No. 8 Stanford collected an 88-63 win over Oregon on Friday, and head coach Tara VanDerveer made college basketball history in the process. The longtime Cardinal coach has officially tied Mike Krzyzewski's NCAA wins record of 1,202.
VanDerveer has a chance to become the winningest coach in college basketball history when her team hosts Oregon State on Sunday.
"It's just a tribute to the great teams I've had, the great places I've worked," VanDerveer said in the Pac-12 broadcast after the game. "I just want to say It's been really exciting because so many people have reached out to me. I think it's great for women's basketball that there is a lot of attention and we are having just a super season."
Win No. 1,202 for Tara VanDerveer. She can pass Coach K for the all-time NCAA record on Sunday pic.twitter.com/1ZeexnFLNA
— Danny Emerman (@DannyEmerman) January 20, 2024
The Cardinal pulled off the dominant win despite star forward Cameron Brink exiting the game late in the first half with what appeared to be an apparent knee injury. Her teammates stepped up and five players scored in double figures. Kiki Irafen led Stanford with a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds in a historic victory for VanDerveer and the Cardinal program. Chance Gray recorded 19 points in a losing effort for Oregon.
VanDerveer was hugged by her players as soon as the final buzzer went off. She joked that they were all sweaty before praising their efforts and saying she hopes Brink is not seriously injured.
"I love coaching this team. They are really special young ladies," VanDerveer added.
Among those in attendance at Maples Pavilion were some well known Stanford alumni, including former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck, who described VanDerveer as "a titan" to reporter Danny Emmerman. Also in the stands was Hall of Fame Jennifer Azzi, who played for VanDerveer from 1986 until 1990 -- when the team earned the program's first ever national championship.
Another step closer.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/jgpHlsguTx
— Stanford WBB 🤓🏀 (@StanfordWBB) January 20, 2024
The Cardinal are now 16-2 and 5-1 in Pac-12 play. While a lot of basketball is left to play this season, one interesting fact is that Stanford has not had a losing record since 1986, and VanDerveer is very much responsible for the team's consistency as she became head coach in 1985. VanDerveer's teams have made the NCAA Tournament every single year since 1988, a streak only bested by Tennessee women's basketball.
Krzyzewski, Duke's longtime men's basketball coach, retired in 2022, so his wins record is very much up for grabs. While VanDerveer can take sole possession of the No. 1 spot this weekend, it's important to point out that UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma is not too far behind. As of Friday, Auriemma has collected 1,195 career wins.
