Tara VanDerveer, right, has been coaching for nearly 30 years. She doesn't think she's recruited siblings before. So as new experiences go, it's worked out pretty well.Chiney Ogwumike, a 6-foot-3 forward from Texas and the No. 1-rated recruit in the country, signed her national letter of intent to play at Stanford on Thursday. Chiney will join her older sister Nneka, who is a sophomore forward for the No. 2-ranked Cardinal. Ogwumike chose Stanford over Connecticut and Notre Dame.
"I know it sounds surprising, but I really had to consider Nneka a teammate in order to be fair about it," Chiney Ogwumike said Thursday. "She'll always be my sister. But Stanford has the best combination of what I've worked for in academics and athletics. I believed Stanford would be the best for me."
Chiney called VanDerveer early Thursday morning with the good news. The coach said she was "knocked out." And she suspects Chiney's sister knew first.
"When I asked her if Nneka already knew, she just laughed," VanDerveer said.
Nneka Ogwumike said she was "very excited" about her sister's decision, one that should give Stanford the most athletic post game in the country.
"It was her own decision," Nneka said. "She felt like this was the best place for her and I think she picked the best place. I never wanted to poke my head in too much. She was always asking me questions. I was not going to lie and tell her this place isn't amazing."
Chiney said the two would talk about "sisterly" things instead of recruiting."When it came to recruiting, she would say she hoped things were going well, that there was no pressure that she wanted me to do what's best for me," Chiney said. "Coincidentally, it ends up being at Stanford with her."
Chiney Ogwumike has led Cy-Fair to the Texas state tournament the past three seasons. She played her season opener Tuesday night, scoring 28 points with eight rebounds.
VanDerveer, who has made it a yearly habit to bring in some of the nation's elite post players, said the two sisters are very different players and they will complement each other well on the court. Nneka is a true post, most comfortable under the basket. Chiney could end up moving out to the wing as a fit for her driving, aggressive game.
"The thing I really like about Chiney is she is really aggressive and versatile," VanDerveer said. "I think it will be an easier adjustment, to have a sister on the team.
Some thought this would be a slam-dunk process for Stanford considering the family ties. But Chiney Ogwumike made it clear she would make her own decision. Ultimately, she chose to follow her sister's path.
"I think it worked for us," VanDerveer said.
The good news for VanDerveer, there are still two more younger Ogwumike sisters in the pipeline.
"I don't know if I'll still be coaching then," VanDerveer laughed.
