PALO ALTO — Tara VanDerveer didn’t wish to have a good time alone.
As she stood on the hardwood at Maples Pavilion, a courtroom that may ceaselessly be devoted in her identify, VanDerveer waved over Kate Paye, her protégé. Paye needed VanDerveer to have the highlight to herself; VanDerveer believed the second was greater than simply her.
“It’s never about one person,” VanDerveer mentioned.
This afternoon in Palo Alto, although, was about one particular person and one particular person alone. Earlier than Paye loved her third win as Stanford’s new head coach, an 89-58 dismissal of Gonzaga, Stanford formally unveiled Tara VanDerveer Courtroom in honor of the coach with probably the most wins in school basketball historical past.
“It’s an incredible honor,” VanDerveer mentioned, sporting a white Nike jacket that includes lots of of purple tally marks representing the 1,216 wins she compiled at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford. “I feel very honored, very humbled. To see so many people I coached, who I worked with is very special. It’s really overwhelming, emotionally, to be honest with you. I’m keeping it together better than I thought.”
“It’s really hard to put into words everything that Tara has accomplished,” Paye mentioned. “I thought the ceremony was great. It was really well done. Just a tremendous moment. She sure looked cool in that jacket.”
With UConn’s Geno Auriemma at present at 1,215 wins as of Saturday, VanDerveer’s maintain on the document for many wins in school basketball historical past possible gained’t final by means of November. However following 45 years of head teaching, VanDerveer has been content material to get pleasure from her life away from the day-to-day grind.
Retirement has supplied VanDerveer with an abundance of free time — free time she didn’t have as she constructed Stanford right into a powerhouse. Since passing the baton to Paye, VanDerveer is studying a e-book per week. VanDerveer lately underwent hip surgical procedure that briefly slowed her down, however she has a number of journeys on her itinerary. Nonetheless, VanDerveer stays concerned with this system, coming to video games, helping with recruiting and speaking with the group.
“If Kate asks, I’ll volunteer information,” VanDerveer mentioned. “I never call and say, ‘You should be doing this’ or ‘You should be doing that.’ She’s doing a fabulous job. She knows that I’m 100 percent supportive of her and always there for her if she ever has any questions or wants to talk about anything.”
Previous to tipoff, the lights within the health club have been dimmed and the jumbotron confirmed a spotlight reel of VanDerveer’s time at Stanford, a montage that included her three nationwide championships, in addition to the five hundredth and one thousandth victories. A black tarp was then ripped off to disclose the courtroom’s new emblem, one which integrated VanDerveer’s type of signing her first identify.
For all of the honors, the sport itself was the very best tribute to VanDerveer. On a day when sophomore Nunu Agara stuffed the field rating, compiling 16 factors, 9 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists, Stanford simply dealt with Gonzaga, the preseason favourite to win the West Coast Convention.
Stanford started the sport on a 10-0 run, forcing Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier to burn an early timeout. By the tip of the primary quarter, Stanford constructed a 22-point lead. By the break, the Cardinal have been doubling up the Bulldogs, 48-24. Halfway by means of the third, the lead grew as massive as 35 factors.
The trouble was as environment friendly because it was balanced because it was dominant. 9 gamers scored no less than six factors as Stanford shot 46.2 p.c from the sector and 54.2 p.c from 3. And thus far, Stanford’s identification seems rooted in its outdoors taking pictures.
Three video games in, Stanford is taking pictures 57.7 p.c from past the arc. With a capability to attain early and sometimes, the Cardinal have already amassed a degree differential of +124. That quantity gained’t maintain, but it surely speaks to how the Cardinal are forming an identification beneath Paye, one centered round fast-paced guard play.
“What I love about this team is just how unselfish they are, how they move the ball, how they’re playing nine, 10 people,” VanDerveer mentioned. “They’re all going in and they’re all contributing and the ball is moving. There’s no one taking too many shots or bad shots. They’re all playing together.”
With Sunday’s victory, Paye wants only a mere 1,213 extra wins to catch her mentor. As of now, although, Paye has little interest in matching her mentor’s longevity.
“I will not be coaching for 40 years,” Paye laughed.
Initially Printed: November 10, 2024 at 4:42 PM PST
