Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer achieves dream with win record

Stanford saw history as women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer, head coach of the women’s team, tied Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski’s record as the winningest coach in college basketball. VanDerveer achieved her 1,202nd victory on Friday night, leading No. 8 Stanford women’s basketball to an 88-63 triumph over Oregon. The milestone comes despite the team’s leading scorer, Cameron Brink, leaving the game in the first quarter due to a leg injury.

“It’s like a dream come true. To have a dream and watch it play out,” VanDerveer said via Janie McCauley of the Associated Press. “I planned to go to law school because there were no coaches. That was not a job for women. My timing was horrible for playing but it was very good for coaching. I was a head coach when I was like 24 years old. I’m just really thankful that I get to have a job that it’s not a ‘JOB’ job. I love coming to the gym, it was just fun at practice today. Just to experience this is more than I ever could have dreamed of.”

On the court, Iriafen had 21 points and 15 rebounds, helping the Cardinal bounce back from their loss against Colorado. VanDerveer, in her 38th season at Stanford and 45th as a college coach, has been pivotal in turning around programs at Idaho and Ohio State before making her mark in the Bay Area. Her adaptability and continuous learning attitude have been key to her success.

Stanford led 20-0 in the early stages of the game against Oregon. The Ducks, led by Chance Gray with 19 points, struggled against the Cardinal, marking their seventh consecutive loss in this matchup.

Cardinal’s Brink injured her left leg and limped off to the locker room with assistance at 3:41 in the first quarter. She came back to the bench just before the quarter’s end. In six minutes of play, she scored six points from three field goals, and also contributed with two rebounds, an assist and a steal. She was seen celebrating VanDerveer’s achievement with her teammate’s at the end of the game. It was reported that she was going to get a x-ray. 

VanDerveer could set record as winningest coach