Article from Yamasaki looks for NCAA ring

Andrew Waterman

Versatile senior Lindsey Yamasaki has already made her mark in Stanford’s recordbooks, but this season she is hoping to lead the No. 7 Cardinal squad to a National Championship.

Her name permeates the Stanford women basketball records. She’s already seventh in school history for 3-pointers made and 10th in free throw percentages (.777). This past weekend in Hawaii, she became the 22nd Cardinal player to breach 1,000 career points — and she’s only two weeks into the season.

The Pacific 10 Conference has tossed two Honorable Mention Selections her way, and she picked up her first gold medal at the World University Games this summer. So far this year, she has led her team to two consecutive tournament championships in preseason play at the Stanford Invitational and the Rainbow Wahine Classic, garnering MVP recognition in both.

She’s even played in an NCAA Championship game, albeit in volleyball.

After choosing to concentrate solely on basketball, the only thing missing from Yamasaki’s trophy case is a National Championship in basketball. And don’t think she doesn’t know it.

“My goal this year is to be on a national championship team,” Yamasaki said.

After a few years out of the national spotlight, the No. 7 Cardinal is making no secret of its desire for big wins in March, and this senior group, especially Yamasaki, brings a sense of urgency to the team and the season.

A resourceful player who can shift effectively from guard to forward, her offense includes a deadly 3-point shot coupled with penetrating drives to the hoop. Her skills allow her to be an offensive threat from anywhere on the court, as opponents quickly realize her versatility. While known for her offense, Yamasaki’s defensive abilities cannot be overlooked; she’s averaging seven rebounds a game, second only to sophomore forward Nicole Powell.

Her defensive contributions resulted in three steals against Minnesota this past weekend and a game-high 10 rebounds Sunday night against Penn State.

“Lindsey’s been playing great on both ends of the court,” said Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer.

While Yamasaki has an important role in the team’s strategy, her experience and maturity make her an important leader both on and off the court.

“I think I bring a lot of versatility,” Yamasaki said. “I have a lot of experience and I’ve gained a lot of leadership that helps keep things under control.”

Control will be key as Stanford gears up to face its tough schedule — preseason competition alone sees the Cardinal face off against No. 2 Tennessee on Dec. 16 before preparing to defend its Pac-10 title. Yamasaki’s composure and talent will be driving forces behind the team’s march this season.

Although she’s made an NCAA appearance in each of her three years on the Farm, Yamasaki is ready to go much farther and feels that this is the team to do it.

With national attention beginning to focus on the depth of talent on the team, Yamasaki will count on her teammates to take the pressure off her and to discourage opponents from double-teaming her.

So far Stanford has proven itself quite capable of that. On Sunday the attack against the Lady Lions came from all sides, as five Cardinal players, including Yamasaki with 25, scored in double digits.

“We all get excited — for each other, for ourselves,” said Yamasaki about her team’s chemistry this year. “Everyone plays, everyone contributes. It says a lot about our maturity that everyone can get in.”

Though the senior still has a lot to accomplish before graduation, her international play this past summer hints at some of her post-Cardinal plans.

Yamasaki’s diploma will state Sociology, but “I say basketball is my major,” she said. “I want to [play], whether it be overseas or here, but we’ll see.”

Yamasaki has quite a tradition to guide her should she continue playing after graduation.

Two former Cardinal members participated on U.S. Olympic teams, and four were U.S. National team players. VanDerveer coached the squad that captured the 1996 Olympic gold medal.

Stanford has also seen an impressive 26 players go on to the pros, including overseas play, the former American Basketball League (ABL) and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

However, first things first. For the time being, Yamasaki is looking to pack a bit more into her collegiate career — and her trophy case — including bringing Stanford its third women’s basketball national championship.