BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001
BY LAURENCE MIEDEMA

Mercury News


The No. 6-ranked Stanford women's basketball team has returned to national
prominence.

The Cardinal is in the top 10 for the first time since 1997-98 and one of the
main reasons is the rejuvenated play of senior forward Lindsey Yamasaki.
Stanford can accentuate its return to elite status when it plays host to
second-ranked Tennessee on Sunday at Maples Pavilion.

Yamasaki has helped lead the revival and Stanford's 8-0 start, playing the
best -- and most carefree -- basketball of her career.

Starting full-time for the first time since her freshman season, Yamasaki is
averaging a team-high 18.5 points per game (along with 5.0 rebounds). She has
been the team's top scorer five times, scoring 20 or more points on four
occasions.

``I just feel good and confident about my position on the team, how I stand
with other people on the team,'' Yamasaki said. ``I don't think I'm
overconfident, I think I'm doing the things I should be doing.''

After a star-studded career at Oregon City High School, Yamasaki was a
high-profile recruit expected to help the Cardinal maintain its status as a
national power. Yamasaki has been productive -- she ranks 20th in school
history in points, made the Pacific-10 all freshman team and was an honorable
mention all-league pick last season -- although the lofty expectations eluded
her and the program for much of the past three seasons.

``She's matured and she's focused,'' Cardinal Coach Tara VanDerveer said.
``She's been putting up some big numbers for us, carrying us.''

Until this season, however, Yamasaki often didn't know -- or agree with --
her role on the team.

Yamasaki started all but seven games as a freshman and averaged a team-high
14 points per game. She got a late start as a sophomore because of volleyball
(she was the starting outside hitter on Stanford's national runner-up team in
'99) and never regained her starting job. Last season Yamasaki was Stanford's
second-leading scorer (12.4 ppg.) but started just eight of 30 games.


Frustrated as reserve

Yamasaki was frustrated and uncomfortable coming off the bench, which
contributed to an often strained relationship with VanDerveer.

``It was hard on her and it was hard on me and it was hard on our team,''
VanDerveer said. ``We've gone through enough and it's been painful.''

Yamasaki concedes her stubbornness contributed to the clashes of opinions,
although both sides are on similar wave-lengths now.

``I think I've matured and realized that I need to be a leader, I need to be
able to communicate with my coach,'' Yamasaki said. ``It took me three years
to understand what she wanted.''


Taking on the world

Being half a world away from the Stanford program this summer didn't hurt,
either. Yamasaki was a member of the U.S. team that won the World University
Games in China, an experience that gave her a whole new perspective.

``I just displaced myself from Stanford basketball,'' said Yamasaki, who
scored in double figures in four of eight games. ``I had the ability to step
away and come back with a fresh outlook on the season.

``It's almost like I had a revelation.''

A career 39-percent shooter from the field coming into this season, Yamasaki
is making 52.4 percent of her field-goal attempts and has emerged as a leader
on and off the court.

``She's getting back to her old self,'' said Stanford senior Cori Enghusen, a
U.S. World University Games teammate who has played with or against Yamasaki
since they were in junior high. ``She's definitely starting to play more like
she used to, she's starting to dominate.''