RE: WBIT -
stopandpop - 03-20-2026
(03-20-2026, 01:02 AM)BostonCard Wrote: We really could have used Lepolo, who, for all her faults, is pretty steady against the press.
BC
Tara would put Brink near mid-court to help break the other team's press. Surprised Coach Paye didn't put Eschmeyer in the same position since she saw how effective Brink was. Once again, four Stanford players did all the shooting- Agara (16 shots), Ogden (12), Swain (14) and Clardy (12) while Eschmeyer shot once and made her basket. I can't fault Nunu because she is an absolute beast and probably should be given credit for winning the game. But those 4 on the court ignored Eschmeyer who was posting up well- Swain and Clardy selfishly trying to make difficult shots while Alex had much easier opportunities. Half court team balance where all 5 players are contributing is a more effective formula than how Stanford plays.
Eschmeyer has liabilities on defense, but her offensive game has been wasted all season (with a few exceptions) and it certainly was (again) against Loyola. Stanford is basically playing 4 on 5.
RE: WBIT -
BostonCard - 03-20-2026
Card10Fan dateline='[url=tel:1773978116' Wrote: 1773978116[/url]']
From the paid Stanford board and Ben Parker.
"Ok, so here's the lowdown on Lara Somfai. I did a little sleuthing:
She definitely won't be back for the WBIT. She went back to Hungary after the ACC tourney. Sounds like whether or not she's back next year with the program is up-in-the-air. Other schools have been talking to her representation. Serious NIL money. Like $1M kinda money. The source who relayed this info to me also feels like it's Stanford's to lose. So, there's certainly a chance she's back. But given that she's away from the team under these circumstances, we shouldn't at all be surprised if she isn't."
If someone is offering Somfai $1 million then more power to her, but it seems hard to fathom that she would be worth more than Iriafen was just two years ago. Somfai has incredible potential, but Iriafen had already demonstrated it on the court. Hell, $1 million is about twice what a WNBA player makes on average in the new collective bargaining agreement, which itself represents a 3.5x increase from the last one.
I have no doubt she’s attracting a lot of attention from other schools, but if she is offered $1 million then I don’t know that we would want to counter even if we had the money to.
BC
RE: WBIT -
Spiny_Norman - 03-20-2026
$1M from an unspecified school sounds like a story that her agent would tell to the public to increase her value on the open market.
RE: WBIT -
MV72018 - 03-20-2026
(03-20-2026, 03:24 PM)Spiny_Norman Wrote: $1M from an unspecified school sounds like a story that her agent would tell to the public to increase her value on the open market.
What's a little lie among friends? Just an unethical means to a selfish end. Maybe s/he could take a job in the Trump Admin.
RE: WBIT -
Leftcoast - 03-20-2026
Iriafen was talking to NIL suitors often at the same time as Stanford was playing them. What could possibly go wrong? One of the many reasons my Stanford fandom has ... moderated. The NIL stupidity with its in-season negotiations and yearly free-agency has turned the NCAA into the wild, wild West of sports.
Quote: "The pirate code? Think of them more as guidelines than actual ... rules." - Captain Barbossa
RE: WBIT -
TonyLima - 03-20-2026
(03-20-2026, 05:36 PM)Leftcoast Wrote: Iriafen was talking to NIL suitors often at the same time as Stanford was playing them. What could possibly go wrong? One of the many reasons my Stanford fandom has ... moderated. The NIL stupidity with its in-season negotiations and yearly free-agency has turned the NCAA into the wild, wild West of sports.
Quote: "The pirate code? Think of them more as guidelines than actual ... rules." - Captain Barbossa
Rule violation. Posts about pirates must be made in true Pirate dialect. First and last words must be "Aaaaaarrrrgghh."
RE: WBIT -
PalmTree - 03-20-2026
(03-20-2026, 05:56 PM)TonyLima Wrote: (03-20-2026, 05:36 PM)Leftcoast Wrote: Iriafen was talking to NIL suitors often at the same time as Stanford was playing them. What could possibly go wrong? One of the many reasons my Stanford fandom has ... moderated. The NIL stupidity with its in-season negotiations and yearly free-agency has turned the NCAA into the wild, wild West of sports.
Quote: "The pirate code? Think of them more as guidelines than actual ... rules." - Captain Barbossa
Rule violation. Posts about pirates must be made in true Pirate dialect. First and last words must be "Aaaaaarrrrgghh."
Or sometimes the middle word, depending on the situation.....
RE: WBIT -
TonyLima - 03-20-2026
PalmTree dateline='[url=tel:1774055808' Wrote: 1774055808[/url]']
TonyLima dateline='[url=tel:1774054589' Wrote: 1774054589[/url]']
Leftcoast dateline='[url=tel:1774053382' Wrote: 1774053382[/url]']
Iriafen was talking to NIL suitors often at the same time as Stanford was playing them. What could possibly go wrong? One of the many reasons my Stanford fandom has ... moderated. The NIL stupidity with its in-season negotiations and yearly free-agency has turned the NCAA into the wild, wild West of sports.
Quote: "The pirate code? Think of them more as guidelines than actual ... rules." - Captain Barbossa
Rule violation. Posts about pirates must be made in true Pirate dialect. First and last words must be "Aaaaaarrrrgghh."
Or sometimes the middle word, depending on the situation.....
![[Image: 533816448_1172992791367909_4911772557308...e=69C3A918]](https://scontent.fopo5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/533816448_1172992791367909_4911772557308829984_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=13d280&_nc_ohc=tWQEQPjoZEsQ7kNvwFtFvxw&_nc_oc=Ado7OUv4KoO6ok21fQnEwJlJlzMTEzkkI-8i8_D7jlycmplCCky82wSdUDGkJ67uffpX9PFh7eIU0h5bsNuly84w&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fopo5-1.fna&_nc_gid=b7aLuoOKJzwBywqnFogiIA&_nc_ss=7a30f&oh=00_AfxdjOx_rPBU43nn9UytYVx45G11RAKGHtQ9lXtAHM2xLQ&oe=69C3A918)
Outstanding.
RE: WBIT -
crackpot - 03-20-2026
(03-20-2026, 05:36 PM)Leftcoast Wrote: Iriafen was talking to NIL suitors often at the same time as Stanford was playing them. What could possibly go wrong? One of the many reasons my Stanford fandom has ... moderated. The NIL stupidity with its in-season negotiations and yearly free-agency has turned the NCAA into the wild, wild West of sports.
Quote: "The pirate code? Think of them more as guidelines than actual ... rules." - Captain Barbossa
Right? I was stunned (and pleasantly surprised) to see the new CBA for the W lets teams put the "core" designation on a player for a maximum of seven years. Seven years is a really long time, and it's an improvement (from the player's side) and I can't imagine how wonderful it must be to think you might actually have your favorite player around for a long, long time.
RE: WBIT -
M T - 03-21-2026
If you’re going to Sunday’s 2pm WBB game, consider dropping by the pool for #1 Stanford vs #3 USC WWP match at 1pm. It should be almost over by the time the WWB game starts
Unfortunately, I am out of town on a family visit and can’t be there for either game. Cheer loudly in my stead.
RE: WBIT -
Nobadeer - 03-21-2026
Meanwhile, Tara Vanderveer's younger sister Heidi led the UCSD Tritons to another March Madness tournament appearance. They lost in the first round yesterday. Coaching genes!
RE: WBIT -
petersalas - 03-21-2026
Unfortunately, my perfect attendance this season will end because we won’t be able to make it either. How dare family members plan their birthday celebration during March madness, and an early one at that???? Please cheer triple loud in our absence also. Hope they win, BYU loses and we have yet one last home game next week!!!
(03-21-2026, 12:58 AM)M T Wrote: If you’re going to Sunday’s 2pm WBB game, consider dropping by the pool for #1 Stanford vs #3 USC WWP match at 1pm. It should be almost over by the time the WWB game starts
Unfortunately, I am out of town on a family visit and can’t be there for either game. Cheer loudly in my stead.
RE: WBIT -
cctop - 03-21-2026
(03-20-2026, 06:16 PM)PalmTree Wrote: Or sometimes the middle word, depending on the situation.....
![[Image: 533816448_1172992791367909_4911772557308...e=69C3A918]](https://scontent.fopo5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/533816448_1172992791367909_4911772557308829984_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=13d280&_nc_ohc=tWQEQPjoZEsQ7kNvwFtFvxw&_nc_oc=Ado7OUv4KoO6ok21fQnEwJlJlzMTEzkkI-8i8_D7jlycmplCCky82wSdUDGkJ67uffpX9PFh7eIU0h5bsNuly84w&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fopo5-1.fna&_nc_gid=b7aLuoOKJzwBywqnFogiIA&_nc_ss=7a30f&oh=00_AfxdjOx_rPBU43nn9UytYVx45G11RAKGHtQ9lXtAHM2xLQ&oe=69C3A918)
A joke best said with a pirate accent:
Q: What's a pirate's favorite letter?
A: You'd think it'd be "R", but their first love be the "C".
RE: WBIT -
old spanish trail - 03-21-2026
(03-19-2026, 11:46 PM)liveoak Wrote: (03-19-2026, 09:45 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: (03-19-2026, 09:16 PM)martyup Wrote: What an ugly win. We should expect to get pressed on every possession in the following games.
That was agonizing. Without Lara we don't have enuf ball handlers. I assume we should beat Quinnipiac, but we only used 6 players. MLS was in for a few inconsequential minutes. We have no bench, period. Nunu may have been saving herself for the 4th qtr, and, in hindsight, I'm glad she did. The refs let them play, and that disadvantaged us because our 6 players couldn't afford to get in foul trouble. Sorry, but that's on us.
I knew that ball handling point would be curious the instant I posted it. You are right that it is not Lara's main skill,, but we have used her as an outlet to get the ball down the court. Nunu could also do it, but she has to do everything else and was exhausted in the 4th qtr.
Re "that's on us" I'm including Tara and the rest of the staff for not recruiting and developing more players we could put on the floor.
Lara is a fine player, but I don't see her ball-handling as one of her strong points. Without her, we really only have 7 players counting MLS.
But what do you mean "that's on us?" Without Lara, we only have 7 players that play regularly and I agree with the coach's decision...the rest of them aren't really ready to play at this level. The only two that I would add would be Ezike and Amborn - none of whom are ball handlers.
LMU was a pretty frantic pressing team - more so than Tennessee and Duke - but not a quick as them, fortunately. They were trapping us in the front-court...double and triple-teaming at times and we finally started to be able to handle it in the fourth quarter. But we do not have a large group of great ball handling guards on this time and that has cost us more this season than any lack of size.
(03-21-2026, 03:34 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: (03-19-2026, 11:46 PM)liveoak Wrote: (03-19-2026, 09:45 PM)old spanish trail Wrote: [quote="martyup" pid='447248' dateline='1773980164']
What an ugly win. We should expect to get pressed on every possession in the following games.
That was agonizing. Without Lara we don't have enuf ball handlers. I assume we should beat Quinnipiac, but we only used 6 players. MLS was in for a few inconsequential minutes. We have no bench, period. Nunu may have been saving herself for the 4th qtr, and, in hindsight, I'm glad she did. The refs let them play, and that disadvantaged us because our 6 players couldn't afford to get in foul trouble. Sorry, but that's on us.
I knew that ball handling point would be curious the instant I posted it. You are right that it is not Lara's main skill,, but we have used her as an outlet to get the ball down the court. Nunu could also do it, but she has to do everything else and was exhausted in the 4th qtr.
Re "that's on us" I'm including Tara and the rest of the staff for not recruiting and developing more players we could put on the floor.
Lara is a fine player, but I don't see her ball-handling as one of her strong points. Without her, we really only have 7 players counting MLS.
But what do you mean "that's on us?" Without Lara, we only have 7 players that play regularly and I agree with the coach's decision...the rest of them aren't really ready to play at this level. The only two that I would add would be Ezike and Amborn - none of whom are ball handlers.
LMU was a pretty frantic pressing team - more so than Tennessee and Duke - but not a quick as them, fortunately. They were trapping us in the front-court...double and triple-teaming at times and we finally started to be able to handle it in the fourth quarter. But we do not have a large group of great ball handling guards on this time and that has cost us more this season than any lack of size.
Sorry. I totally messed up post placement here. Old Spanish Trail
RE: WBIT -
Jskass - 03-21-2026
Missy at the monitor CO-IL game?
RE: WBIT -
crackpot - 03-21-2026
(03-21-2026, 10:32 AM)Nobadeer Wrote: Meanwhile, Tara Vanderveer's younger sister Heidi led the UCSD Tritons to another March Madness tournament appearance. They lost in the first round yesterday. Coaching genes!
They did mention on the broadcast how many years a "Coach Vanderveer" has been in the tourney.
RE: WBIT -
Hieronymus - 03-21-2026
Since some of the thread here got a bit out of sequence I am not replying…..
1. Yes Sonfai isn’t an elite ball handler, but as noted above she was a useful outlet bringing the ball up during the system.
2. No Somfai and still no Leopolo clearly does hurt (not saying they aren’t useful players otherwise) because you end up with almost no bench. I have a hard time seeing how the team can hold it together playing really only 6. MAS’s and Ezike’s minutes were so short they hardly count.