Stanford holds off Arizona 54-53 to win women's NCAA title

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By DOUG FEINBERG

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Tara VanDerveer hugged each of her Stanford players as they climbed the ladder to cut down the nets, capping a taxing whirlwind journey and ending an exhausting championship drought for the Cardinal.

It took 29 years, that included 10 weeks on the road this season because of the coronavirus, for VanDerveer and the Cardinal to be crowned NCAA women’s basketball champions again.

“We had some special karma going for us,” VanDerveer said. “Had the comeback against Louisville, dodge a bullet against South Carolina, dodge bullet against Arizona. Sometimes you have to be lucky. I’ll admit it, we were very fortunate to win.”

Haley Jones scored 17 points and Stanford beat Arizona 54-53, giving the Cardinal and their Hall of Fame coach their first national championship since 1992 on Sunday night.



Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer cuts down the net after the championship game against Arizona in the women's Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, April 4, 2021, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Stanford won 54-53. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/womens-college-basketball-arizona-coronavirus-pandemic-san-antonio-march-madness-7208319c7f8ef5fba6241b0e65a1d2fc

[StClone]

1. Yay Tara! Two fine teams with two great coaches!

On a Fan site I visit they really have little love for any of the top female coaches.

Old, white, male posters, I suspect. They can't stand tough, smart, women who beat the male coaches. I didn't want to believe it but I read the put downs and statements of "hate" over, and over, with few derogatory remarks directed at male coaches.

[rpannier]

2. I didn't realize it had been that long that Stanford had gone w/o winning the Championship

I guess if you're gonna break the streak, this is the fashion to do it in