On tennis: Novak Djokovic turns a perfect night Down Under into winning his seventeenth major title

On a perfect night for tennis in Melbourne, with clear skies and an open roof in Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic won his seventeenth Grand Slam singles title with a five-set victory over Dominic Thiem in the Australian Open men’s singles final Sunday. Once again, Djokovic proved himself unconquerable. He remains hungry and driven.

Djokovic’s 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumph that lasted four hours rewarded him with his eighth Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy and returned the Serbian to No. 1 in the world rankings.

“I’ve had (the) privilege to win this big tournament for eight times,” said Djokovic, 32, during his post-match press conference that didn’t start until the early hours of Monday morning. “To start off the season with a Grand Slam win significantly boosts your confidence and your expectations are quite high for the rest of the season. But whatever happens, this season is already successful.”

Djokovic arrived in Melbourne a fortnight ago after he won all of his singles matches and contributed significantly to Serbia’s triumph in the inaugural ATP Cup team title in Sydney. In the year’s first Grand Slam, which took place amid difficult circumstances from the blazing bush fires that blanketed much of southeastern Australia, the second-seeded Djokovic began a run of good form by dropping just one set before the final. En route, he beat No. 14 seed Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round, No. 32 seed Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals and No. 3 seed Roger Federer in a much-anticipated semifinal – all in straight sets – before the 26-year old Thiem, whom New York Times tennis columnist Christopher Clarey characterized as one “with thunder in his ground strokes and highlights in his dark hair,” pushed him to five sets in the title match. 

Although Thiem had won four of five previous matches against Djokovic – and built a two-sets-to-one lead Sunday thanks to stringing together six straight games at one point – he hadn’t beaten him on an outdoor hard court. This time, although No. 4 seed Thiem had some chances – especially when Djokovic began to struggle with both his consistency as well as his level of energy – the Austrian just couldn’t reach the finish line in time.

Thiem was broken in the third game of the decisive set and never quite recovered. His last chance to pull even came as Djokovic served at 4-3, 15-30. Then, the Serbian won the next three points to hold serve and the end drew nearer.

On this memorable night and in this particular final, Djokovic was at times defiant. To wit, twice he was cited for time violations. But always, Djokovic was tenacious – especially in long rallies – as he gutted out his victory over Thiem by serving nine aces and hitting 46 winners. 

With his latest major title, Djokovic moved to within three of Federer, the all-time leader with 20 Grand Slam titles, and he’s now two behind Rafael Nadal’s 19. Once again, the old guard fended off the new blood. However, one thing’s certain: Thiem proved he’s more than just a clay-court specialist. He can play heroically on hard courts. After all, Thiem beat No. 29 seed Taylor Fritz, No. 10 seed Gaël Monfils, top seed Nadal and No. 7 seed Alexander Zverev in his four matches leading up to Sunday’s final against Djokovic. Thiem also spent six hours more than Djokovic on court throughout the tournament.

“Huge congrats to Novak, an unreal achievement,” said Thiem, gracious in his remarks during the trophy ceremony. “You have helped to raise the level, and I’m proud and happy I can compete in this time and period of tennis.”

When it was Djokovic’s turn to address the crowd, he remarked: “This is definitely my favorite court, my favorite stadium in the world, and I’m blessed to hold this trophy once again.”

Then, looking toward Thiem as he spoke in a complimentary tone of voice, Djokovic said: “I would like to congratulate Dominic on an amazing tournament. It wasn’t meant to be tonight. But you were very close to winning. 

“You definitely have a lot more time in your career and I’m sure you’ll get more than one Grand Slam trophy in your career.”

Thiem, who was attempting to become the first new major winner since Marin Cilic won the 2014 US Open, fell short in a Grand Slam final for the third time in his young professional career. His Australian Open set back followed two previous defeats against Nadal in the finals of the 2018 and 2019 French Open.

“I think there’s not much to change,” Thiem said during his final Melbourne press conference. “In the last two sets, I definitely gave everything I had. Novak is part of three guys who are by far the best players who ever played tennis. If you play a Grand Slam final against him, it’s always going to be a match where small details are deciding.

“ ... It’s unique in sports history that the three best players by far are playing in the same ere a,” Thiem acknowledged. “That’s what makes it very, very difficult for players to break through.”

Indeed, Djokovic, along with Federer, 38, and Nadal, 33 – The Big Three of men’s tennis – have combined to win the past 13 majors. One has to go back to Stan Wawrinka’s 2016 US Open victory to find a Grand Slam winner other than Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. Wawrinka and Andy Murray, with three Grand Slams apiece, are the next best active players behind the Big Three. For sure, Djokovic isn’t quite ready to rest on his laurels. Not now, anyway. 

“Grand Slams are one of the main reasons why I am still competing and still playing full season, trying to obviously get the historic No. 1. That’s the other big goal,” Djokovic said. “I put myself in this position that is really good at the moment. I’m super happy with the way I started the season. It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the year.”

Original commentary written for Tennis-TourTalk.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Australian Open website.

Thoughts on books: Leadership in turbulent times

Today is Election Day in the United States and throughout America, the mid-term elections serve as a referendum on the direction of our country under President Donald J. Trump. Are we content with the everyday chaos coming out of the White House or do we hearken for something better?

We’re reminded that when the U.S. has been at odds with itself, a born leader has come along to remind us of the common causes we share – and just as important, of our shared humanity. Think back to when Barack Obama became the first black elected President of the United States 10 years ago this week. It seems like such a long time ago, that chilly Election Night victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park, when one voice changed the world.

However, with the U.S. becoming more deeply divided by the hate, fear, deviciveness and lies that have characterized the first two years of the Trump presidency, it’s worth looking back to some of our country’s past presidents – Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson – all of them leaders, to see if they have something to teach us about the challengers we face as a nation today.

In Leadership in Turbulent Times, published by Simon & Schuster in September, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has studied most closely – Lincoln, both Roosevelts and Johnson – to show how each recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others.

Seven questions are explored in great detail in Leadership, which form the foundation of Goodwin’s book. They are: Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Do the times make the leader or does the leader shape the times? How can a leader infuse a sense of purpose and meaning into people’s lives? What is the difference between power, title, and leadership? Is leadership possible without a purpose larger than personal ambition?

The blogger meets the author.

According to Goodwin, “No common pattern describes the trajectory of leadership. Although set apart in background, abilities, and temperament, these men shared a fierce ambition and a deep-seated resilience that enabled them to surmount uncommon hardships. At their best, all four were guided by a sense of moral purpose. At moments of great challenge, they were able to summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others.”

In a recent interview with The History Channel, Goodwin said that leadership is elusive because one size does not fit all. “In my book, I have sought to make the concept of leadership less abstract and more practical through specific stories that can provide a guide and inspiration to show how – with ambition, self-reflection and perseverance – leadership skills can be developed and strengthened.

“Through my study of leadership these past five years, I found a family resemblance of traits and patterns of behavior – among them humility, empathy, resilience, courage; the ability to replenish energy, listen to diverse opinions, control negative impulses, connect with all manner of people, communicate through stories and keep one’s word. ... They remind us of what is needed today.”

On Abraham Lincoln, Goodwin characterized the 16th President by writing: “Confident and humble, persistent and patient, Abraham Lincoln had the ability to mediate among different factions of his party, and was able, through his gift for language, to translate the meaning of the struggle into words of matchless force, clarity and beauty.”

We should be grateful for Goodwin’s book – she offers heartening examples of leadership from the past in the hope that “we will not accept our current uncivil polarization as the norm.”

Goodwin hopes that Leadership will provide reassurance through the study and stories of “my guys,” who set forth a template of shared purpose, collaboration and compromise – “the best of our collective identity in times of trouble.”

Leadership in Turbulent Times is timely – very timely – and it’s timeless at the same time.

2016 Rio Olympics: Just because ...

Fireworks exploded during the Closing Ceremonies
for the Summer Olympic Games at Maracanã Stadium
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday night.

Every four years I fall in love with the Summer Olympic Games.

Just because.

It goes beyond just the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

NPR sports commentator Frank Deford once observed that the Olympics are "like an independent movie with foreign actors you've never heard of." Further, he said, it's quite all right if we "cheer for people you've never heard of in a sport you don't care about just because."

David Rudisha of Kenya won the men's 800-meter run.

During the Rio fortnight that just concluded Sunday night, in addition to rooting for American athletes like the swimmer Michael Phelps and Simone Biles, and for the American teams in basketball and volleyball to win and do well, I found myself:

• Urging on Kenyan and Ethiopian runners, such as David Rudisha and Almaz Ayana, who moved so gracefully about the track, excelling in the middle and long distances. Rudisha became the first male runner to successful defend his 800-meter gold since 1964 while Ayana shattered the women's 10,000-meter world record by 14 seconds.

Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands
displays her gymnastics gold medal.

• Cheering on a Dutch gymnast, Sanne Wevers, from the Netherlands, who steadied herself on the four-inch-wide balance beam and flawlessly performed a gold-medal routine. In doing so, she became the first Dutch gymnast to earn an individual medal of any color.

• Applauding a South African sprinter, Wayde van Niekerk, who broke a 17-year-old world record in winning the 400-meter run, then seeing the priceless joy expressed by his coach, a white-haired, 74-year-old grandmother named Ans Botha, who sat in the stands with van Niekerk's mother, watching over her pupil with admiration, confidence and enthusiasm.

• Smiling for the charismatic host Brazilian men's and women's football teams, with their iconic one-named stars like Neymar Jr. and Marta, as they provided their country with many thrills, none bigger than Neymar's decisive penalty kick that clinched the gold medal for Brazil over Germany.

• And, I think everyone around the world cheered for Jamaica's Usain Bolt as he once again ran faster than anyone in the world in collecting three gold medals in athletics for the third consecutive Olympics.

Malek Jaziri of Tunisia competed in the
Olympic Tennis Event.

Also, thanks to having a lot of Facebook friends from Tunisia, I rooted for their country's athletes like Malek Jaziri (tennis), Habiba Ghribi (athletics), Ines Boubakri (fencing) and Oussama Mellouli (indoor and outdoor swimming) to do well. This proud North African nation collected three bronze medals, earned in fencing, taekwondo and wrestling.

Closer to home, I thrilled in cheering for the United States on the basketball court, in the swimming pool, in the gymnastics arena and on the Olympic Stadium running track throughout the past two weeks. I ached for Kerri Walsh-Jennings, whose quest for a fourth consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball was dashed by Brazil, but delighted in seeing her and teammate April Ross rebound the next night to win a bronze medal. They were elated and so was I. The same goes for the U.S. women's indoor volleyball team, arguably the best women's volleyball team in the world. After going through pool play undefeated and winning their quarterfinal-round match, they stumbled against Serbia in the semifinals. Their gold-medal hopes were broken, but the Americans regrouped nicely to win the bronze medal with a satisfying four-set win over the Netherlands – and they were beaming with their bronze medals around their necks on the awards platform. Sometimes, medals can be color-blind. It's the thrill of achievement, sometimes under adversity, that we'll remember years from now.

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first American woman
of Muslim faith to compete wearing a hijab.

The late American poet Maya Angelou, who wrote about diversity and inclusion throughout her distinguished lifetime, once observed: "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color."

Swimmer Simone Manuel became the first African-American
woman to win an individual swimming gold medal.

I was so very proud to see the swimmer Simone Manuel break a color barrier in becoming the first African-American woman to win an individual swimming gold medal, when she tied for first with Canada's Penny Oleksiak in the 100-meter freestyle, setting an Olympic record along the way.

Afterward, Manual said the gold medal wasn't just for her. "It was for people that came before me and inspired me to stay in the sport. For people who believe that they can't do it, I hope I'm an inspiration to others to get out there and try swimming. You might be pretty good at it."

I was just as proud of American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad for being the first American woman of Muslim faith to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics. There were many other first set during the Rio Games – most of them positive – and I applaud those nations who won gold medals for the first time, including: Singapore (swimming), Vietnam (air pistol), Kosovo (judo), Fiji (rugby sevens) and Puerto Rico (tennis).

The Parade of flags during Sunday's closing ceremonies.

Throughout this Olympic fortnight, the host nation Brazil displayed for the world to see why they are a sports-loving country.

I found myself rooting for athletes from around the world I had never heard of in sports that rarely receive any mention in my country like team handball, judo, and weightlifting.

Just because ... just because I cared enough to want to. And it was fun.


Photos: A variety of sources was used for the photographs included in this blog post.

Oscar de la Renta: Celebrating a global fashion icon

Oscar de la Renta / The Dominican-born
American designer celebrated the best in us.

"Beauty, optimism, confidence." Three words that define how Dominican-born American designer Oscar de la Renta celebrated the best in us through his remarkable and colorful fashion. De la Renta (1932-2014) dressed women for modern life, and he was one of the most beloved and influential fashion icons whose career spanned both the 20th and 21st centuries. 

De la Renta's knowledge of literature, art, music and social history influenced his fashion design, and "his work was admired for its contemporary sensibility, romantic artistry, and traditional workmanship." 

His fashion has been worn by distinguished women and celebrities, including First Ladies Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton, actress Sarah Jessica Parker, and singer Rihanna.

Oscar de la Renta / He was deeply
influenced by the people, history and
customs of Spain.

Last week, I had the opportunity to see a world-premiere retrospective of de la Renta's designs with my wife that opened less than two weeks ago at the de Young Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. "This is the first major survey to celebrate the life and career of one of fashion's most influential designers, examining his craft and technique, the historical and cultural influences on his work, and the clients who wore his designs," according to Fine Arts magazine.

The colorful exhibition included more than 130 ensembles spanning de la Renta's remarkable career, beginning in Spain where he first gained his initial commissions to his formative years that were spent in some of the world's most famous and iconic European fashion houses, and finally to his role as a designer for many influential and celebrated personalities. 

Oscar de la Renta for Pierre Balmain
Evening ensemble; coat and pants,
Spring/summer, 2000.

"Today, people – clothes – are international. Frontiers are non-existent," de la Renta once said. He broke a barrier in becoming the first American designer to head a French couture house when he joined Pierre Balmain.

André Leon Talley, former American Vogue editor-at-large and the exhibition's curator, said of the iconic designer: "Oscar carried with him the warmth of paradise, surely drawn from the sheer happiness of his childhood, growing up in a tropical environment in a huge family, surrounded by love." 

Throughout the 1970s, Oscar de la Renta's
collections included his hallmark sophisticated
take on daywear.

Further, Talley said: "Throughout his life, there was always love and laughter and it infused everything he took to task, be it the designing a simple cashmere coat, a suit, or a gorgeous evening dress; preparing a lovely dinner party; or tending to his gardens. Oscar loved life, and the light from within him beamed out to his world."

It became clear to me as I walked through the exhibit rooms that de la Renta's designs were full of beauty and color, and filled with elegance. It is evident that he had a true desire to make all of his women look and feel beautiful.

The special exhibition celebrating the fashion of Oscar de la Renta continues through May 30 in the Herbst Exhibition Galleries at the de Young. 

If your travels bring you to the San Francisco Bay Area between now and the end of May, I highly recommend you treat yourself and see this enjoyable exhibition – and bring your camera along to take photographs as non-flash photography is allowed in this exhibition.

Learn more about the Oscar de la Renta exhibition:
http://deyoung.famsf.org/exhibitions/oscar-de-la-renta-retrospective

Photos: Oscar de la Renta courtesy of Fine Arts magazine and FAMSF. Exhibition photographs by Michael Dickens, © 2016.

Stephen Curry: MVP season is summed up in passionate 'thank you' speech to his teammates, family and fans

Stephen Curry / A unique combination of talent and humility.

Watching Stephen Curry win the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award this week -- the league's highest honor -- reminded me of the values of shooting, screening, cutting and passing he's shown throughout what has been a truly remarkable season. Curry, who stars for the Golden State Warriors, my hometown team, was the best player on basketball's best team.

Curry, the Warriors' first MVP since Wilt Chamberlain won in 1960, is a sharpshooting guard on a team that won a league-best 67 of 82 regular season games and is 5-1 in the playoffs so far. He is part of a very deep and very well-coached team, the marquee player that Golden State has built its team around.

Curry's memorable season statistics were dazzling and reflected his value to his team. He was sixth in the league in scoring (23.8 points per game), sixth in assists (7.7 per game ), third in three-point shooting (44.3 percent), first in free-throw shooting (91.4 percent), and fourth in steals (2.04 per game).

At a press conference in an Oakland, Calif. ballroom in front of about 500 friends, family and teammates on Monday, the diminutive (6-foot-3, 180 pounds) Curry shared the lessons that perseverance, faith and confidence played. He took the time to thank each of his teammates individually in his MVP speech and choked up when he talked about his father, former NBA guard Dell Curry, as his role model.

Among the words which Curry's Warrior teammates used to describe him: genuine. And Steve Kerr, his coach, called Curry a unique combination of talent and humility. "The way he carries himself, his demeanor," said Kerr.

Curry said he would donate his MVP prize car to the East Oakland Youth Development Center.

Among the highlights of Curry's speech, which focused on the importance of team:

"We’ll remember this year no matter how it finishes, really.  But we have a huge goal in mind this year, and we’ll be able to talk about it for years to come.

"Every time we think of this moment we’ll talk about it and moments that hopefully will happen in a couple of months, it will all mean so much to us. How much sacrifice we’ve put into it, how much work, just the consistency that it takes to get to where we are.  It takes all 14 guys.  You can’t have one bad apple in this equation, and we don’t.

"So we’re truly grateful.  I’m grateful to have this team behind me.  This is not possible without you guys.  I want everybody to get a fingerprint on that so I can remember who I rolled with during this year, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"All right.  I’ve been long‑winded, but this is the last part.  I’ve talked about faith, passion, and the drive with the guys that I’ve been around and the guys that surround me every single day.  But a part of that is having the will to succeed.  Knowing that you’ve put the work in and have the confidence to let it show.  What I tell people is be the best version of yourself in anything that you do.

"You don’t have to live anybody else’s story.  Sometimes people make it seem like you have to have certain prerequisites or a crazy life story in order to be successful in this world.  But the truth is you really don’t.  It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you have or don’t have, what you lack or what you have too much of, but all you need to have is faith in God, an undying passion for what you do and what you choose to do in this life, and a relentless drive and the will to do whatever it takes to be successful in whatever you put your mind to."

Finally, after nearly 40 minutes, Curry summed up his speech by sharing a bit of advice and wisdom from the heart:

"Make sure you live in the moment and work your butt off every single day, and I hope I inspire people all around the world to just be themselves, be humble, and be grateful for all the blessings in your life.  I’m truly honored to be your MVP this year.  Thank you very much."

Photo: Courtesy of Google Images. 

Cal women's basketball: The kids are alright

This is Cal basketball /
Lindsay Gottlieb (center) surrounded by her 2013-14 team.

"Never a dull moment" is how Lindsay Gottlieb, head coach of the University of California, Berkeley women's basketball team, summed up her team's 101-98 overtime victory over Oregon University on Sunday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.

This is Cal basketball and, so far, it's been a season filled with bright moments and promises of future greatness orchestrated by the young and cerebral Gottlieb, 36, an Ivy League-educated (Brown) and self-described "basketball nerd," who is a believer in strong personal connections with her players and enjoys communicating with fans via social media (her Twitter handle is @CalCoachG).

Indeed, there's never a dull moment following Cal women's basketball. The Bears have become a nationally-recognized team through social media and by appearing often on both ESPN and the Pac-12 Network. They have fun off the court while also keeping their focus on the court. And, they count the best-selling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball) and the hip-hop music artist 50 Cent among their fans.

Their latest victory improved the Golden Bears' record to 10-3 in this still young 2013-14 season (2-0 in the Pac-12 Conference), and Sunday's contest was the highest-scoring women's game in Haas Pavilion history, both for Cal as well as the combined score of 199 points.

Against Cal, Oregon fired up 101 shots in their run-and-gun attack designed by former NBA coach Paul Westhead, 74, who once guided the L.A. Lakers (1979-81) back in the days of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Many of those 101 shots taken by the Ducks -- most of them from perimeter range -- went swish through the basket.

Reshanda Gray lunges off balance
for a second-half lay up against
Oregon on Sunday afternoon.

Fortunately for the Bears, junior forward/center Reshanda Gray scored a career-high 33 points, including 24 in the second half, to go with 13 rebounds, two assists and a steal before fouling out during the overtime period. Not bad when you consider that she hit just 2 of 7 attempts in the first half and couldn't buy a basket.

"I could have shut down in the first half when I was missing shots," said Gray, who before the game was presented with a plaque for her participation in leading the U.S. to a gold medal in last summer's World University Games in Kazan, Russia.

"Reshanda is so good and I tell her every second that she can be better," said Gottlieb, during her post-game interview. "So at half time I really got into her, not for missing layups but for not being as confident and finishing as she could, and look what she did! She turned around and put up incredible numbers."

Gray added: "It means a lot. It definitely wouldn't happen without my teammates."

Or without the support of Coach G.

After the game, Gottlieb tweeted: "Career high for this kid, love the smile the most."

On a Sunday afternoon filled with lots of smiles, my wife and I sat in the same lucky seats (Section 9, Row CC, seats 23 and 24) as we did on Friday night when Cal beat Oregon State 72-63. We bought a five-game season ticket before the start of the season to support the team. However, we've had so much fun attending home games we've decided to go to all of them.

Coach Lindsay Gottlieb stands
for much of each game and isn't
afraid to turn a timeout into
a teaching moment.

After all, when you're just three rows from the court and sitting behind the baseline, not only are the sight lines excellent, you also hear the sound of the game -- the bounce of the basketball, the calling out of plays by Coach Gottlieb from the bench and the voices of the players, too. There's senior guard Mikayla Lyles, arguably the heart and soul of this year's team, yelling "Arms! Arms!" to her teammates, reminding them to keep their arms up when they're on defense. Meanwhile, on offense, Lyles contributed 12 points on dead-eye 4-for-4 shooting from beyond the three-point line against Oregon.

Buying into a "we" not "me" team concept, a variety of Cal players have stepped forward and provided valuable contributions that have enabled victories on the court.

On Sunday, it was Gray, who took control of her team's offense and made some key defensive plays, too. And, freshman forward Courtney Range rose to the occasion by scoring 12 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, both career bests.

Two nights earlier against Oregon State, it was junior guard Brittany Boyd, who knocked in 25 points (13 above her average) from both inside and outside the paint. She added seven rebounds and seven assists for one of her most complete efforts of the season.

Hind Ben Abdelkader sinks one of
her six three-point baskets against
Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 15.

A few weeks before that, it was Belgian freshman guard Hind (rhymes with wind) Ben Abdelkader, who shot out the lights against Cal State Bakersfield with an 18-point performance that included making six of nine three-point field goals, a best for her brief collegiate career. It earned the trilingual Ben Abdelkader (she's fluent in French, Dutch and English) the nickname La Bombe Belge ("The Belgian Bomber") from San Francisco Chronicle basketball writer John Crumpacker.

Throughout the season, the Bears have garnered steady play and leadership from senior guard/forward Afure Jemerigbe, who is averaging 10.9 points per game, and Sunday afternoon was notable because preseason All-America forward Gennifer Brandon, out since Nov. 15 because of unspecified personal reasons, returned to the team and provided spark off the bench. In just 22 minutes, the 6-foot-2 senior known for her colorfully-braided hair and friendly demeanor, scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds. Brandon earned one of the day's biggest ovations from the Haas Pavilion crowd of 2,071 when she entered the contest after 6:38 had been played, and her game-tying basket with 4:33 left in the first half made her the 24th player in team history to score 1,000 points for a career.

In the second half against Oregon, Cal went on a 21-11 run to go ahead 72-61. However, the Ducks' scrappy defense allowed them to climb back in the game and send it into overtime at 88-all. Fortunately for the Bears, Boyd broke a 96-96 tie and scored her team's final five points on a basket and three free throws in the last 43 seconds of the contest to secure the win.

"I think we learned a lot about this team this weekend," Gottlieb told the Chronicle after Sunday's victory. "That resilience was a trademark of our team last year, and now we know it's a trademark of our program."

• • • • •

Last year was a breakout year for the Cal women's basketball team. On the court, the Bears won their first Pac-12 Conference title (sharing it with Stanford) en route to a 30-plus-win season and they earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, led by senior Layshia Clarendon. Off the court, they launched their own website This Is Cal Basketball, which goes well beyond the Xs and Os of the game and been updated for this season. It's a rare opportunity for fans to learn about the lives of the Cal players away from the court -- what's important to each of them personally and as student-athletes -- and to realize up close that they're a wonderful group of young and mature adults who just happen to share the same zest for fun and success as Gottlieb, their passionate coach and mentor, on the court.

Peaking at the right time last season, Cal went on a four-game winning streak and won the Spokane Regional with an exciting 65-62 overtime victory over Georgia to gain a berth in the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans, a school first. Clarendon scored 25 points in the region final and played all 45 minutes.  She and her teammates even starred in their own music video "Started from the Bottom." Suddenly, the Bears became the media darlings of the postseason and everyone wanted to write their story.

"My philosophy in general is that college athletics should be an enjoyable experience for the people involved in it," said Gottlieb, a native of Scarsdale, N.Y., during last season's journey to the Final Four. "I think you have to embrace this team's nature of being fun-loving. You have to empower them to enjoy the experience. I can do that because I'm so confident in their focus. They're creative, and they're smart kids. If anything, I think that when they're happier and enjoying it, they're more likely to play hard and play well."

In the national semifinals against fifth-seeded Louisville, after controlling the first half with good shooting and rebounding, Cal lost its ability to score and to control the boards. Their shots stopped going in. The Bears lost 64-57 to a better team in Louisville. Their wonderful 32-4 season had ended abruptly and seemed unfinished. However, even in defeat, the foundation for future success had been molded.

• • • • •

The Bears drew a record 10,771 fans to Haas Pavilion
for their home game against No. 2 Duke on Nov. 11.

To prepare for this season, Cal made an overseas trip to China last August that gave the team valuable game experience and enabled them to bond together in a unique environment. Then, Gottlieb went out and scheduled pre-conference games against the two top teams in the country: No. 1 Connecticut and No. 2 Duke. Both games were nationally televised by the ESPN networks. And, although the Bears lost both games (by 33 points to UConn and by 12 to Duke), it gave them a sense of where they stood on the court and what they needed to do to improve. Against Duke, they drew their biggest home crowd ever at Haas Pavilion with 10,771 fans.

The Bears, who are 7-1 at Haas Pavilion (with an average attendance of 2,873 fans per game), hit the road for their next four games starting Friday at Colorado. Their national ranking has improved to No. 19 as they've put together a three-game winning streak since losing against UConn in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York last month.

With a conference title to defend and expectations of returning to the Final Four, the bar has been set high for the rest of the season for Cal. Gottlieb and her players wouldn't want it any other way. And, if last weekend's games are any indication, there won't be any dull moments, either. After all, this is Cal basketball -- and, these kids are alright.

A postscript: On Friday night, No. 19 Cal overcame a 10-point deficit twice in the second half and took the lead with just seven seconds left in the game on an Afure Jemerigbe layup for a come-from-behind 57-55 victory over No. 17 Colorado University in Boulder, Colo. The win keeps the Bears' (11-3, 3-0 conference) Pac-12 regular season winning streak alive at 18 consecutive games.

After the game, Coach Lindsay Gottlieb tweeted: "There's something special about a group of young people who refuse to give in. We make lots of mistakes, but we have warriors and that's cool."

Then, on Sunday afternoon, the Bears beat Utah 68-59 to remain unbeaten in Pac-12 play (4-0, 12-3 overall) as Brittany Boyd scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals.

Cal team photograph and video courtesy of Calbears.com and thisiscalbasketball.com.
All other photographs by Michael Dickens, copyright 2013, 2014.