By Mel Greenberg
Candace Parker’s farewell gift to her Tennessee teammates Tuesday night was another NCAA women’s basketball title at the expense of Stanford. Now it’s on to the WNBA where she’ll likely be the overall No. 1 draft pick in Wednesday’s draft.
The Chicago native dashed off the court in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., shortly before the Vols’ 64-48 victory became official and flashed eight fingers to the sellout crowd of 21,655. Parker’s gesture indicated the number now needed by Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt to display all of her championship rings.
Stanford’s score was a season low for the Cardinal.
It was the second straight title for Tennessee (36-2), which had lost to Stanford , 73-69, in overtime in December in Palo Alto, Calif. The Vols avenged their other loss Sunday in the semifinals, beating LSU, 47-46, in the last second after the Tigers had won in Knoxville in the regular season. They also beat LSU in the Southeastern Conference title game.
Summitt, with a career record is 984-182, is just two short of the NCAA total acquired by legendary UCLA men’s coach John Wooden.
Parker, a junior who is eligible to turn pro because she missed her freshman season, repeated last years Most Outstanding Player honor after scoring a game-high 17 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and swiping four steals.
“My experience here at Tennessee has been great,” Parker said after joining Southern Cal’s Cheryl Miller, former Vols great Chamique Holdsclaw, and Connecticut’s Diana Taurasi as two-time MOP honorees at the Final Four. “I look back at my growth, not only as a player but also as a person.
“And I feel it’s been the best four years of my life,” Parker continued. “I wouldn’t change anything about it. I love my teammates, and I’m just very, very fortunate to have won two national championships. But we worked hard for it. And we deserved it.”
Shannon Bobbitt added 13 points and senior Nicky Anosike, also likely to be drafted, had 12 points and eight rebounds.
The draft will be held outside Tampa.
Jayne Appel scored 16 points for Stanford (35-4), which shocked overall top seed Connecticut in the semifinals. Senior Candice Wiggins, who could be drafted as high as third behind Parker and LSU senior Sylvia Fowles, had 14 points and grabbed four steals. But she also committed six of the Cardinal’s 25 turnovers in the face of constant Tennessee defensive pressure.
“Their pressure was much more intense this time,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer compared the two contests against the Vols. “They pressed and trapped basically the whole game this time.
“We just made too many mistakes to give ourselves a chance,” she added. “Our turnovers killed us. And I just think if that if you want to know a lot of the difference, this was just a much more physical game than the December game, just in terms of how the game was played.”
Wiggins also spoke of Stanford’s frustration on offense.
“They were really aggressive,” she said. “They were jumping, they were in passing lanes. I think it would have really helped us if we starting attacking maybe a little bit earlier.”
Tennessee spurted from a 7-7 tie early in the game to a 25-15 advantage with 6 minutes, 45 seconds left in the first half and Stanford failed to make any significant challenge the rest of the night.
Wiggins, the daughter of the late Alan Wiggins, who played baseball for the San Diego Padres, reflected on the close of her career, becoming the Cardinal’s only departing career.
“I don’t think maybe it has set in yet,” she said a few sentences before losing her composure briefly. “I wouldn’t want to be on any other team in the country, any other team. And it happens that we ended our season with a loss and that hurts. Because we wanted it. And this team is a special team.”
Many expect Connecticut, which fell short of the national title after its first finals in four seasons, to regain its former supremacy next season when a star-studded freshmen class arrives. The rookies will be highlighted by Wilmington’s Elena DelleDonne, the top high school recruit, and Germantown Academy’s Carolyn Doty. The veterans will be led by Maya Moore, who was the top newcomer this past season.
But Summitt, who could reach 1,000 career victories next season, promised she won’t be going anywhere soon, although passing Wooden’s record is not as among the reasons for hanging around Knoxville.
“I guess I’m along for the ride,” Summitt smiled. “They took me on a great one this time. And as long as I love the game, I’ll stay in it.
“Do I have a desire to try to beat Coach Wooden’s record? No. I just want to help the next team, next year, and get back to the Final Four. That’s always our goal every year,” she continued.
“And as long as I can be effective as a teacher and coach, that’s what I want to do. The day I walk in the gym and I don’t have the passion is the day I give it up.”
-- Mel
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