Stanford's ex-John R Wooden award winner reacts as Tara VanDerveer's absence stings Cardinals for the first time in March Madness

Tara VanDerveer retired from coaching last year after 38 years at the helm at Stanford, and the Cardinal are set to miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987.

No. 11 Stanford lost 63-46 to No. 14 Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday, and former Cardinal star Chiney Ogwumike had a cheeky reaction to the result.

Ogwumike played four years at Stanford under VanDerveer and won the John R. Wooden Award in her final collegiate season in 2014. She reacted to a tweet about the Cardinal's loss just hours after it was announced that the team might miss out on playing in March Madness after 36 straight appearances.

"Alexa, please!" Ogwumike tweeted followed by a loudly crying face emoji and a rolling on floor laughing emoji.

Stanford hired Kate Paye as VanDerveer's successor in April 2024 after VenDerveer stepped down from her coaching duties.

Paye's Cardinal (16-14, 8-10 ACC) are now out of the ACC Tournament, and it's also unclear whether the team will qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which will consist of 68 teams.

Ogwumike went on to get selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun, where she spent four years. She also had two stints with the Los Angeles Sparks and last played in the league in the 2023 season.

Ogwumike is now working as an analyst at ESPN.

---

What was Tara VanDerveer's coaching record at Stanford?

NCAA Womens Basketball: Former Stanford HC Tara VanDerveer - Source: Imagn

During her 38 years as Stanford coach, Tara VanDerveer compiled a 1,064–220 record. She also won three national titles with the program.

The Cardinal were also Pac-12 Conference regular season champions 27 times and won the Pac-12 Conference tournament 15 times under VanDerveer. After missing out on the NCAA Tournament in her first two seasons at Stanford, she led the team to 36 consecutive March Madness appearances.

Before her coaching career at Stanford, VanDerveer also coached Idaho (from 1978 to 1980) and Ohio State (from 1980 to 1985). She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

VanDerveer announced her retirement from coaching on April 9, 2024.