[81alum]

I too am late to the party -- thanks to a recent death in the family on top of everything else the past year has thrown at me (and the world), this definitely felt like the rare bright spot lately.

I'm so thrilled for Tara and the team - for some reason, from the outset, this team felt like they had a championship in them. I never wanted to voice this thought out loud, but with Fudd going to UConn and both SCarolina and UConn having beyond stacked rosters starting next season, part of me thought this year really was our best shot at finally getting that third championship, and I'm sure glad we didn't squander the opportunity. And as soon as they announced the tourney would be held in San Antonio, as I remarked in one of our bball threads, it seemed like Kiana got locked in and started playing with a renewed focus. It really did feel like it was meant to be this year.

And it's almost impossible as a casual fan to appreciate all that the women's team put up with this year in terms of travel, testing, uncertainty, isolation, and upset routines. It's true that we did not play our best in the finals, and I wish Kiana hadn't dropped a stinker in her final game in a Stanford uniform in her hometown. But a win, is a win, is a win, and as we've all said all year, survive and advance. As Tara said during the post-game, no one remembers the score or how many points - they remember who won, and we did. We keep our 45-year natty streak alive. Tara is now the winningest coach in D1 Bball history. She is also the coach who has gone the longest in ANY D1 men's or women's sport between championships: 29 years! This third championship should silence all the haters and doubters who thought Tara would never be able to get over the hump, that the PAC-12 hasn't won a championship in decades, etc. etc.

So more than anything, this is about respect and desert. This team did everything to earn the respect a title conveys, and as much as any sports team I've ever followed, they deserve it. Their grit, their unselfishness on and off the court, their excellent comportment in interviews, everything. Rarely have I found a championship team more worthy of praise and appreciation.

So thank you Tara, thank you ladies, and thank you Stanford.

I'm sorry for your loss, 2006.

Your sentiments, and Farm07's above, both closely parallel my own.

I also was afraid to say it out loud but I felt this team had the potential to be national champions, and I felt that this year would be their best opportunity for a while.  And of course that made me even more anxious as a fan than usual since it was even more important that they not blow their best chance in many years.

And I also never felt the elation that I expected to feel after the victory.  I am not sure if it is because of how we played, or if this is actually how a championship usually feels to a long-suffering fan--more relief than anything.  I remember how I felt after the last two championships, and after the women's soccer championship, and those felt more joyous to me.  I think there was something about all the near-misses and close calls over the decades that increased the tension level and produced such odd feelings when we finally won.

I think I can imagine how I would feel if we won a natty next year--it would be quite different.  The ugly past from Harvard to Tennessee to A&M to Connecticut has now been wiped away, we probably won't be expected to repeat, so it would be much more spontaneous and joyful.

Others may feel differently.  I guess I did not realize what waiting 29 years had done to my emotional investment nor did I anticipate how I would react.

[81alum]

I too am late to the party -- thanks to a recent death in the family on top of everything else the past year has thrown at me (and the world), this definitely felt like the rare bright spot lately.

I'm so thrilled for Tara and the team - for some reason, from the outset, this team felt like they had a championship in them. I never wanted to voice this thought out loud, but with Fudd going to UConn and both SCarolina and UConn having beyond stacked rosters starting next season, part of me thought this year really was our best shot at finally getting that third championship, and I'm sure glad we didn't squander the opportunity. And as soon as they announced the tourney would be held in San Antonio, as I remarked in one of our bball threads, it seemed like Kiana got locked in and started playing with a renewed focus. It really did feel like it was meant to be this year.

And it's almost impossible as a casual fan to appreciate all that the women's team put up with this year in terms of travel, testing, uncertainty, isolation, and upset routines. It's true that we did not play our best in the finals, and I wish Kiana hadn't dropped a stinker in her final game in a Stanford uniform in her hometown. But a win, is a win, is a win, and as we've all said all year, survive and advance. As Tara said during the post-game, no one remembers the score or how many points - they remember who won, and we did. We keep our 45-year natty streak alive. Tara is now the winningest coach in D1 Bball history. She is also the coach who has gone the longest in ANY D1 men's or women's sport between championships: 29 years! This third championship should silence all the haters and doubters who thought Tara would never be able to get over the hump, that the PAC-12 hasn't won a championship in decades, etc. etc.

So more than anything, this is about respect and desert. This team did everything to earn the respect a title conveys, and as much as any sports team I've ever followed, they deserve it. Their grit, their unselfishness on and off the court, their excellent comportment in interviews, everything. Rarely have I found a championship team more worthy of praise and appreciation.

So thank you Tara, thank you ladies, and thank you Stanford.

I'm sorry for your loss, 2006.

Your sentiments, and Farm07's above, both closely parallel my own.

I also was afraid to say it out loud but I felt this team had the potential to be national champions, and I felt that this year would be their best opportunity for a while.  And of course that made me even more anxious as a fan than usual since it was even more important that they not blow their best chance in many years.

And I also never felt the elation that I expected to feel after the victory.  I am not sure if it is because of how we played, or if this is actually how a championship usually feels to a long-suffering fan--more relief than anything.  I remember how I felt after the last two championships, and after the women's soccer championship, and those felt more joyous to me.  I think there was something about all the near-misses and close calls over the decades that increased the tension level and produced such odd feelings when we finally won.

I think I can imagine how I would feel if we won a natty next year--it would be quite different.  The ugly past from Harvard to Tennessee to A&M to Connecticut has now been wiped away, we probably won't be expected to repeat, so it would be much more spontaneous and joyful.

Others may feel differently.  I guess I did not realize what waiting 29 years had done to my emotional investment nor did I anticipate how I would react.