"Overall, as you get older, and what I realized at that game on Sunday, the friendships you make playing on a team or competing like that, you never lose that connection. It's always going to be there, even if you don't see each other for 20 years, you still have that time together that was really special. And fortunately we had a really special time because we won.
"And we won a lot." – Robin Barnes (Behrens)
Robin Barnes (Behrens) wasn't getting much attention from college coaches early on in high school. After a chance meeting with the Idaho coaching staff while they were on a recruiting visit to see Mary Westerwelle, Barnes had a decision to make.
"They had an extra scholarship and so I kept asking everybody what I should do, going 2,000 miles away, but I ended up making that decision to go to Idaho. And it's probably one of my better decisions."
"Probably" might be selling herself short. Barnes, then Robin Behrens, left Yorkville, Ill., to come to Idaho in 1982. Her first two seasons were solid, with 39 combined wins. Things turned for her junior season, as Idaho went 28-2 and made its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. The following year, the Vandals got the call for a different challenge.
"We ended up going to a friend's house for Easter, we thought we were done. And then we got a phone call. To be honest, I don't even think I knew what the NIT was. She said we don't have to practice because we won't have time, so just come back and get your uniform and we'll hit the road. So we decided to go."
Another great decision, despite battling through plantar fasciitis and a heel spur. The Vandals made the trip to Amarillo, Texas and played three games over three days. First, they took down Fresno State. Next, they topped Notre Dame by two points in overtime on a pair of free throws. Finally, a "track meet" with Northwest Louisiana that resulted in a 100-91 victory and WNIT Championship.
"Three games in row, to win the last game like that, and to close your career with a win, it was awesome. Then we came back, and people greeted us at the Best Western and we all celebrated there and that was fun. We always had a pretty good following, a good fan base. We were fun to watch."
Flash forward to Sunday, Barnes made another decision, albeit an easier one. She made the trip down to Memorial Gym with 1,229 of her fellow Vandals to cheer on the current rendition of the silver and gold.
"I don't think I've ever been a part of a game that exciting, with the energy. You could feel the energy. You couldn't just see it and hear it, you could feel it. That third quarter was really amazing."
The third quarter was electric, with Idaho outscoring Denver, 36-9. Senior
Taylor Pierce was one of the Vandals that stepped up, outscoring Denver by herself with 10 points.
Despite such a tremendous crowd, Pierce knew of some of the extra important fans in the stands. The ones she literally looks up at every day in practice.
"We know we can win this. They did it, and we're hoping we can too," Pierce said following the win over Denver. "You look up in practice in Cowan, and you see their banner up there, 85-86 WNIT Champs, so it kind of makes it feel like it's not so far out of reach. They're the reason this program is what it is, and we hope that we can keep building on what it's become."
The respect goes both ways, with Barnes saying Pierce's comments "gave me goosebumps." Barnes acknowledges her place in Vandal lore, but is also quick to recognize that it certainly wasn't done alone.
"I do think it does take a tradition and that kind of thing to look forward to. It just takes so many people to make that happen. Winning a national championship like this makes it more highlighted, but there are a lot of teams that still were pretty good that just didn't get there.
"I was a part of a really great thing and I'm grateful for that. When you hear stuff, and other people saying things like that, it just makes it even more worthwhile. All the blood and the guts and the tears."
