I feel really confident in saying that your bubble is safe. This Cal coach and team are for real. I've talked to many of these players. They are just as full of joy and affection and support for each other as they seem to be, despite the tragedies and struggles that many of them have had to go through. And Coach G has an ability to motivate people - players, fans, the campus community - that is truly extraordinary. And thank goodness, they are California Golden Bears, not "Lady" Bears!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 12:27am EDT

We'll see how "for real" Cal is next year with Clarendon gone. They've got no one to step into her leadership or scoring shoes. The personal may well be political but it didn't help Cal much in the second half against Louisville. Next year both Stanford and UCLA will be seriously ready to school Cal, in spite of whatever political correctness might be wafting out of Berkeley.

Given Sandy Barbour and Gottlieb's background and agendas the message the Cal Bears communicated to current and potential women's basketball fans during the Final Four was unmistakable and hardly surprising nor is your unqualified support for them. If that was the objective mission accomplished. If winning was the goal then not so much.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 2:10pm EDT

LOL come on now. Ucla? They lose their best player in Markel Walker and they have one recruit coming in ranked #94 and another who is a total project player. Brewer is gone too.

Courtney Range will have a huge impact on Cal. Not many players like her in the Pac-12. Cal and Stanford will battle it out for top spot.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 8:58pm EDT

We'll see. Stanford is certainly over the novelty of Cal at this point. That's a given. The Cardinal will crush Cal next year. You seem to be way underestimating the impact of Clarendon moving on. She is Cal basketball.

UCLA will be every bit as skilled at all positions as Cal and now that even Louisville with their tallest big at 6'2" proved they could beat Cal by basic boxing out and not being intimidated by whatever image Cal seems to want to project all bets are off. They're not that tough or scary. Suggest you stay tuned for some UCLA recruiting surprises too.

This entire Cal "image" thing that the original poster is so pumped about is old news for serious WCBB fans from everywhere except Berkeley and maybe Stanford. That said given the WNBA's primary proven market I'm sure that Clarendon is destined for popularity when she lands in the pros.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 8:42am EDT

Crimson, I was actually responding to the points made by the author this this article, and talking about the personalities of the players and coaches, and reassuring her that there is no terrible "issue or problem" about Cal, which she jokingly referred to at the end of her article. Of course the Bears will have to adjust to the loss not only of Clarendon, but also of Talia Caldwell and Eliza Pierre. I was not predicting another Final Four next year - or even a Pac-12 title. We will have to see how the two transfers and the three freshmen step up. But as great as Clarendon has been, Cal is a more balanced team than you seem to believe, with Boyd and Brandon remaining in Berkeley. Losing Layshia is unlikely to be a death blow the way losing Chiney would be to Stanford. But regardless of how Cal does next year, Lindsay Gottlieb is building a solid foundation in Berkeley and, at the age of 35, she has plenty of time. What is "for real" about Coach G is that she genuinely embraces the individuality of her players and believes that college athletes should be allowed to feel joy in the experience.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 1:20pm EDT

Cali - I understood what you were saying the same way I understood Gottlieb when she slipped her Social Justice views into one of her ESPN interviews. My point is that if they want to make a difference in WCBB they need to win consistently. Stanford has a proven program that has stood the test of time. I have no particular ill will for Cal's basketball program but they don't suddenly become legit due to their progressive social views or because they have out lesbian ballers on their roster. Programs become legit by winning over time. Like Stanford, Tennessee, UConn and to a lesser extent Louisville.

It will be interesting to see how this develops over time. Auriemma and Walz clearly think coaching is about their ballers, Xs and Os. Gotllieb (and Barbour) have a different agenda. That said I'm not getting how Cal has somehow magically and genuinely embraced the individuality of their players any more than other programs although the arrogance of the statement itself is hardly surprising. Where Cal is as a program has more to do with their targeted recruits than anything else.

Based upon what I observed during the tourney Cal isn't unique in their ballers being "allowed to feel joy in the experience". Check the tapes. There's been plenty of joy going around at Louisville and UConn. There's just a different target audience and social agenda at Cal.

Gotllieb and Cal made their preferences and inclinations pretty clear in New Orleans. That was certainly their call. It will be difficult to scope the impact of that exercise on WCBB in the near term. We'll see over time.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 4:06pm EDT

Ooh, is that bitterness I smell wafting up from Palo Alto? It almost seems like you are bashing Cal, its coach and AD for being supportive of gay players. But I'm sure I must be misunderstanding your comments about Gottlieb and Barbour's "social agenda," and "preferences and inclinations." Because that kind of thinking has no place in the modern world, let alone in women's basketball. Whatever you mean by those comments, it's too bad you feel the need to be so negative. Most Stanford fans I know have been incredibly gracious and supportive of Cal. And I certainly have tremendous respect for Tara VanDerveer and what she has accomplished at Stanford. I hope Cal can develop into a great program that can be a long-term challenge to Stanford. Tara has said the same thing herself, many times.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 4:20pm EDT

I'm not a big Stanford fan, but at least they have a legitimate program and did it largely without the social drama and sanctimonious self promotion that Berkeley is so proud of itself for.

Actually I'm about basketball, not the sexual orientation of the participants. If After Atlanta, you, Cal, Stanford or whoever play that card then you've made the issue of it, not those responding to your politically self-serving positioning of the Cal program.

One cool thing about communicating with anyone that is associated with either Stanford or Cal, they're always totally prepared to tell you the proper way to think in the "modern world". I know everyone is thankful for that.

Next year if Cal let's it play do the talking instead of it's politics everyone will be the better for it.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 5:50pm EDT