[StanFanFam13]

I wonder if Coach Tara even realizes she singles out Prechtel for punitive PT decisions.

Seriously, the end of Q1 was a joke (and not a funny one).  The team just commits 4 turnovers (none by Prechtel); and then on ASU's last possession, Kiana makes a foolish reach in foul with a few seconds left.  All of those transgressions have no repercussions.  It's only when Prechtel is called for a foul - which was a very dubious call - with .4 seconds left that Tara feels compelled to go to the bench and sub in Belibi for Prechtel's mistake (which, btw, was not a foul).

But even if it were, c'mon . . .

For some reason, Prechtel is in Tara's 'house.

P.S.  Belibi looks great out there.

Noticed that no one here commented on the above - no surprise, really.
But I post the below just so you all know that I'm not the only one who is seeing things a certain way.  
The official reporter on the Rivals site had this today, among other things, after today's ASU game:

"Ashten Prechtel will get an opportunity to take on more minutes in Brink's absence but it's my opinion that her relationship with VanDerveer is out of sync right now.  I think Prechtel is playing with one eye on VanDerveer, waiting to be taken out after a mistake.  I may not be an FBI profiler but my scouting report of Prechtel's body language is that she is not confident and it's hard for her to find a rhythm right now."

That's a delicate (and non-coach-focused) way to phrase it . . . 

I don't disagree with your assessment that Prechtel is definitely on quite a short leash. She was a favorite of mine last year, and I'm still rooting for her this year, so I'll reveal my bias in saying it's an unnecessarily short leash, and she's been on it for quite some time. Last year, when Belibi was far less developed and making some egregious freshman mistakes, Tara would often leave her in, and I wondered if that was connected to how late Fran started playing basketball and perhaps Tara's belief that her ceiling was much higher if only she was given the chance to develop.

That said, I seem to remember that Prechtel was given the hook pretty quickly in many games last year, and even so, in the home game against Colorado, Tara drew up the play and called her number to make the shot that took us to overtime. One of my favorite things about Prechtel is that she seems to show up most when she is needed most, and Tara has sometimes played her in ways that recognize that as well—she is by no means saved for garbage time. It's hard for me to puzzle out what those mixed messages say.

The other thing that confuses me is what I perceive of Prechtel's personality: well-spoken but a little reticent, earnest and eager to please, but as you (and others) have noted, without the confidence of some of her teammates at present. When I think of Tara's clashes with players in the past, fiery characters like Ros Gold-Onwude come to mind. It's easier to see a coach clashing with a brash or opinionated player, or perhaps one who she perceives as not giving the maximum amount of effort. Obviously we do not see what happens in practice and off the court, but I see none of that in Prechtel, who truly seems to be a team player. I'm honestly unsure of where the conflict might be.

Lastly, I know you have speculated in the past about Prechtel transferring if she feels unappreciated or underutilized. While I realize it's possible she might do so as a purely basketball-based decision, she has, as others have pointed out, the value of a Stanford education to consider. What's more, this sophomore class seems to be more bonded than almost any other I can recall in recent years. All four seem to care really deeply for one another. I hold some hope that that's another reason she might stick with us.

[StanFanFam13]

I wonder if Coach Tara even realizes she singles out Prechtel for punitive PT decisions.

Seriously, the end of Q1 was a joke (and not a funny one).  The team just commits 4 turnovers (none by Prechtel); and then on ASU's last possession, Kiana makes a foolish reach in foul with a few seconds left.  All of those transgressions have no repercussions.  It's only when Prechtel is called for a foul - which was a very dubious call - with .4 seconds left that Tara feels compelled to go to the bench and sub in Belibi for Prechtel's mistake (which, btw, was not a foul).

But even if it were, c'mon . . .

For some reason, Prechtel is in Tara's 'house.

P.S.  Belibi looks great out there.

Noticed that no one here commented on the above - no surprise, really.
But I post the below just so you all know that I'm not the only one who is seeing things a certain way.  
The official reporter on the Rivals site had this today, among other things, after today's ASU game:

"Ashten Prechtel will get an opportunity to take on more minutes in Brink's absence but it's my opinion that her relationship with VanDerveer is out of sync right now.  I think Prechtel is playing with one eye on VanDerveer, waiting to be taken out after a mistake.  I may not be an FBI profiler but my scouting report of Prechtel's body language is that she is not confident and it's hard for her to find a rhythm right now."

That's a delicate (and non-coach-focused) way to phrase it . . . 

I don't disagree with your assessment that Prechtel is definitely on quite a short leash. She was a favorite of mine last year, and I'm still rooting for her this year, so I'll reveal my bias in saying it's an unnecessarily short leash, and she's been on it for quite some time. Last year, when Belibi was far less developed and making some egregious freshman mistakes, Tara would often leave her in, and I wondered if that was connected to how late Fran started playing basketball and perhaps Tara's belief that her ceiling was much higher if only she was given the chance to develop.

That said, I seem to remember that Prechtel was given the hook pretty quickly in many games last year, and even so, in the home game against Colorado, Tara drew up the play and called her number to make the shot that took us to overtime. One of my favorite things about Prechtel is that she seems to show up most when she is needed most, and Tara has sometimes played her in ways that recognize that as well—she is by no means saved for garbage time. It's hard for me to puzzle out what those mixed messages say.

The other thing that confuses me is what I perceive of Prechtel's personality: well-spoken but a little reticent, earnest and eager to please, but as you (and others) have noted, without the confidence of some of her teammates at present. When I think of Tara's clashes with players in the past, fiery characters like Ros Gold-Onwude come to mind. It's easier to see a coach clashing with a brash or opinionated player, or perhaps one who she perceives as not giving the maximum amount of effort. Obviously we do not see what happens in practice and off the court, but I see none of that in Prechtel, who truly seems to be a team player. I'm honestly unsure of where the conflict might be.

Lastly, I know you have speculated in the past about Prechtel transferring if she feels unappreciated or underutilized. While I realize it's possible she might do so as a purely basketball-based decision, she has, as others have pointed out, the value of a Stanford education to consider. What's more, this sophomore class seems to be more bonded than almost any other I can recall in recent years. All four seem to care really deeply for one another. I hold some hope that that's another reason she might stick with us.