Fans without an emotional stake in tonight’s NCAA Division I women’s national semifinals nonetheless seem to have a favorite: Stanford in general and Cardinal senior wing guard Candice Wiggins in particular. More than a few individuals – tournament officials, uninvolved coaches, sales representatives at today’s WBCA convention – said Wiggins and Stanford were their choice. Why? All offered the same answer. They like not only Wiggins’ game, which is robust and well-rounded, but also her atttitude, which is predominantly wholesome and sunny. In an era in which scowls and bellows and attempts to intimidate are becoming increasing evident in women’s basketball, Wiggins and the Cardinal are a welcome throwback – behaviorally, at least – to the early 1990s, when the game was played with an element of stylish gentility.

None of which is intended to suggest that Stanford has no shot in tonight’s 7:00 semifinal (ESPN) against powerful Connecticut, the winner of five national championships. Yes, said Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer, UConn won by double digits when the two clubs met in an early-season tournament in the Virgin Islands. But while reviewing tapes of that game, VanDerveer said, she was struck immediately by this conclusion: “I didn’t recognize the team I was coaching (then),” when compared to the club she is coaching now. “We were doing different things on offense. We weren’t as good on defense. We were starting Candice and basically everyone else was new to the starting lineup. We didn’t look anything like we look right now. We’ve gotten so much better since we played them. We’re not even close to the same team. It’s the caterpillar and the butterfly.”

The whipping Stanford absorbed from UConn, Vanderveer said, “helped us as much – and maybe it helped us more – than any other game we’ve played this season. Our team looked at UConn and saw a team that was an absolute machine in November” (before ACL injuries to two starters bit deeply into Connecticut’s depth).” We were like, ‘We know we’re not there yet. But we know that’s where we want to be.’”