When it comes to Arizona and Stanford, familiarity doesn’t breed contempt. The admiration between head coaches Tara VanDerveer and Adia Barnes is well-known. What it does breed for the Cardinal is the ability to be prepared for the Wildcats’ defense.
A common refrain from previous opponents was that they had never experienced anything like the Arizona ball pressure. The Cardinal had done so multiple times over the past several years, and they have been very successful simply because of depth, talent, and experienced leaders. Having the coach with the most wins in Division I history doesn’t hurt, either.