Parker hopes to go out on top

TAMPA, Fla. - The young women that USA Basketball officials called "Ice" and "Ace" will play their final college games tonight in the ultimate setting: the NCAA Division 1 championship. "Ice" is Stanford's Candice Wiggins and she's a senior. "Ace" is Tennessee's Candace Parker and she's a junior.

Parker made it clear a while ago that, despite a year of eligibility remaining, she is on track to graduate this year and this will be her finale at Rocky Top. She redshirted her freshman season following a knee injury.

Asked yesterday if she had ever considered remaining at Tennessee, taking graduate classes, and playing one more year, she said, "I've talked about living in the moment and staying day-to-day. That's what I'm trying to do now."

Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said she was never sure of Parker's intentions until Parker told her she wanted to be a part of Senior Night.

"She did ask me, 'Why haven't you asked me to stay?' " said Summitt. "I said, 'Well, Candace, I would love for you to stay but it's strictly your decision.'

"I think Candace has mapped out everything, from wanting to win a national championship to then playing in the Olympics and the WNBA."

Parker is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in tomorrow's WNBA draft. She also was a part of USA Basketball's Olympic qualifying team last summer and is a lock to be on Uncle Sam's roster for the Beijing Olympics.

Parker and Wiggins were USA Basketball teammates last summer and, to avoid confusion, Parker was "Ace" and Wiggins was "Ice."

Planting the seeds

Stanford is attempting to replicate Baylor's magical run in 2005, when the Lady Bears, a No. 2 seed, defeated three No. 1 seeds en route to the title. The Cardinal thought they deserved a No. 1 but were seeded No. 2 in the Spokane Regional. Stanford has already knocked off No. 1 seeds Maryland and UConn. Tennessee would be No. 3 . . . Obligatory update on Parker's sore left shoulder: She said it was stiff yesterday morning, but, after treatment, it felt much better. "One more game," she said. Summitt said she thinks Parker needs rest more than anything . . . In case you were wondering, Stanford's JJ Hones has gone by "JJ" since "I was 2 or 3 years old." Her given name is Jennifer Lorraine . . . Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, to the San Francisco Chronicle, on the difference between coaching at Stanford and most anywhere else: "You get a new dean of admissions, your whole life changes. Who else in the tournament worries about that?" Maybe Cornell, Tara. That's about it.

Turning point

Summitt said she wasn't certain about her team's chances of repeating this year, especially after a humbling home loss Feb. 14 to LSU, when "the wheels came off." After that game, she said, "I can't figure out this team. They pick and choose when they're going to play." She reamed out the team the next day. "I was real mad. I thought they quit on me," she said. "And that's the first time I really felt that about this team." Summitt then let the players have their own meeting, and on the bus ride to a game in Nashville against Vanderbilt two days later, Alex Fuller dropped a note in Summitt's lap. "When I read it," said Summitt, "she said, 'Coach, everything is going to be OK. We've had a meeting. We're ready to play. This won't happen again.' " Tennessee hasn't lost since, winning 13 straight . . . VanDerveer has promised to get a tattoo if Stanford wins, per a deal with sophomore forward Jayne Appel . . . VanDerveer brought back many of the greats from past Stanford teams, including Jennifer Azzi and Jamila Wideman, to speak to the team at an ice cream social before the UConn game . . . This is the second meeting of the season between the teams. Stanford won, 73-69, in overtime Dec. 22, snapping an 11-game losing streak to the Lady Vols. "It ruined our Christmas," Parker said.