The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Katy Steding about winning an NCAA title in 1990 and a gold medal in 1996. Today marks the 24th anniversary of Katy getting 4 STL vs. Zaire in Olympic round-robin pool play.
You were born/raised in Portland: what made you choose Stanford? I chose Stanford because of the education. My freshman year was the first year of the Women’s Pac-10. I wanted the best education I could get in exchange for playing basketball!
You played for Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer (who later led you to a gold medal at the 1991 World University Game/1996 Atlanta Olympics): what makes her such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from her? I think that the essence of Tara is a relentless pursuit of excellence, knowing what motivates an athlete to push themselves further each day, and no one outworks her or her program. The biggest thing I learned from her is to always perform at your best both for yourself and the people around you.
You set a school record with 8.7 RPG as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I got an opportunity to play due to an unfortunate injury to a player ahead of me in the rotation. I credit the juniors/seniors in the program for their support of Jennifer Azzi and myself from the start. I never got the sense from them that there was any resentment to having us start as freshmen: in fact, they were the most supportive and encouraging teammates that I have ever experienced.
In December of 1988 you set a school record with 10 STL in a game against Northwestern: what is the secret to playing great defense? Being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of every opportunity: very few people ever accused me of playing great defense!
As a senior you led the conference with 46.4 3P%: how were you able to balance your rebounding with your defense with your 3-PT shooting? Tara moved me to the perimeter when I was a sophomore and I knew that I was a good shooter. She continued to emphasize rebounding for me even from the guard/wing spot. I always had a knack for finding the ball so I just kept doing that! We had such a complete team that I got great opportunities even though I had changed positions.
In the 1990 NCAA tourney title game you were named CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Game after scoring 18 PTS in 7-PT win over Auburn: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what did it mean to you to win a title? We were nervous but focused in the Final 4 and were on a mission. I was fortunate to hit my first shot on a transition 3, which helped settle my nerves. Winning a title is the ultimate feeling of accomplishment and to do that with my group of friends was the best reward for all of the hard work that we had put in over the years.
After earning a spot on the US National Team in 1995 you went 60-0 including a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and where do you think that team ranks among the greatest in women’s basketball history? Playing in/winning the Olympics was one of the biggest accomplishments of my athletic career. It was hugely rewarding not only to win but to be a part of one of the greatest and most accomplished teams in US Olympic history. The collection of players we had that year was a great bridge from the beginnings of USA Women’s Basketball to the excellence that we have experienced during the past 20+ years. It was such an exciting time to be a part of the history of USA Basketball.
You played overseas for a few years and then spent a few years playing in the ABL/WNBA: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in foreign countries? It was a wonderful time to be playing overseas when I was in Japan/Spain: I had the time of my life! There were so many differences between US basketball and overseas basketball such as styles/rules but I think that the biggest difference was the fan engagement/experience.
You were inducted into the Stanford Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2004: where do those rank among the highlights of your career? I am very proud to be included in both the Oregon/Stanford Halls of Fame. It is rewarding to be recognized for all of the hard work that I put in over the years. I am grateful to be included/recognized and am so happy that I was able to be a part of such incredible programs and contribute to the success that we all experienced!