VIDEO: Stanford Women's Basketball: ACC Tipoff 2024 Press Conference
#1. Kate Paye looks to build on the Tara VanDerveer era: One thing that's clear from watching this press conference is that Kate Paye is looking to build on the success that her predecessor Tara VanDerveer had. The same staff is back with her and they are looking to run things the same way. This is in many ways a continuation of the VanDerveer era, which is a major reason why Paye was hired. This is truly a passing of the torch.
#2. The Italy trip helped build team chemistry over the summer: Something that was mentioned was that their summer trip to Italy helped a lot with building team chemistry. Stanford looks to be a very unselfish team that moves the ball well and gets many different players going. It sounds like the trip to Italy helped them hit the ground running, grow as a team, and integrate the new pieces into the system.
#3. Stanford isn't worried about the travel and sees the ACC as a benefit: Like every Stanford team that gets asked this question, Stanford women's basketball isn't worried about the travel. They're used to the cadence of two games at home and two away and don't see it as that big of a deal. They're excited to be in a league with great competition and academic institutions. Not to mention the fact that they recruit nationally.
#4. Brooke Demetre will look to be more aggressive: When asked what she's most focused on for this upcoming season, Brooke Demetre said she's really made aggressiveness a focus. Just in terms of being more assertive with her shot and being more vocal on the court as a leader. It'll be fun to see what kind of Demetre we see this year and how much she improves her game.
#5. Talana Lepolo preached competitiveness: The soundbite from this press conference was definitely Talana Lepolo saying they are "not the nice girls from Stanford." This team looks to be competitive, tough, and play with an edge. Those are all qualities that Tara VanDerveer preached during her legendary tenure and qualities that Kate Paye looks to continue to instill in her team. This team I think has a bit of a chip on their shoulder and feels like they're being overlooked. That extra fire should serve them well in their first year in the ACC.
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