It was their senior moment, and they made the most of it. No forgetting: They created memories and legacies to savor for now and forever.
For Candice Wiggins, it was her chance to cap a record-breaking career at Stanford with one of the few accomplishments she didn’t have on her resume: a trip to the Final Four. For Sylvia Fowles and the seven other seniors from LSU, it was familiar territory: They were looking to return to the Final Four for a fourth time. And for LSU coach Van Chancellor, himself nearly a senior citizen, it was the opportunity to go to his first Final Four in his 20th year as a college coach and after four WNBA championships and an Olympic gold medal.
Stanford and LSU, each No. 2 seeds, on Monday night faced down their top-ranked opponents, Maryland and North Carolina, respectively, behind their seniors who were on a mission.
Wiggins became the first player to score more than 40 points in two consecutive games in an NCAA tournament. Her 41 points in Monday’s 98-87 win over Maryland followed a career-high 44 points last week against UTEP in the second round. The three-time All-America couldn’t contain her glee – or her tears – as the game clock wound down. It was as if all the previous disappointments of losing in two regional finals were pouring out of her in sobs and smiles. The Cardinal last went to the Final Four in 1997.
“In many ways, it might be her very best, because the most was on the line,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said.
Ironically, the other team to punch its ticket to Tampa on Monday night, halfway across the country, was LSU, the same team that ended Stanford’s run two years ago. Wiggins remembered LSU dancing on the court.
“They were celebrating and dancing and I said, ‘I just want to dance like that, be in the Final Four,’” Wiggins said. “I had that image in my head, and sure enough we are going dancing.”
For LSU this time around, it was more business-like, knowing that the Tigers had been this far four times before and exited in the national semi-final. This time, the end-of-game celebration was relatively subdued, as a teammate said to Fowles, “Two more games to win.”
Behind the 6-6 Fowles, LSU will be hard to beat. Fowles had 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, in LSU’s 56-50 victory over UNC.
“We knew it was our last year and we wanted to go all out,” said Fowles, named the most outstanding player of the New Orleans Regional.
And her fellow seniors came through. Quianna Chaney scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Point guard Erica White had eight points, six on free throws inside the last two minutes to hold off a North Carolina comeback.
That’s not to diminish the performances and careers of the seniors on the opposing teams. UNC posts Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle are likely to join Fowles and Wiggins in the WNBA. Larkins had been the team leader going into the Tournament. Pringle, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds against LSU, led the squad with 48 points and 22 rebounds in the regional.
Larkins, who grew up in Florida playing with and against Fowles, paid tribute to her opponent after the game, fighting back tears as the two embraced.
“I just went over there and told her, ‘Represent not only your university, but make back home mighty proud,’” Larkins said. “Go win it for us.”
Stanford’s Monday night opponents, Maryland, were champions two years ago, and the Terps’ two stellar senior starters were gunning for a reprise. Crystal Langhorne and Laura Harper were two of four Maryland starters who have compiled more than 1,400 career points. But they ran into an inspired Wiggins and crew.
“It’s never going to be like this anymore [in the WNBA],” Langhorne said. “This team atmosphere, it’s never going to be like this anymore. We just didn’t want it to end.”
Stanford will face the winner of Tuesday’s UConn/Rutgers contest, and LSU will get the winner of Tennessee/Texas A&M.