Stanford Women's Basketball is Ready to Return to the National Stage

Stanford women's basketball fans are feeling optimistic with a new season on the horizon, even with the program missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986-87 in a year in which there was a tournament.

Last year was one of transition for the Cardinal, with the move to the ACC and Kate Paye taking over as head coach after decades of the Tara VanDerveer experience. Stanford was also dealing with the departures of Cameron Brink to the WNBA and Kiki Iriafen to USC. Still, they showed plenty of promise in a rebuilding year with plenty of obstacles.

The 2025-26 season figures to present new challenges, but also some new opportunities. Earler this week, the ACC held their annual media day to get ready for the upcoming season, and in attendance were coach Paye, and returning players Nunu Agara and Chloe Clardy.

When asked what people should expect from the Cardinal this season, head coach Kate Paye laid out exactly what this team is expecting of themselves.

Coach Paye on What to Expect From Stanford WBB This Season

"First of all, I am so excited about our team. We have 10 fantastic returners who busted it this offseason. On the track, on the turf, on the sand, in the weight room, on the court, our returners really committed themselves to the Stanford way, which is working really hard, being really unselfish, so that when the five fantastic freshmen arrived on campus for summer quarter, they were ready to mentor them."

Among those returning players is Agara, who could certainly break out this upcoming season and show that she's now in that upper echelon of players in college basketball. As a sophomore last season, she averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds across 29.4 minutes per game, leading the Cardinal in both categories.

Clardy, also entering her junior year, earned 18 starts last season and ended up leading the team in assists per game with 2.6, while also adding 1.4 steals, 10.2 points, and 2.6 rebounds. The stats may not jump off the page, but she was a big part of the program last season while being a factor across a number of statistical categories.

In addition to some key returning players, Stanford will also be welcoming one of the best recruiting classes in the nation this season, including five-stars Hailee Swain, Lara Somfai and Alex Eschmeyer, and four-star recruits Nora Ezike and Carly Amborn. That is a huge influx of talent that will be coming to The Farm, and a big reason why the fans are excited.

"We know that it's going to take everyone. Our five freshmen are great, and we are counting on them to make an immediate impact. But we know that our success this season—our goal of having a championship season—it will be determined, and it will be led by our returners."