November 9th 2024.
Forty years of success will be commemorated at Maples Pavilion this Sunday afternoon.
Tara VanDerveer, a name synonymous with greatness in college sports, will have her name enshrined on the Maples court before the Stanford women's basketball game against Gonzaga at noon. VanDerveer, who coached the Stanford team from 1985 to 2024 with a one-year break to lead the United States Olympic women's basketball team in 1996, retired as the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I basketball.
New head coach Kate Paye expressed her excitement for the court unveiling, stating, "That's going to be amazing. And I believe the best way to honor her is by playing with incredible intensity and skill on Sunday."
Paye, who played on VanDerveer's 1992 national championship team and coached under her for 17 years, greeted her former mentor before her first game as head coach on Monday against Le Moyne. She also welcomed VanDerveer into the postgame locker room after securing her first win.
Although VanDerveer is no longer present every day, she remains a constant presence for the Cardinal team. And now, with her name permanently attached to the court, her impact will be felt in a tangible way.
Paye expressed her gratitude for VanDerveer's continued support, saying, "There's no one rooting harder for our team than Tara. It was an honor to have her in the locker room after the game, and it was truly special."
During her tenure, VanDerveer transformed Stanford into the leading women's basketball program on the West Coast. The team made 14 Final Fours with her at the helm, and even reached a 15th during VanDerveer's one-year hiatus in 1995-1996 when assistants Amy Tucker and Marianne Stanley Staley co-led the team.
Since her third season in 1987-1988, Stanford has qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year. In January of last year, VanDerveer surpassed former Duke men's coach Mike Krzyzewski for the most wins in college basketball history, a record she still holds. However, UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma is close behind, just three wins shy of VanDerveer's record.
VanDerveer also coached a long line of Cardinal All-Americans, starting with point guard Jennifer Azzi, the star of the 1990 national championship team. Her legacy continued with players such as Sonja Henning, Val Whiting, Kate Starbird, Kristin Folkl, Nicole Powell, Candice Wiggins, Jayne Appel, Jeanette Pohlen, Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike, Alanna Smith, Kiana Williams, Haley Jones, and Cameron Brink.
In May, the school announced the honor of naming the court after VanDerveer, just a month after she announced her retirement following her 38th season as head coach. In addition, an assistant coaching endowment fund was established in her name as a gift from longtime Stanford benefactors Tashia and John Morgridge.
Reflecting on the honor, VanDerveer said, "I have so many incredible memories of leading the women's basketball program at Maples Pavilion. It's a surreal and humbling experience to know that my name will be forever linked to this court, and I look forward to celebrating with our fans this fall."
Stanford President Richard Saller also expressed his admiration for VanDerveer's contributions, stating, "Her dedication to maintaining high academic and athletic standards propelled our women's basketball program to new heights. Tara embodies the best of Stanford - unparalleled excellence with genuine humility. We are proud to name the court in her honor, and we hope it serves as a constant reminder to our student-athletes of her passion, care, and grace."
With a career spanning 45 years at Idaho, Ohio State, and Stanford, VanDerveer holds the record for most wins in NCAA Division I basketball with 1,216 victories. During her 38-year tenure at Stanford, she led the team to three NCAA championships in 1990, 1992, and 2021, as well as 14 Final Fours.
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