Due to final exams and applications for master degree programs it's been a while since my last post.  To catch you up I'll go all the way back to our games in Hawaii over thanksgiving break.  First let me start by saying Waikiki was beautiful, refreshing, and productive. We saw more of the beach than we did during last year's trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Hawaii, I went to the beach twice. =) 

 

Beach time or not, these trips are good for team bonding. We posed with tourists on the beach (see picture 1). We posed in front of the beautiful view from Nneka Ogwumike's room (Nneka always seems to be in a room with a view...) (see picture 2). We dolled ourselves up a bit for a lovely thanksgiving banquet (see picture 3), and we embraced color together! (see picture 4) It was a grand old time!

We also had some very good games. The trip to Hawaii held our first games without point guard JJ Hones (out for the season with an ACL tear) and our team was obviously in transition due to our unfortunate loss. I felt really good about our win over Purdue because it was a close game and at times we were behind. By pulling out that win we proved to ourselves and each other that we have heart and grit. I think a game like that was something we needed: a success in the face of adversity and a come from behind win against a good team. I may sound like I'm over exaggerating the importance of this win, but in the past tough wins like that usually came behind an offensive explosion also known as former Stanford star Candice Wiggins. With that comeback victory we learned that we were capable of winning the tough ones on our own.

 

Over this year's Thanksgiving tournament we learned not only about our team as a whole but we also learned quite a lot about each other as individuals. Allow me to share a bit about my teammates!

 

#0 Melanie Murphy... is from New York.  I think that speaks for itself.

 

#1 Grace Mashore ... looks like she is 14 years old.  Grace takes hair gel very seriously.  She doesn't just use any kind of hair gel either.  She has her parents air-ship boxes on top of boxes of hair gel across country to her.  Seriously... she does.

 

#2 Jayne Appel ... is a 6-4 Paris Hilton.  A social butterfly by nature, and Pi Phi by pledge, she can be counted on to know what's happening on and off campus on any given night. One thing to watch out for: Be careful if you happen to be around her before games. When excited, she sometimes hits.

 

#5 Michelle Harrison ... is from Utah. That CERTAINLY speaks for itself.

 

#10 JJ Hones ... went out like a G. She balled out in our game against Rutgers before she sadly tore her ACL.  After hanging out with her this summer in Oregon I also discovered her hidden talent:  JJ is really good at doing the Moonwalk!

 

#14 Kayla Pederson ... puts the "Responsible" in Responsible.  This girl has been here before. Kayla was a fifth year senior in a past life. She came to Stanford as a freshman knowing all the plays and what time the bus leaves.

 

#15 Lindy La Rocque   ... likes to shoot threes. That's all I really know about her.

 

#20 Hannah Donaghe ... is the team's resident hippy.  Hannah still has a flip-top cell phone. I think that speaks for itself.

#21 Rosalyn Gold-Onwude ... is the person who writes this blog!  To find our more about me check out this you tube video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6JMnwFzwWg

 

#23 Jeanette Pohlen ... is the type of person who knows all the words to every song ever made and practices dance moves in the mirror. She especially loves any song that was made by a group of three or more people.

 

#24 Ashley Cimino ... enjoys awkward conversation about Maine. In her free time she works on her deadly three-point shot, otherwise known as "The Ashley Special".

 

#30 Nnemkadi "Nneka" Ogwumike ... was last year's Gatorade National H.S. Player of the Year.  It's probably just a coincidence that she always has a hotel room with a view. 

 

#31 Morgan Clyburn ... enjoys movies that make her cry.  Also, Morgan is studying to become a biomechanical engineer.  That is so Stanford of her.

 

#33 Jillian Harmon ... is a smooth operator. Things just have a way of working out for Jillian. She'll charm you out of a house and home if you're not careful.

 

#42 Sarah Boothe ... is the most adorable 6-5 person you might ever meet.  She also looks like Liv Tyler. 

 

Kerry Blake ... is hands down the best manager ever.  Nothing funny about that.

 

I hope you enjoyed getting to know more about our team in this week's edition of the Rhetoric of RosGO.  Come back soon to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes! 

 

Correction:

In a blog posted on Nov. 18 about Littles, Middles, and Bigs, I reported, "I have been asking for a new pair of white mid-calf length socks since preseason".  Some time after the posting of that blog three pairs of brand new socks mysteriously appeared in my locker.  Associate Head Coach Amy Tucker claims the socks have been there for weeks and that I must have missed them because my locker was too messy.  Is this a truthful claim or a convenient cover up?  The investigation continues...

 

Upcoming games: vs. UC Davis 2pm on Dec. 28! 

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

-- Ros G-O #21