again, she was a 3rd overall pick in the draft.  She's been good in the pros, but not quite as good as I'd hoped.  And if her talent isn't quite enough, she's got charisma on her side.  A good possibility, but not a given to be in the top 5, if only because the voters will be looking to avoid a Stanford near-sweep.

Nneka.  Yep, she's going to be top-5.  Besides all she did at Stanford, she was a #1 draft pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Chiney.  Defensive player of the year;  Offensive player of the year;  #1 draft pick .....

Ah, what the heck.  Maybe Stanford will get a near-sweep of the top 5.  (My ordering: Nneka/Chiney, Azzi, [Cheryl Miller], Candice, but I'd give Azzi a chance at player of the century, if people can't pick between Nneka & Chiney but do feel it should be a Stanford player.)

Seriously, the knock against Chiney/Nneka/Candice is that Stanford was always the bridesmaid.  Some of the other teams will vote for ABS (Anyone But Stanford) so someone is liable to get knocked out.  That may mean that the ABS top-vote award will go to Cheryl Miller.  How can anyone vote for one Ogwumike and not the other?  But I suspect it will happen.    Some might forget what all Azzi did beyond her Stanford contributions, benefiting all WBB players.

There have been lots of other really good players at Stanford that some might think were at or near the top of their year, but I'm really skimming the very top of the cream here.

[M T]

The WBB all-century team comes out this week, if I recall correctly.  They've been touting it during the televised games.  I don't know how many will be on the "team".  We should be prepared for some surprise omissions.  I'm sure there's no doubt about Coach of the Century (but note that 31-time conference champion & 20-time conference Coach of the Year Skip Kenney was overlooked).  But there have been many great players, being a first-round WNBA pick may not be enough. I feel Stanford itself could have at least 5 all-century players, but you know they're going to try to spread them around.

I don't know the earliest days of Stanford or PAC-n basketball, so I can't comment earlier than the mid-1980s.  And, I'm not going to judge about the players on the other teams (except one).

I can't imagine an all-century team without Jennifer Azzi.  Yeah, she led Stanford to the first national title, but more than that, she helped to get WBB into the pros.  She had such a pretty shot.  The only knock on Jennifer is that she is from the crowded field at Stanford, and the fog of the years.

Val Whiting was the top scorer for the 1992 NC team.  But, to be honest, I don't think of her as an all-century player.  Maybe I'm just losing my memory; after all, she did win a NC.

Kate Starbird held the Stanford scoring record for a decade until 2008.  But she didn't go high in the draft, and wasn't a standout in the pros.  Maybe gets in about 10th - 15th?

Kristin Folkl.  She had talent and was fun to watch.  If there was ever a player who got the short shrift from Tara, it was her.  And still she was great.  Six Final Fours, three NCs, but still probably not (in WBB -- she did get all-Century in WVB).

Nicole Powell.  I always thought she was under-appreciated.  She made everyone else on the team better.  According to Wikipedia, she's the only PAC-12 WBB player to have multiple triple doubles in a single year.  She was picked #3 in the draft, and got stuck with a coach that didn't seem to appreciate her. She was traded and became the Most Improved Player (really, a function of a coach that knew her value and played her).  I'd guess she'd be chosen about #10.

Candice.  (Yeah, she's got a last name, but doesn't need it.  You just need to remember the "i".)  She may have a record for the longest personal Wikipedia page in WBB.  Again, she was a 3rd overall pick in the draft.  She's been good in the pros, but not quite as good as I'd hoped.  And if her talent isn't quite enough, she's got charisma on her side.  A good possibility, but not a given to be in the top 5, if only because the voters will be looking to avoid a Stanford near-sweep.

Nneka.  Yep, she's going to be top-5.  Besides all she did at Stanford, she was a #1 draft pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Chiney.  Defensive player of the year;  Offensive player of the year;  #1 draft pick .....

Ah, what the heck.  Maybe Stanford will get a near-sweep of the top 5.  (My ordering: Nneka/Chiney, Azzi, [Cheryl Miller], Candice, but I'd give Azzi a chance at player of the century, if people can't pick between Nneka & Chiney but do feel it should be a Stanford player.)

Seriously, the knock against Chiney/Nneka/Candice is that Stanford was always the bridesmaid.  Some of the other teams will vote for ABS (Anyone But Stanford) so someone is liable to get knocked out.  That may mean that the ABS top-vote award will go to Cheryl Miller.  How can anyone vote for one Ogwumike and not the other?  But I suspect it will happen.    Some might forget what all Azzi did beyond her Stanford contributions, benefiting all WBB players.

There have been lots of other really good players at Stanford that some might think were at or near the top of their year, but I'm really skimming the very top of the cream here.