[2006alum]

Tom Fitzgerald of the Chronicle thinks we're a couple years away from another Final Four.

http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/arti...043827.php

Hah. I think you could have written the exact same headline at the end of last season: "Help is on the way but Final Four unlikely for Stanford in 2017." Fortunately we got to rewrite the headline by the end of the season.

Next year, Alanna and Brit will be our main threats, and I think we will go as far as that they can adjust to being the go-to players and how the other players are able to step up and fill the void.

I'd argue they're already there. Here's Alanna and Brit's stats over our five tournament games, against New Mexico State, Kansas State, Texas, Notre Dame, and South Carolina:
Alanna: 15.6 pts, 8.8 rebounds, .525 shooting percentage
Britt: 16.8 pts, 5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, .42 shooting percentage

In fact, their stats are arguably better than either Karlie or Bird:
Bird: 13 pts, 11 rebounds, .4375 shooting percentage
Karlie: 10.6 pts, 2.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, .485 shooting percentage

Now granted, Karlie was hobbled against South Carolina and that affects her numbers, and obviously defenses were more keyed in on Bird and Karlie, but it's nonetheless encouraging to see that Alanna and Britt actually outscored the seniors over the course of the tournament, when the stakes are highest, the pressure greatest, and experience the most valuable.

[2006alum]

Tom Fitzgerald of the Chronicle thinks we're a couple years away from another Final Four.

http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/arti...043827.php

Hah. I think you could have written the exact same headline at the end of last season: "Help is on the way but Final Four unlikely for Stanford in 2017." Fortunately we got to rewrite the headline by the end of the season.

Next year, Alanna and Brit will be our main threats, and I think we will go as far as that they can adjust to being the go-to players and how the other players are able to step up and fill the void.

I'd argue they're already there. Here's Alanna and Brit's stats over our five tournament games, against New Mexico State, Kansas State, Texas, Notre Dame, and South Carolina:
Alanna: 15.6 pts, 8.8 rebounds, .525 shooting percentage
Britt: 16.8 pts, 5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, .42 shooting percentage

In fact, their stats are arguably better than either Karlie or Bird:
Bird: 13 pts, 11 rebounds, .4375 shooting percentage
Karlie: 10.6 pts, 2.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, .485 shooting percentage

Now granted, Karlie was hobbled against South Carolina and that affects her numbers, and obviously defenses were more keyed in on Bird and Karlie, but it's nonetheless encouraging to see that Alanna and Britt actually outscored the seniors over the course of the tournament, when the stakes are highest, the pressure greatest, and experience the most valuable.