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The Bay

The ‘Sustained Excellence’ of Stanford Women’s Basketball

Ericka Cruz GuevarraMaria EsquincaAlan Montecillo
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A female basketball player dribbles a ball and looks at something above.
Haley Jones of the Stanford Cardinal heads for the net as Bendu Yeaney of the Arizona Wildcats defends during the National Championship game of the 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on April 4, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. Stanford later clinched the National Championship. (Elsa/Getty Images)

When it comes to basketball in the Bay Area, there’s no team that’s done more winning than Stanford’s women’s team.

Since 1990, the Cardinal have won 15 conference championships, 3 national championships, and have made the Final Four 15 times. Now, they’re two wins away from back-to-back national titles, with a semifinal matchup against the UConn Huskies tonight at 6:30 pm PT. And under the helm of longtime head coach Tara VanDerveer, the winningest coach in women’s college basketball history (and 2nd all time), Stanford has also played a huge role in breaking barriers in the face of inequities between women’s and men’s sports.

Episode Transcript 

Guest: Michelle Smith, freelance women’s basketball writer


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