[81alum]

Actually, I did make the Holly Warlick analogy… and noted that, in Holly Warlick’s first season she won the SEC and took Tennessee to the Elite Eight, and she did so while having to replace all five starters from the previous season. Kate may very well be much smarter than Holly, but I’m guessing we won’t be going to the Elite Eight this season…

Sorry about my confusion.  The simple answer is Warlick inherited a much stronger roster, and she inherited it in an era when transferring out was not a viable option.  I haven't counted them up but I think there were half a dozen on that team that became WNBA players.  I don't think that is likely on the current Stanford roster.

OK, this proved to be a very interesting historical comparison and one that deserved a serious answer!  Thanks for starting me on this path.  I did go back and look over the Tennessee 2012-13 roster that was Warlick's first year.  Following are the players she inherited that went on the the WNBA.  Some of them did not last long, but still...
1. Jasmine Jones
2. Kamiko Williams
3. Ariel Massengale
4. Meighan Simmons
5. Cierra Burdick
6. Bashaara Graves
7. Isabelle Harrison
Also, Andraya Carter was expected to be a WNBA player but a series of injuries toward the end of her college days ended that.

Basically, Warlick took over before WBB began its trend toward parity across many schools, and she had an absolutely loaded roster.  In those years I would visit the Vols board before our game with them to compare notes with their fans--it was always a friendly exchange.  My impression is that many Vol fans became rapidly disillusioned with Warlick because they thought she was underperforming with the copious talent she had inherited.  And it turns out those fans were right--as the numerous professional careers later could attest.  I only had a gut feeling about that until going back to check--but 7 future pros!

I don't think we will ever see teams like that again--no one is able to stockpile so many stars and have them sit on the bench for a couple of years the way a few powerhouses used to.  Most of those 7 players probably would have transferred out rather than sit behind the 5 starters you pointed to, if today's transfer rules and NIL money were beckoning in 2012.  But they couldn't, and they didn't, and so Warlick was able to reload with talent that Pat had recruited.

[81alum]

Actually, I did make the Holly Warlick analogy… and noted that, in Holly Warlick’s first season she won the SEC and took Tennessee to the Elite Eight, and she did so while having to replace all five starters from the previous season. Kate may very well be much smarter than Holly, but I’m guessing we won’t be going to the Elite Eight this season…

Sorry about my confusion.  The simple answer is Warlick inherited a much stronger roster, and she inherited it in an era when transferring out was not a viable option.  I haven't counted them up but I think there were half a dozen on that team that became WNBA players.  I don't think that is likely on the current Stanford roster.

OK, this proved to be a very interesting historical comparison and one that deserved a serious answer!  Thanks for starting me on this path.  I did go back and look over the Tennessee 2012-13 roster that was Warlick's first year.  Following are the players she inherited that went on the the WNBA.  Some of them did not last long, but still...
1. Jasmine Jones
2. Kamiko Williams
3. Ariel Massengale
4. Meighan Simmons
5. Cierra Burdick
6. Bashaara Graves
7. Isabelle Harrison
Also, Andraya Carter was expected to be a WNBA player but a series of injuries toward the end of her college days ended that.

Basically, Warlick took over before WBB began its trend toward parity across many schools, and she had an absolutely loaded roster.  In those years I would visit the Vols board before our game with them to compare notes with their fans--it was always a friendly exchange.  My impression is that many Vol fans became rapidly disillusioned with Warlick because they thought she was underperforming with the copious talent she had inherited.  And it turns out those fans were right--as the numerous professional careers later could attest.  I only had a gut feeling about that until going back to check--but 7 future pros!

I don't think we will ever see teams like that again--no one is able to stockpile so many stars and have them sit on the bench for a couple of years the way a few powerhouses used to.  Most of those 7 players probably would have transferred out rather than sit behind the 5 starters you pointed to, if today's transfer rules and NIL money were beckoning in 2012.  But they couldn't, and they didn't, and so Warlick was able to reload with talent that Pat had recruited.