San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday)
ICON’S SEAL OF APPROVAL
Stanford legend VanDerveer astonished by Clark, delights in Hull’s emergence
A peaceful retirement awaited Tara VanDerveer, and she let it take hold. She found a lakeside log cabin in the wilds of northern Minnesota, years ago, a blessed summertime retreat in a world of her choice.
It’s a full life she leads, all about swimming, hiking, water skiing, kayaking, sailing, her beloved dogs — and a basketball passion never to wane. She gets to follow it as a fan now, after a record-breaking career coaching the Stanford women’s team, and as we learned in a recent phone conversation, these are particularly special times.
Hoosier basketball is in Tara’s blood, having played at Indiana University for three seasons in the mid-1970s while studying the fundamental brilliance of men’s head coach Bobby Knight and frequent visitor Pete Newell. Now, it’s the WNBA’s Indiana Fever as a national topic of conversation, and for VanDerveer, it’s not all about Caitlin Clark.
“I am so happy,” VanDerveer said, “for Lexie Hull.”
It seemed a bit shocking, a bit of overload, when the Fever made Hull the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft. Her resume jumped off the page — elite athlete, top defender, twice a first-team Academic All-American, integral part of Stanford’s 2021 NCAA championship — but she wasn’t the type of dynamic scorer who catches a fan’s attention. And she had a rough rookie season, averaging just 13 minutes of playing time and shooting 26.7% from the floor.
With the exception of No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard (Atlanta), Hull has become the most influential player from that entire draft. When Indiana head coach Christie Sides replaced slumping Katie Lou Samuelson with Hull on Aug. 28, there were next-level changes in pace, vitality, cohesion and long-range shooting — stunningly, Hull went 15-for-21 from
3-point range in one five-game stretch — that helped the streaking Fever secure their first playoff berth in eight years.
Hull was leading the league in 3-point percentage (49.3) heading into Friday night’s play, and she has developed a harmonious relationship with Clark that seemed natural from the beginning.
“They’re really good friends off the court, too,” VanDerveer said. “Caitlin’s a phenomenal passer, and Lexie’s getting a lot of layups the way she gets out there (in transition). Then they put her in the corner and her 3-point shooting has been just off the charts. Doesn’t matter if she misses a few, she’s gonna keep shooting that ball because, you know, she has amnesia (laughs).
“They might not be quite ready to win it all this year, but they’ve improved so much, and the energy around their team is exciting.”
VanDerveer was a smart, team-first point guard in her day, and she has seen all the great ones come through the women’s game, but she
never has witnessed Clark’s astounding combination of scoring, distribution and stamina. (Clark has been on the court for at least 36 minutes 23 times this season, including the full 40 minutes twice and an entire overtime game.)
“I mean, she’s an absolute phenom,” VanDerveer said. “Her passing is exceptional, her shooting range is extraordinary, and how about her stamina? You think about her coming off the college season without any kind of break, being the center of attention every night and handling all sorts of pressure. It’s amazing how well she’s handled all that.
“Every game, that team has a sellout. It’s a little bit demoralizing for some of her opponents, going into their gym and people are wearing Caitlin’s jersey, but that’s just what she’s done for women’s basketball. And I embrace it. I think it’s fabulous.”
And the payoff ? “I think she’s firstteam all-league,” VanDerveer said without hesitation. “Aside from all that talent, this is a person who has put women’s basketball on
her back.”
Clark is having the WNBA’s most noteworthy rookie season since Candace Parker came out of Tennessee, after winning consecutive NCAA titles and immediately becoming the league’s MVP in 2008. It’s important to remember Parker, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore and other great rookies of the past, for it calls to attention just how good the WNBA has been for a long time.
“I like to think back to coaching our 1996 Olympic team,” VanDerveer said. “You’d be hardpressed to find players that were better than Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, a bunch of Hall of Famers. I think
they could play with anyone, and they’d probably like to lace ’em up right now against the Olympic team, you know? That’s the kind of pride and confidence they have.
“The big difference in the WNBA right now is the depth. There are so many great players, and I mean on every team, just so quick and athletic and really good shooters. I’ll tell you, when we get an expansion team (the Valkyries) in the Bay Area next summer, and people get to watch ’em in person, it’s gonna be great. Give me a frontrow seat for that.”
A proper reward
• Here’s another vote for Clark as a first-team
All-WNBA choice. Sabrina Ionescu and Arike Ogunbowale weigh heavily in the backcourt argument, but Clark has blown past Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young, all of whom made the Olympic team. Clark’s stats are historic, and consider how she just takes care of things: her teammates, the media, fans of all ages, her critics (fire away; she’s just fine) and the league itself, spearheading a financial windfall that will enrich every player’s bank account while they travel in private planes.
• Imagine Clark, Ionescu, Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson or Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier on the losing side of an opening playoff game. In the best-of-three format that covers the entire first round, all of a sudden, it’s an elimination game. Please, it’s time for the league to grow up. Make it best-of-five for the sake of sustained drama — and while you’re at it, expand the Finals to best-of-seven.
• For the moment, Clark doesn’t seem interested in sharing her political views with the public. And we’re supposed to get all worked up about that? Nonsense. You’ll see a powerful surge of partisanship unveiled by dozens of WNBA players once the season is over, unlikely to be kind to Donald Trump.