04-06-2026, 02:52 PM
(04-05-2026, 11:52 PM)81alum Wrote: My enthusiasm level plummeted after last season and was next to zero this season, so I can't say I am disappointed. That disappointed was already factored in.
Actually, my disappointment--the key turning point--had nothing to do with Kate Paye but came while Tara was still coaching. It was the loss to Ole Miss in March of 23. Tara still had a year of coaching, but I think the recipe for Stanford's decline was made plain by that game. Haly Jones, Kiki Iriafan, Cameron Brink, Hannah Jump, and yes even Lauren Betts--could not beat a team of older, more experienced transfer players. Tara kept going for another year but the formula for 40 years of success under Tara had exploded. College WBB was no longer going to be about recruiting high school students. It was no longer going to be about attracting players who who were motivated both by academic as well as athletic success. It was no longer going to be about developing players over four years. It was no longer going to be about team loyalty. It was no longer going to be about capitalizing on players who were simply smarter than the other side. All the things that made Tara great had vanished, and only Tara's reputation earned during that earlier era could be counted on.
College sports are now worse that professional sports. All the disadvantages of the pros but no longer any of the charm of tradition, loyalty, and continuity. The things that made college sports beautiful to the fans have been vandalized.
I complete my retirement in a month and had been looking forward to having more time to devote to my passions like Stanford athletics. That dream is gone. I won't be renewing my season tickets and I doubt I will go to any games, probably won't bother to watch on TV even. I just don't care enough to do so. Too many better alternatives.
About the loss to Ole Miss, 81alum's point is well taken. We have seen (and felt) firsthand the effects of senior and grad transfers on the ACC. I would suggest three added reasons why we lost to Ole Miss.
1) Jacketree is spot on with this - Ole Miss was a very physical team and we weren't ready for it. Pac-12 teams weren't that physical and our refs didn't allow it - so I think we were shocked by it and never recovered.
2) We had been found out in the Pac-12 finals. To beat Stanford, UCLA clogged the middle, cut off passes to Brink, put a quick player on Jump so she couldn't get open and kept Haley from driving to the hoop. This stifled our offense since we didn't have a consistent three-shooter to loosen up the defense. This was one of the reasons why we all hoped that Haley would develop her three shooting...which never happened. If she could have shot 30-odd% from three, she would have been unguardable.
3) Finally, I believe that the issues that caused Betts to transfer had also caused turmoil inside the team. This contributed, IMO, to the defeat. Even if we had won, I think we would have not gone far in the tournament. Ole Miss played like a team (even one made of transfers) and we did not.
And yes, I hate the idea of whole-scale transfers and not developing players. I do think the best teams will be built with recruits that develop in our program...but getting a key player or two as a transfer will be an ongoing part of the game.
I do think that Stanford could admit a WBB transfer or two per season without danger to its academic reputation - if we find transfer with strong academics, and they are out there. But I do strongly believe that Stanford should continue to build its athletic programs by high-school recruiting and use transfers to fill a key spot on the roster.