[Goose]

The tendency to let up when we are well ahead exists in just about every Stanford team I have ever seen. It isn't just Women's Basketball. Look at some of the epic "can't possibly lose now" games Stanford Football has lost over the years, under many different coaching staffs. For certain there are coaching decisions that involve some form of "turtle", but it goes beyond that. Stanford athletes aren't stupid. They know when they are well ahead and don't really have to play great to win. They also know they need to give 100% best efforts at all times, but they don't. That is just who they are. It is the same psyche that allows the "biggest upset ever". Stanford football had for years a reputation of losing to teams they should beat and beating teams they shouldn't.
In recent years, the team leadership in football has been better and we haven't "couged it" real often. We have also won some "miracle" finishes. That said, we often play down to our competition. For those of you who want athletes with more "killer instinct", I would suggest that often is as bad, or worse. U$C generally has great killer instinct when they are winning against an over-matched opponent, but when they are losing they often step on people's hands and generally give up. What Stanford wants is players who are competitive and play hard all the time, even when it may not be necessary. To a lesser or greater extent, we get that these days. Just not every day.

[Goose]

The tendency to let up when we are well ahead exists in just about every Stanford team I have ever seen. It isn't just Women's Basketball. Look at some of the epic "can't possibly lose now" games Stanford Football has lost over the years, under many different coaching staffs. For certain there are coaching decisions that involve some form of "turtle", but it goes beyond that. Stanford athletes aren't stupid. They know when they are well ahead and don't really have to play great to win. They also know they need to give 100% best efforts at all times, but they don't. That is just who they are. It is the same psyche that allows the "biggest upset ever". Stanford football had for years a reputation of losing to teams they should beat and beating teams they shouldn't.
In recent years, the team leadership in football has been better and we haven't "couged it" real often. We have also won some "miracle" finishes. That said, we often play down to our competition. For those of you who want athletes with more "killer instinct", I would suggest that often is as bad, or worse. U$C generally has great killer instinct when they are winning against an over-matched opponent, but when they are losing they often step on people's hands and generally give up. What Stanford wants is players who are competitive and play hard all the time, even when it may not be necessary. To a lesser or greater extent, we get that these days. Just not every day.