Big Games, Bigger Feelings, and UConn Fans (Still the Worst)

Short on time? Good news—so are we. 

In this bite-sized, 10 minute episode of Her Game Her Voice, we’re diving deep into March Madness!

🏀 First, we head back to Stanford for a special "Road to the Final Four" Basketball Master Class with Tara Vanderveer. I also share my own wild memories from the 1995 Final Four (spoiler: UConn fans, you’re not my favorite).

🏆 Awards Time!

 • Buzzer Beater: Alabama vs. Maryland’s epic double-overtime showdown—an instant classic with record-breaking numbers and next-level sportswomanship.

 • Airball: Golden State Valkyries’ Expansion Draft Press Conference—why E-40 might be a Bay Area icon, but still missed the mark for women’s hoops.

 • Flagrant Foul: USC fans’ backlash against Mississippi State after JuJu Watkins’ heartbreaking, season-ending injury—let’s keep it classy, folks. 

From on-court drama to off-court antics, this episode has it all in one bite-sized package.

Tune in—you won’t want to miss it!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

Transcript

Kaari 0:01

Hi, I'm Kaari Peterson. Welcome to episode four of Her Game Her Voice, the podcast where I amplify the voices shaping the game of women's basketball, both on and off the court.

Kaari 0:13

Let's go back to the Stanford campus this week and check out more content from my basketball masterclass with Tara Vanderveer. Because we're still in the midst of March Madness, I thought

Kaari 0:23

I'd share some highlights from a class session called The Road to the Final Four. Not gonna lie. I ed consider popping a Xanax before this class. I have a lot of big, scary feelings about Stanford's past Final Fours.

Kaari 0:40

Some wounds never heal.

Kaari 0:42

My wife, being the voice of reason, reminded me that combining Xanax with post-foot surgery painkillers was a bad idea.

Kaari 0:51

So I went in stone cold sober. Gulp.

Kaari 0:57

We started a deep dive into Stanford's Final Four history. Fun fact, they've made 15 Final Four appearances and won three championships, 1990, 1992, and 2021.

Kaari 1:11

Tara brought in three incredible guest speakers.

Kaari 1:14

We started with Val Whitey. Val was part of the 1990 and 1992 championship teams, and she's still Stanford's all-time leading rebounder. Val is basically a Stanford women's basketball living legend.

Kaari 1:28

Then we heard about Stanford Final Four experiences from Jane Appel. Jane holds the record of the third highest scoring game in NCAA tournament history. She scored 46 points in a game against Iowa State.

Kaari 1:42

We also heard from Jeanette Poland. Jeanette went to four Final Fours with Stanford and never won a championship. Cue the sad trombone.

Kaari 1:53

Jeanette is now an assistant coach for Stanford Women's Basketball. Hearing Val, Jane, and Jeanette's stories was a reminder of just how special and grueling the journey to the Final Four is.

Kaari 2:05

Just getting to the Final Four is a huge feat in and of itself. But of course, as a player, and speaking for myself as a fan, it's a lot more fun when you can win it all.

Kaari 2:20

And now it's time for a little story.

Kaari 2:22

This one is about my first trip to the Final Four with Stanford in 1995. The Final Four was in Minneapolis that year, and Stanford was playing UConn in one of the semifinal matchups.

Kaari 2:34

Picture this. My friends Annie, Karen, and I had seats across from the Stanford bench, right in front of a swarm of UConn fans. And they were obnoxious. Obnoxious like elevator music and its Nickelback on repeat.

Kaari 2:54

Stanford lost to UConn 87-60, and the UConn fans, they let us know it.

Kaari 3:02

By the end, we were so over it we considered leaving Minneapolis early.

Kaari 3:06

But we stayed, and thank Pat Summitt we did. We sat next to the obnoxious UConn fans, as the Tennessee Lady Vols took down UConn in the final.

Kaari 3:21

There's nothing like the taste of sweet, sweet revenge. Yes!

Kaari 3:26

That 1995 trip burned two truths into my basketball-loving soul.

Kaari 3:31

One, experiencing the Final Four live is magical.

Kaari 3:37

And two, UConn fans are the worst.

Kaari 3:44

And now it's time for the awards section of our show.

Kaari 3:48

First, the Buzzer Beater Award. This week, the Buzzer Beater Award goes to the Alabama and Maryland women's basketball teams.

Kaari 3:59

When five-seeded Alabama and four-seeded Maryland faced off Monday night for a spot in the NCAA Sweet 16, I expected a competitive game, but wow, this one blew my expectations out of the water. It was the most intense and thrilling game of the women's tournament so far. The teams traded baskets all night with barely any breathing room between them. Fast-paced, high stakes, and fiercely competitive.

Kaari 4:27

But here's what made it special. Despite the pressure, both teams played with class. More than once, an Alabama player helped a Maryland player off the floor, and vice versa. Mutual respect even in a game this intense? That's a class act.

Kaari 4:45

And you gotta think that kind of "sportswomanship", yes, I said it, starts at the top, with the coaches. Kristy Curry, Alabama's head coach, and Brenda Frese, head coach of Maryland, are coaching veterans who deserve serious credit for the powerhouse programs they've built.

Kaari 5:03

On the court, Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker was unstoppable, dropping a career-high 45 points with eight rebounds.

Kaari 5:11

Meanwhile, Maryland brought balance with four players scoring in double figures.

Kaari 5:15

And then, double overtime.

Kaari 5:18

In the end, the four-seeded Maryland Terrapins edged out Alabama 111-108. That combined total of 219 points, it's the second highest scoring game in women's NCAA tournament history.

Kaari 5:33

A legendary showdown and a well-deserved buzzer beater award for both teams.

Kaari 5:38

You can still stream the game online, and I highly recommend that you do. A

Kaari 5:45

nd now, the Airball Award. T

Kaari 5:48

his week, the Airball Award goes to... The Golden State Valkyries Expansion Draft Press Conference.

Kaari 5:59

Okay, I know I'm rewinding the clock a bit for this one, but trust me, it's worth it. What happened at the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft press conference? T

Kaari 6:09

hey featured rapper E-40 as one of their announcers. What? He's a Bay Area legend and a court-side staple at Warriors games. But at a women's basketball event?

Kaari 6:23

At first things seemed fine. They had pro golfer San Francisco's own Michelle Wee kick off the announcements.

Kaari 6:30

A golfer? Weird flex, but okay, at least she has Bay Area ties.

Kaari 6:34

They also brought in former warrior Baron Davis, and hey, at least he played for the Golden State franchise.

Kaari 6:40

But E-40? Really?

Kaari 6:42

I'm not saying he doesn't love basketball, but this was a golden opportunity to spotlight a woman, and they totally whiffed it.

Kaari 6:52

Is there another female Bay Area sports legend that could have helped out with the announcing? Hmm, I don't know, maybe Tara freaking Vanderveer?

Kaari 7:01

She's a living legend who's done more for women's hoops than almost anyone else. And she's right here in the Bay Area.

Kaari 7:08

But instead, we got Yay Area!

Kaari 7:11

And that's why the Golden State Valkyries Expansion Draft Press Conference earns a well-deserved Air Ball Award. Because when it comes to lifting up women's voices, they miss the rim entirely.

Kaari 7:28

And finally... The Flagrant Foul Award.

Kaari 7:33

This week's Flagrant Foul Award goes to USC fans and the backlash against Mississippi State.

Kaari 7:39

By now, you've probably seen or heard about Juju Watkins' season-ending injury during USC's tournament game against Mississippi State.

Kaari 7:48

Talk about a heartbreaking moment for women's basketball. Watkins, on a fast break, sandwiched between two Mississippi State players, goes down. She immediately grabs her right knee, writhing in pain, and a hush falls over the crowd.

Kaari 8:02

Watching from home, I couldn't help but blurt out, Oh no!

Kaari 8:06

After Juju's injury, every time a Mississippi State player touched the ball, the Galen crowd booed loudly.

Kaari 8:13

Look, I get it. I'm still bummed about what happened to Juju. But booing the opposing players?

Kaari 8:19

Not cool.

Kaari 8:21

Basketball is a physical game.

Kaari 8:23

It's not like the old days when women weren't even allowed to run and dribble at the same time.

Kaari 8:28

What happened to Juju was an accident.

Kaari 8:30

No one on Mississippi State was trying to hurt her, and they clearly feel awful about what happened.

Kaari 8:36

But USC fans didn't want to cut them any slack.

Kaari 8:39

Congratulations to USC fans for earning a flagrant foul award.

Kaari 8:45

I'm Kaari Peterson, and you've been listening to Her Game Her Voice.

Kaari 8:48

If you liked this podcast and want to hear more, please follow or subscribe to Her Game Her Voice. Following the podcast is a mutually beneficial thing: it benefits you because you won't miss an episode and it benefits me because - uh - you won't miss an episode.

Kaari 9:13

Subscribing is easy — You just go to the Her Game Her Voice show page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts. Tap the plus sign or click on "follow" to subscribe.

Kaari 9:16

And while you're on the show page, I would be eternally grateful if you would take a few seconds to give Her Game Her Voice a great rating and or review and share an episode with a friend.

Kaari 9:27

Thanks again for listening and let's get hooping!