STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford’s players formed a postgame circle and Kiki Iriafen offered her celebratory teammates a little perspective on their coach, Tara VanDerveer:
“Tara’s been winning since our parents were kids.”
Yes, pushing five decades.
“It’s like a dream come true. To have a dream and watch it play out,” VanDerveer said of her fortunate timing entering coaching after not having that as a player pre-Title IX.
Cardinal players hugged their smiling coach and lifted her up in celebration after the teams shook hands. Brink even took a turn, perhaps a positive sign regarding her leg. She was headed for an X-ray.
VanDerveer can set the record Sunday, when she goes for 1,203 as Stanford (16-2, 5-1 Pac-12) hosts Oregon State. A couple dozen former Stanford players are expected to be on hand for the potential milestone.
Brink landed awkwardly on her left leg and limped to the locker room with help at the 3:41 mark of the opening quarter. She returned to the bench just before the end of the period. Brink had made all three of her field goals for six points to go with two rebounds, an assist and a steal in six minutes.
Iriafen had 21 points on 10-for-17 shooting, 15 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots as the Cardinal bounced back from a 71-59 loss at then-No. 5 Colorado on Sunday. Talana Lepolo added 13 points and eight assists with just one turnover.
The 70-year-old VanDerveer is in her 38th season at Stanford and 45th as a college coach. She turned around the programs at Idaho and Ohio State before arriving in the Bay Area. VanDerveer has adapted based on her players’ strengths, cherishing the opportunity to learn something new from fellow coaches at every level.
And now she has matched Coach K’s win total with Duke and Army.
Stanford raced ahead 20-0 with Oregon missing its first eight shots before Kennedy Basham’s layup at the 3:45 mark of the first quarter.
Chance Gray contributed 19 points and five assists to
