Another Final 4 unlikely in 2018
DALLAS — Can the Stanford women return to the Final Four next season? From this early vantage point, it looks highly doubtful.
Then again, few people thought the Cardinal would knock off No. 2 Notre Dame to get there this year.
Stanford finished 32-6, highly commendable for a team that didn’t have a go-to scorer for most of the season. Erica McCall was the Cardinal’s top scorer and rebounder, but her shooting touch seemed to desert her down the stretch.
Brittany McPhee was consistently good all season, and Alanna Smith was terrific in the late run. They should be the top offensive options next year. Who the third scorer will be is anybody’s guess.
That Stanford won the Pac-12 tournament and got to the national semifinals, before losing to a talented and quick South Carolina team 62-53 Friday night, was a tribute to defense, rebounding, determination and the coaching of Tara VanDerveer and her staff.
Until the semifinal, the Cardinal had come back from deficits of at least seven points in five of their previous six games, including a 16-point deficit against Notre Dame.
But now they lose not only McCall but also one of the best perimeter shooters in program history, Karlie Samuelson. She became a much more wellrounded player as a senior,
and she’ll be sorely missed. So will point guard Briana Roberson, mainly for her clinging defense.
Fortunately, the No. 2 incoming class in the country, according to espnW HoopGurlz, is on the way, featuring McDonald’s All-Americans Maya Dodson and Kiana Williams. Dodson, a 6-foot-3 guard/forward, attacks off the dribble and has a mid-range jumper.
Oh, and she can dunk. She participated Monday in the dunking competition against the boys before the McDonald’s game in Chicago, although she misfired in the contest.
She should step into the Stanford rotation immediately, and so should Williams, a 5-7 point guard from San Antonio. She is rated the country’s No. 8 prospect by HoopGurlz, Stanford’s first top-10 recruit since Chiney Ogwumike in 2010.
How many of the four freshmen should play right away? “All of them,” VanDerveer said.
That means Estella Moschkau, a 6-2 five-star wing from Wisconsin, and Alyssa Jerome, a 6-1 guard/forward from Toronto, will also be in the mix.
After not having a foreign player for most of her Stanford career, VanDerveer will have three next season: Smith, an Australian, and Canadians Jerome and Mikaela Brewer. Brewer was limited to four games this season, mainly because of injuries. Jerome and Brewer are veterans of the Canadian national program.
Marta Sniezek, who had almost as much playing time as Roberson, probably will be the starting point guard. Even while splitting time, she averaged 4.4 assists per game. Only four other Stanford players in the past 20 years had more. She also figures to be one of the team’s leaders.
Another returning regular, Kaylee Johnson, is a formidable rebounder and defender. She needs to improve her shooting in the paint or she could be in danger of losing her starting spot. Her minutes declined dramatically in the final month.
This year’s freshmen, mainly forward Nadia Fingall and guard DiJonai Carrington, showed promise at times but didn’t make much impact. Guard Anna Wilson played just six games because of injuries.
They could be passed in the pecking order by the next class unless they make dramatic improvement in the offseason.
Stanford should contend for the Pac-12 title again in 2017-18 but may be at least two years away from getting back on the national stage.
Brittany McPhee was consistently good all season, and Alanna Smith was terrific in the late run. They should be the top offensive options.