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Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Stanford's Tara VanDerveer made sure to praise her players first after guiding the Cardinal to a 65-56 triumph over Oregon State and setting a new mark as the winningest coach in the history of college basketball. The 9-point victory Sunday at Maples Pavilion gave VanDerveer her 1,203rd career win, one more than former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
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"It is a big number and I'm very appreciative of the great players I've coached and the great places I've been and the attention it's brought to women's basketball," VanDerveer told reporters.
"I'm not always really comfortable in the limelight, but I understand that kind of goes with the job."
VanDerveer, 70, tied Krzyzewski with her 1,202nd victory Friday, when the Cardinal beat Oregon 88-63 in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal won at least 24 games in each of the last 22 seasons. They won more than 30 games 13 times during that span under VanDerveer.
VanDerveer, who was hired in 1986, owns a 1,052-216 record over 37 seasons with the Cardinal. She posted a 93-33 record in four seasons at Ohio State from 1981 through 1984.
She is 1,145-238 overall, with just one losing season during her decorated tenure. She led teams to the NCAA women's basketball tournament in 38 of her 40 previous seasons.
She led the Cardinal to national championships in 1990, 1992 and 2021 and is a three-time National Coach of the Year award winner.
Krzyzewski, who coached at Duke from 1980 through 2021, initially set the college basketball wins record with his 903rd victory in 2011 and added to that mark before his retirement.
UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma ranks third in victories, with 1,196.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball," Krzyzewski said in a statement. "This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and career accomplishments, she's positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor.
"Tara remains a true guardian of our sport."
Junior forward Kiki Iriafen led the Cardinal with 36 points and 12 rebounds in Sunday's victory. Sophomore guard Talana Lepolo and junior forward Brooke Demetre chipped in 14 and 10 points, respectively.
The Cardinal made 41.5% of their field goals, but held the Beavers to a 37.5% clip from the floor. They also logged just five turnovers, compared to a dozen for their foes.
The Cardinal (18-2), winners in nine of their last 10 games, are ranked No. 8 in the country. They will take on Arizona State (10-10) at 8 p.m. EST Friday in Tempe, Ariz.
"I want to bring attention to the beauty of women's basketball and the wonderfulness of these players that work so hard," VanDerveer said. "I'm so jealous because I never got to do what they get to do. But I'm able to watch a little girl's dream play out through them. ... I never got to do it, but I get to watch it.
"I've got the best seat in the house and I love it."
