[stopandpop]

Stanford now heads to Vegas and will be tested by 2 very different teams.

Some have suggested that FGCU is not all that good ever since Karl Smesko left 2 years ago to the WNBA.  That's not totally correct.  A season ago (then) head coach Chelsea Lyles guided the team to a 30-4 record and into the NCAA tourney where they lost to Oklahoma.  True, several key players from that team are no longer there and Lyles stepped down after only 1 season.  Raina Harmon, their new coach, spent 8 years as an assistant for Iowa.  She is still running FGCU's quirky but dangerous offense where the team spreads the court and only shoots 3's or layups.  We have faced FGCU several times and two keys to our wins have been- contesting the 3's and keeping a defender in the post to prevent uncontested layups.  Stanford has been playing good defense, but our opponents have been able to draw our front line players (Agara, Somfai, MAS and Eschmeyer) away from the basket, and that must not happen against this team.

Colorado State recently defeated Oregon State at Gill; no easy place to win and they looked calm and efficient doing it. Like us, they are perfect on the season. Unlike FGCU, the Rams have talent at all positions and some of them can break down defenders.  Their long-time coach, Ryun Williams, is a great game strategist and CSU plays at a high efficiency rate where they work the ball to where they (believe) they have an advantage.  They make few mistakes on both sides of the court.  In this game, Stanford must find mis-matches and exploit them.  Will Kate Paye seize these opportunities?

[stopandpop]

Stanford now heads to Vegas and will be tested by 2 very different teams.

Some have suggested that FGCU is not all that good ever since Karl Smesko left 2 years ago to the WNBA.  That's not totally correct.  A season ago (then) head coach Chelsea Lyles guided the team to a 30-4 record and into the NCAA tourney where they lost to Oklahoma.  True, several key players from that team are no longer there and Lyles stepped down after only 1 season.  Raina Harmon, their new coach, spent 8 years as an assistant for Iowa.  She is still running FGCU's quirky but dangerous offense where the team spreads the court and only shoots 3's or layups.  We have faced FGCU several times and two keys to our wins have been- contesting the 3's and keeping a defender in the post to prevent uncontested layups.  Stanford has been playing good defense, but our opponents have been able to draw our front line players (Agara, Somfai, MAS and Eschmeyer) away from the basket, and that must not happen against this team.

Colorado State recently defeated Oregon State at Gill; no easy place to win and they looked calm and efficient doing it. Like us, they are perfect on the season. Unlike FGCU, the Rams have talent at all positions and some of them can break down defenders.  Their long-time coach, Ryun Williams, is a great game strategist and CSU plays at a high efficiency rate where they work the ball to where they (believe) they have an advantage.  They make few mistakes on both sides of the court.  In this game, Stanford must find mis-matches and exploit them.  Will Kate Paye seize these opportunities?