Defending NCAA Tournament champion Stanford is better than last year — and has room to improve | Opinion

SPOKANE, Wash. —The good news, if you’re Tara VanDerveer, is that the team you coach just (mostly) cruised into the Elite Eight with a 72-66 win over Maryland and didn’t play close to the level of which it is capable. 

The bad news, if you’re everyone else in women’s college basketball, is, well, the exact same thing. 

Stanford advanced to its third consecutive Elite Eight on Friday night, and the 22nd under VanDerveer. It wasn’t pretty at the end, with Maryland outscoring the Cardinal 30-13 in the final period, something the Hall of Fame coach did not find entertaining.

“We had three good quarters,” VanDerveer quipped. “I’m glad the game is only four quarters.”

But the fourth quarter was proof of one of the more alarming realities of the women’s NCAA Tournament: The Cardinal hasn’t peaked yet. Not even close. 

“I think we can do better,” VanDerveer said. “I’m glad we’re able to play again and have another game to show how much we’ve improved.” 

Perhaps an even more troubling development — for opponents, anyway — Stanford, which won the 2021 national title, is actually better, and deeper, than it was last year. 

Seriously.

For proof of that, all you had to do was watch the regional semifinal in Spokane Arena, when different Cardinal players took turns dominating the Terrapins. 

First it was point-forward Haley Jones, the toughest matchup in women’s college basketball, who scored eight points in the first seven minutes. Then it was sophomore forward Cameron Brink, who scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half and disrupted almost every Maryland possession with her long frame. It took a while for the Spokane Sisters, Lexie and Lacie Hull, to heat up, but midway through the second quarter, Lexie hit a driving layup and on the next possession, tossed the ball to her sister for 3.

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At one point, sixth woman Fran Belibi tried to steal the spotlight when she swatted a Maryland perimeter attempt and sprinted down the floor to … dunk? The crowd rose to its feet in anticipation, screaming before Belibi even got to the key. 

She ultimately settled for a layup, but the message had been sent. Everyone on this Stanford team can play, and they’re all happy to take turns doing so. And that was just in the first half, when Stanford built a 39-23 lead before the break.

“From my time here, we’ve gotten deeper and deeper every year,” said Jones, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. “I see it every day at practice. No matter who is on what team, a different team wins every time. 

“I got hot, Cam got hot, Lexie got hot and whoever it is, I think we do a really good job at feeding that hot hand. We do that every game.” 

It’s odd to think that the defending champs, who return almost their entire roster (they only graduated one player, All-American point guard Kiana Williams) and are favorites to go to their second consecutive Final Four, don’t have a true national player of the year candidate. 

But that is a testament to their depth — and it’s going to continue to be a problem for every other team that matches up against the Cardinal. Every player, save for guard Anna Wilson, who plays significant minutes for Stanford is at least 6 feet tall, and many have an even longer wingspan. They are a nightmare defensively, using their length to disrupt passing lanes, block shots and generally make other teams miss. Offensively, every player is a threat to go off.

Maryland coach Brenda Frese, who has had the privilege of playing Stanford twice this season, said there is “no question” the Cardinal is the best team in the country. 

“That’s their 23rd win in a row,” Frese said. “They’re the deepest, most talented team I’ve ever faced.” She added that Stanford doesn’t get nearly the attention or respect it deserves nationally.   

Perhaps the best example of Stanford’s depth was the play of freshman post Kiki Iriafen, who came in when Brink got in foul trouble and played an efficient 10 minutes, scoring four points and grabbing five boards. It wasn’t just Iriafen’s play that stood out, but the way her teammates celebrated her. 

“Our team has bought into, ‘this is my role, I’m going to do it and I’m supportive of my teammates,’ ” VanDerveer said. “It’s really special. They’re about we instead of me. It’s refreshing.” 

Brink is better than last year – and that came after an absolutely stellar freshman campaign. Wilson is more consistent offensively. Jones better understands how to take over games. Belibi is more reliable. The list goes on and on.

Just how much better can Stanford get before it tips off against Texas at 9 p.m. EST Sunday?

The answer to that might scare everyone else in the NCAA Tournament.