Stanford Alum Erica McCall Honored with New Title

What a huge opportunity coming to Stanford women's basketball. On Tuesday morning, Stanford Athletics released a statement revealing that former university alum, Celia Oakley and her husband, Craig Barratt, are providing a big gift to the Stanford women's basketball program in the form of a new assistant coaching position.

While the Cardinal already have a very strong staff under second year head coach Kate Paye, another assistant coaching position gives the Cardinal more of an opportunity to recruit top tier talent and land players that can put Stanford women's basketball back on the map. The recipient of the gift will be former Stanford women's basketball standout, Erica McCall.

McCall, who played at Stanford from 2013-17 under the legendary Tara VanDerveer, had a big role on the team during her career.

Helping guide the Cardinal to two Final Four appearances, McCall averaged nearly 15 points per game during her final two seasons and earned a plethora of awards during her career, including earning the 2017 Pac-12 Tournament MOP, two All-Pac-12 team selections and a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection.

After her college career ended, McCall ended up being selected in the second round of the 2017 Draft and playing five seasons in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics. After her playing career ended, McCall returned to Stanford in 2023 to be an assistant coach and has remained with the program ever since.

Last week current WNBA star and former Cardinal Karlie Samuelson was added to the coaching staff as an intern for the 2025-26 season as she continues to rehab an injury that cut her season with the Minnesota Lynx short.

Below is a press release sent out by Stanford Athletics on Tuesday morning.

Women's Basketball Alumni Support Program Ahead of 2025-26 Season

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford women’s basketball is receiving a generous gift from longtime program supporters Celia Oakley, MS ‘85, PhD '91, and her husband, Craig Barratt, MS '87, PhD '92. Oakley and Barratt have endowed an assistant coaching position to bolster the program’s ability to recruit, develop, and retain top coaching talent.

Former Cardinal women’s basketball standout Erica McCall, a two-time All-Pac-12 award-winner who helped lead Stanford to four NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Fours during her playing career, returned to the Farm as an assistant coach in 2023 and will be the inaugural holder of the Celia Oakley and Craig Barratt Women’s Basketball Assistant Coachship.

“Stanford’s storied history as the Home of Champions is built on our unwavering commitment to people—student-athletes who pursue a world-class education while competing at a championship-caliber level, and coaches who help them achieve their best,” said John Donahoe, Jaquish & Kenninger Director and Chair of Athletics. “Endowed coachships are catalysts for programs.

"They create stable, permanent resources that directly enhance player development, coaching continuity, and innovation. We are deeply grateful to Celia and Craig for their leadership and belief in what makes Stanford special.”

Oakley and Barratt are among the program’s most dedicated supporters. Oakley earned her undergraduate degree at Cal and her master’s and PhD in engineering at Stanford. She’s a fan of both institutions, and especially Cardinal basketball. A lifelong sports fan and athlete, she served on the Stanford Athletics Board until 2021 and currently serves on the Stanford Women’s Basketball Board of Advisors.

Oakley spent the last decade developing electric personal aerial vehicles at Pivotal Aero, most recently as the Chief Information Officer. She helped guide the company through product development to human flight.

Prior to joining Pivotal, Oakley was a member of the Stanford Racing Team, which created Stanley, the world's first successful self-driving car, which won the DARPA Grand Challenge. Barratt also earned his master’s and PhD in engineering at Stanford and serves as a director at several technology companies, in addition to being an advisor of the Stanford Center for Digital Health.

During basketball season, the couple makes every effort to be at the home games in Maples Pavilion.

“It’s so fun to have seen Erica play as a student-athlete and to now see her as a coach,” Oakley said. “Our inspiration for this endowed position has been building over many seasons. We’ve enjoyed watching this program evolve and change to meet the changing times in college athletics. We are honored to preserve what is so special about Stanford and put the program we love in the best position possible.”

“Stanford women’s basketball is one of the nation’s premier programs because we invest in people and opportunities that empower student-athletes to unlock their full potential,” said Kate Paye, the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball.

“Celia and Craig fully understand that our coaches are gifted teachers and mentors, tireless workers, and totally invested in the overall development of our student-athletes at Stanford and for the rest of their lives.”

Paye said the gift is coming at an exciting time for the team: “I have so much confidence in the women on our team and in our staff. We have 10 returners and five incoming freshmen, and their energy and dedication in practice throughout the summer has been unmatched.

"We’re committed to being one of the elite programs in the country and competing for a national championship every year, the same way that we have for the past four decades. I can think of no better inaugural holder of this new endowed position than Coach Erica ‘Bird’ McCall. She understands the Stanford standard and brings tremendous energy, empathy, and expertise to our bench.”

“I’m incredibly thankful to Celia and Craig for their generosity and their belief in our program,” McCall said. “Stanford changed my life. I know firsthand how impactful assistant coaches are—the extra film session, the teaching in practice, the encouragement when it matters most. To continue to serve as a coach and give back to the team that built me is an honor.”

As the Cardinal enters what promises to be an exciting season, Oakley and Barratt will be courtside at Maples Pavilion, cheering on a program they've helped secure for generations to come.