Stanford Athletes

Against USC earlier this year, in the first 10 minutes of the second half, Starbird couldn’t miss, no matter what shot she took ­ jumper, layup, three-pointer. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said associate coach Amy Tucker. “Everything she put up hit.” Starbird made 40 points. Stanford won. “All the time I was thinking, I can’t believe I can do this,” said Starbird.

There was much more: She established a Stanford career-scoring record of 2215 (set appropriately on the always-emotional seniors’ night) and a single season scoring record of 753 (first Stanford player ever to break 700), breaking her own 1996 record. She is an All-American (on several lists), has been named women’s Basketball Collegiate Association Player of the Year, and twice Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year. Not surprisingly, she has signed a contract with the American Basketball League’s team in her home state, the Seattle Reign.

“No other university does it as well as Stanford.”

KNIGHT OF THE ROUND BALL

In 1993 coach Mike Montgomery was suffering his most traumatic season in his 10 years at Stanford. “We were bankrupt at point guard,” he recalls. Then his sharp recruiting eye saw something in the 5-foot-8, 140-pound kid from

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