History of Women's Basketball at Stanford

Overall Record

 
Year      Head Coach         Record    Pct.     Post-Season Tourney
1974-75   Gay Coburn          8- 3     .727     ----
1975-76   Gay Coburn         10- 7     .588     ----
1976-77   Dotty McCrea        8-11     .421     ----
1977-78   Dotty McCrea       17-12     .586     AIAW First Round
1978-79   Dotty McCrea       20- 6     .769     AIAW First Round
1979-80   Dotty McCrea       17-14     .548     AIAW First Round
1980-81   Dotty McCrea       15-16     .484     ----
1981-82   Dotty McCrea       19- 8     .704     NCAA First Round
1982-83   Dotty McCrea       19-16     .543     ----
1983-84   Dotty McCrea        5-23     .179     ----
1984-85   Dotty McCrea        9-19     .321     ----
1985-86   Tara VanDerveer    13-15     .464     ----
1986-87   Tara VanDerveer    14-14     .500     ----
1987-88   Tara VanDerveer    27- 5     .844     NCAA Round of 16
1988-89   Tara VanDerveer    28- 3     .903     NCAA Round of 8
1989-90   Tara VanDerveer    32- 1     .970     NCAA CHAMPIONS
1990-91   Tara VanDerveer    26- 6     .813     NCAA Final Four
1991-92   Tara VanDerveer    30- 3     .909     NCAA CHAMPIONS
1992-93   Tara VanDerveer    26- 6     .813     NCAA Round of 16
1993-94   Tara VanDerveer    25- 6     .806     NCAA Round of 8
20 seasons                  368-194    .653     11 appearances
A large (145K) photo of Stanford's two NCAA trophies.

1987-88 Season

 The 1987-88 team began the season with a then Stanford-record 14 straight wins, lost one, and then proceeded to win 11 more in a row. The Cardinal finished 14-4 for third place in the Pac-10, 27-5 overall. From there, Stanford made it to the NCAA post-season tourney for the first time in six years, drawing a bye, then winning a second-round matchup at Montana (74-72 in ot). The Cardinal finally lost in the Round of 16, in the Midwest Regional semis, at the University of Texas to the host school.

1988-89 Season

 The 1988-89 season was even more impressive. Stanford finished the season at 28-3 and went to the NCAA post-season tournament for the second straight year. The Cardinal became the first and still only team in Pac-10 history to complete a perfect 18-0 conference season. Along the way, the squad set more than 60 school and Pac-10 records. The team made it to the Final Eight--losing to Louisiana Tech in the Midwest Regional Finals at Louisiana Tech.

1989-90 Season

 The 1989-90 season was a dream season. Led by Wade Trophy and Naismith Award winner Jennifer Azzi, Stanford won its first 22 games, a school and Pac-10 record, en route to a 32-1 overall mark. Co-champs of the Pac-10 with a 17-1 slate, Stanford went on to establish over 100 school, conference, and NCAA post-season records. Stanford hosted the NCAA West Regional, defeating Mississippi and Arkansas before sellout crowds. Finally, at the Women's Final Four, the Cardinal defeated Virginia (75-66) in the semis, and Auburn (88-81) before still-NCAA post-season-tourney record crowds of 20,000-plus in Knoxville, Tennessee.

1990-91 Season

 The 1990-91 season, although marred by injuries, was still most successful. Stanford ended 26-6 overall and 16-2 in the Pac-10, which was good for a first place conference finish. The Cardinal, 2-2 at one point, also went on to win the NCAA West Regional in Las Vegas, defeating Washington (73-47) and then upsetting Georgia (75-67) to reach the Final Four. Minus two First Team All-Pac-10 performers due to injury, though buffeted by the presence of Kodak First Team All-American Sonja Henning, Stanford then lost to eventual national champion Tennessee (68-60) in New Orleans in the national semifinals.

1991-92 Season

 In 1991-92, Stanford was not expected to do much with the loss of three First Team All-Pac-10 players to graduation (Sonja Henning, Trisha Stevens) or injury (Julie Zeilstra). But the Cardinal won their first 10 games, finished 15-3 in the conference to win their fourth straight Pac-10 title, and went into the NCAA playoffs on the upswing behind the solid play of Kodak First Team All-American Val Whiting. In order, Stanford defeated UCSB (82-73), Texas Tech (75-63), USC (82-62), #1-ranked Virginia (66-65), and, in the NCAA title game at the L.A. Sports Arena, Western Kentucky (78-62). With only one senior on the squad, Stanford's final record was 30-3. And the Cardinal had won their second NCAA title in three years.

1992-93 Season

 The 1992-93 season was high on expectation considering five starters returned from the national title team. The Cardinal went on to finish 26-6 overall, winning their fifth straight Pac-10 title (15-3). After a second-round demolition of Georgia (93-60) in the NCAA playoffs, the Cardinal were derailed by an upstart Colorado team (80-67) in the Round of 16 in the NCAA West Regionals in Missoula, MT.

1993-94 Season

 As opposed to the previous year, expectations for `93-'94 were much lower--yet the team went further than anyone expected. Although the squad did not win the Pac-10 title for the first time since 1987-88, Tara's team still finished second in the league with a 15-3 mark, and finished 25-6 overall with a Final AP ranking of 11th. Still the team, referred to as Stanford's "most improved" from start to finish, ended with 14 straight wins before losing to Purdue (82-65) in the NCAA West Regional finals--held at Stanford's Maples Pavilion. In earlier NCAA games (this was the first year of 64 teams in the NCAA's), Stanford defeated Wisconsin-Green Bay (81-56), Montana (66-62), and Colorado (78-62).

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