Where the Stanford Women's Basketball Roster Stands After Early Offseason Movement

Stanford women's basketball is scrambling. A couple of weeks after the season ended, the Cardinal began to experience a massive roster exodus, with several stars entering the transfer portal in search of a fresh start.

For the Cardinal, that means that multiple starters are rising stars are no longer with the program, with Lara Somfai, Chloe Clardy and Harper Peterson already finding new homes in the transfer portal. Once a perennial top-25 program and national title contender, the Cardinal are now scrambling to field a viable team for 2026-27.

After the departures of Somfai, Clardy and Peterson, and the looming losses of Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden, only a few players remain on Stanford, not including the incoming freshmen set to join the team next season.

Currently, the Cardinal roster consists of returners Hailee Swain, Alex Eschmeyer, Shay Ijiwoye, Nora Ezike and Kennedy Umeh. Coming in as freshmen are Jordyn Wheeler, Elyse Ngenda and center Kiara Green.

Swain and Eschmeyer, top recruits from last year's class, are two players who will be focal points of the offense if they're still around, coming in as five-star talents a year ago.

Showing flashes of their potential, with Swain averaging 10.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 35 games played (all starts) and Eschmeyer averaging 5,1 points and 3.9 rebounds off the bench, both players will have much bigger roles as sophomores. With a year of experience under their belt and fewer upper class options, they would be the main cogs of the Cardinal attack.

Ijiwoye, Ezike and Umeh all had limited roles last season, but return with leadership and experience that will be crucial for a young team. Coming off the bench this season, Ijiwoye played in 32 games and averaged 2.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. She was also a spark plug for this team at times, energizing the group on the floor when she'd check in.

Ezike, a freshman this past season, only played in nine games but as a former high school star, should have no issues adjusting to a bigger role.

Umeh, a standout at McDonogh High School in Maryland, has a lot of experience in high leverage moments, playing for Team USA in the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, and being pivotal in a gold medal win. Standing at 6-foot-4, Umeh is a defensive anchor, and if she returns to The Farm, it will be huge for Stanford's March Madness hopes.

The Cardinal have a lot of work to do ahead of next season, while also needing to acquire more talent through the transfer portal to fill out the roster. That said, they have a nice foundation of talent built up on The Farm that could be attractive to prospective transfers. We'll have to wait and see how the roster comes together.

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