Book Society is closing at 5:30pm on Tue 9/29 and Wed 9/30 for special events. See the events calendar for what's happening.
Thu, Sep 10
|Book Society
Women’s Basketball Mania! The story of legendary coach Tara VanDerveer
Join us for an evening with sports journalist and Hall of Famer Michelle Smith and Cal Women's Basketball Head Coach Charmin Smith, in conversation about Tara VanDerveer's legacy and the past, present and future of women's sports.
Time & Location
Sep 10, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Book Society, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA
About the event
What does it take to build a dynasty — and who gets to call it home?
Join us for an evening with Michelle Smith, sports journalist and 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, in conversation with Charmin Smith, head coach of Cal Women's Basketball and former Stanford player under Tara VanDerveer. Together they'll trace VanDerveer's three-decade reign over Stanford women's basketball — three national championships, 14 Final Four appearances, and more wins than any coach, men's or women's, in NCAA history — and what it built far beyond the court.
In her new book, Life's Work, Michelle chronicles how a fledgling program became a powerhouse under VanDerveer's relentless standard. Charmin lived it from the inside, then carried it forward as the first Black head coach in Cal women's basketball history. Tonight, they'll connect that legacy to the moment we're in now: would the Bay Area have the Golden State…