Stanford Women's Basketball Taking on BYU in WBIT Quarterfinals

Stanford women's basketball is marching through the WBIT. Missing March Madness for the second straight season, the Cardinal still qualified for a postseason tournament, earning a No. 2 seed in the 2026 WBIT.

While the Cardinal entered the tournament with a lot to prove, they have lived up to the expectations so far, winning their first two matchups en route to earning a spot in the quarterfinals. But before the Cardinal can look any further, they must focus on the task at hand, which includes beating No. 1 seed BYU.

The game, which will take place on Thursday in Provo at 6:00 p.m. (PDT) on ESPN, is the latest test for an up and coming Cardinal program, and puts them against a BYU team that surprised many this season.

In a rebuilding year, led by first year head coach Lee Cummard, the Cougars were not expected to be competitive this season. They ended up finishing with a 22-11 record and just on the outside of the bubble for March Madness, while the Cougars earned a No. 1 seed for this tournament.

In order to prove that they are right there as well, the Cardinal need to win this game and show that while they had another down year by their lofty standards over the past four decades, they are close to returning to prominence.

Bringing in a large freshman class full of five star recruits, such as Lara Somfai, Alex Eschmeyer and Hailee Swain, the Cardinal have the pieces to compete against anybody, they just them to develop a little bit more. Somfai was unavailable last game, and there has been no statement about her availability for tonight's contest.

If the Cardinal beat BYU, they would advance to the semifinals, playing either San Diego State, Kansas, Columbia, California, Harvard or Wisconsin. Each of those teams would pose a different type of threat, but one that the Cardinal need to adjust to accordingly if they advance that far. Here is how to watch the Stanford-BYU WBIT quarterfinal matchup tonight.

Game Information

When: Thursday, March 26, 6:00 p.m. (PT)

Where: Marriott Center, Provo, Utah

How to Watch: ESPN/ESPN+

Players to watch for Stanford include Nunu Agara (15.4 PPG/8.8 RPG/1.4 APG) and Chloe Clardy (11.8 PPG/3.1 RPG/2.3 APG). For BYU, top players include Delaney Gibb (18 PPG/4.8 RPG/4.6 APG), Olivia Hamlin (12.5 PPG/3.4 RPG/1.4 APG) and Laura Rohkohl (8.1 PPG/6.5 RPG/0.5 APG).

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