A true coaching game of chess: Tara VanDerveer vs. South Carolina's Dawn Staley - San Jose Mercury News

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A true coaching game of chess: Tara VanDerveer vs. South Carolina's Dawn Staley - San Jose Mercury News Mar 24th 2012, 01:25 FRESNO -- Stanford's Tara VanDerveer says Dawn Staley never defeated her in a game of chess when she coached the then-point guard on the 1996 gold-medal winning Olympic team. "I don't remember her winning one game but she'll brag about beating me," VanDerveer said. On the eve of top-seeded Stanford's showdown against Staley's South Carolina, the Gamecocks coach offered a different version. "This is how I operate," Staley said Friday. "If you continue to beat at something, we won't stop playing until I win. I beat her at least once. I might have been one for 400 but I got her once." Staley hopes for another upset Saturday night at the Save Mart Center when No. 5 South Carolina (25-9) faces the Cardinal at 8:30 p.m. in the Sweet 16. No. 2 Duke plays No. 3 St. John's in the other Fresno region semifinal at 6 o'clock. VanDerveer and Staley have had a long basketball history. Their paths first crossed in the NCAA tournament two decades ago. VanDerveer's Cardinal defeated Staley's Virginia in the national semifinals in 1990 and '92. Those are the only times Stanford won an NCAA title. VanDerveer recalled how Staley chased an official down to lobby to put for more time on the clock with .07 seconds left in the 1992 game. The Virginia guard took the final shot in a 66-65 defeat. "We'd rather cheer for each other than compete against each other," said Staley, who has turned around South Carolina's program after four seasons. But they are two of the toughest competitors on the hardwood. So expect no favors when Stanford (33-1) goes for its 31st consecutive victory. When asked about whether the Gamecocks' are a personification of Staley, VanDerveer said, "They play much better defense than she did." Wearing a T-shirt that said "I Believe," Staley recalled how VanDerveer's honest assessments made her a better player — and coach. "She will bring you to tears with her honesty," Staley said. Through all those tears the guard learned VanDerveer's brand of discipline and preparedness. It helped smooth the edges of her electric North Philadelphia game. "If you had any coaching by Tara, you left her knowing how to break down an opponent," Staley said. Staley's players get the same treatment but the coach never makes it negative. "It helped us take in the honest, brutal truth and just get back to it in practice," senior guard La'Keisha Sutton said. Staley never forget VanDerveer's lessons. The player sent her mentor a framed photo of her as flag bearer for the United States at the 2004 Athens Games — her third and final Olympic appearance. It came with a message: thanks. The Stanford-South Carolina matchup features a contrast in rosters. The Cardinal has three starters at least 6-feet-2. The Gamecocks have only two players taller than 6-0. Forward Chiney Ogwumike said it's not as much of an advantage as some would suggest. "When you have a clear size advantage people expect things" to benefit the taller team, the 6-foot-3 player said. "But think about it. You're going to have to guard their size advantage, meaning their quickness to the rim. It's a 50-50 game." VanDerveer said South Carolina might have an advantage because it is used to facing bigger lineups more often than Stanford has seen small teams. "We have challenged our players to step their game up a notch," she said. "What we did last weekend won't be good enough." With freshman point guard Amber Orrange emerging as a team leader along with speedy backcourt mate Toni Kokenis, Stanford has become tougher to stop. Their growth also has challenged the coaches to rethink the patented triangle offense. "It's thrown our coaching staff for a little loop," Chiney Ogwumike said. "You used to know what we run, we run the triangle. They're going to run that against everybody." The sophomore has enjoyed the new touches. "You don't see us running triangle as much," she said. "You see us run off Amber's strength that is the pick and roll. You see us operating off Toni's strength, her rejecting the pick and roll. "That has made the game really fun. It's so fresh for us." Kokenis said the emphasis Saturday is minimizing mistakes against the aggressive South Carolina backcourt. "Don't allow them to get points off our turnovers," she said. Kokenis added some analysts have miscast Stanford by focusing only on the strong post play of Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike. The Cardinal has been seen as a big and slow team in recent seasons. "But we know that we're not," Kokenis said. "It's more of an incentive for us to play well." Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/elliottalmond. Copyright 2012 Contra Costa Times. All rights reserved. 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