THE GAME: Stanford hosts Pittsburgh for the first time on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. Kevin Danna, Zena Keita and Naya Crittenden have the call on ACCNX, while Tim Swartz will handle the radio broadcast on GoStanford.com and the Stanford Athletics app.
THE RUNDOWN: Stanford is third in the nation in 3-point percentage (.388) ... Nunu Agara is one of four underclassmen in the country averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists (17.5/8.1/2.1) ... Only one ACC player has averaged 17/8/2 for a season over the past decade (Elizabeth Kitley; 2020-21) ... Agara has increased her scoring average by 12.1 points and her rebounding average by 5.2 boards from her freshman year ... Tess Heal is the only major conference guard in the country making more than 50 percent of her field goals (.520) and 3-pointers (.538) with a minimum of one 3-pointer made per game ... Against Florida State, Elena Bosgana became the second DI player this season with 21 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a game (Yvonne Ejim; Gonzaga) ... Over the past two games, Stanford’s freshmen and sophomores have combined to score 105 of Stanford’s 121 points (86.8 percent) and grab 49 of its 58 rebounds (84.5 perecent) ... Stanford’s 2025 recruiting class, featuring three five-star talents and two four-stars, is ranked No. 3 nationally by espnW HoopGurlz ... On Jan. 27, it was announced that signees Alex Eschmeyer, Lara Somfai and Hailee Swain will participate in the 2025 McDonald’s All American Game ... Of the 24 women selected, Stanford and Tennessee have the most players suiting up next fall with three commits each.
VS. PITTSBURGH: Stanford is 2-0 all-time against Pittsburgh, but this will be the teams’ first meeting on The Farm. Most recently, the Cardinal beat the Panthers in the Sweet 16 in Spokane on March 29, 2008, 72-53, behind double-doubles from Jayne Appel (22 pts, 13 rebs) and Kayla Pedersen (12 pts, 16 rebs). Stanford would beat Maryland two days later to advance to its first Final Four in 11 years. The first meeting came at Pitt on Dec. 5, 1986, a 59-49 Cardinal win in what was Tara VanDerveer’s 16th victory as head coach at Stanford.
DILIGENT DEVELOPMENT »
- One year after Kiki Iriafen was the country’s most improved player, Nunu Agara has taken a massive leap and is one of the NCAA’s most improved this season. After averaging 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds as a freshman, she’s putting up 17.5 points (+12.1) and 8.1 rebounds (+5.2) per game as a sophomore.
- Since 1999-2000, Iriafen has the largest increases at Stanford, going from 6.7 points per game as a sophomore to 19.4 as a junior (+12.7) in 2023-24 and from 3.8 rebounds per game to 11.0 (+7.2).
- Sixth in the league in scoring and eighth in rebounding, Agara is one of four underclassmen in the country averaging 17/8/2. The others are sophomore Khamil Pierre at Vanderbilt (21.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.2 apg), sophomore Ashley Sofilkanich at Bucknell (20.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.6 apg) and sophomore Zanai Barnett-Gray at Navy (19.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.4 apg).
- In addition to Agara and Pierre, there are only three other major conference players averaging 17/8/2 this season in TCU’s Sedona Prince (19.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.3 apg), UCLA’s Lauren Betts (21.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 2.5 apg) and Wisconsin’s Serah Williams (18.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.7 apg).
- Only four other players in Stanford history have averaged 17/8/2 - Cameron Brink in 2023-24 (17.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 2.8 apg), Kiki Iriafen in 2023-24 (19.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.3 apg), Nicole Powell in both 2003-04 (20.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.1 apg) and 2002-03 (18.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.8 apg) and Val Whiting in 1991-92 (18.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.0 apg).
- Over the past 10 seasons, the only ACC player to average 17/8/2 for an entire season with Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley in 2020-21 (18.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.0 apg). Before that it hadn’t happened since Wake Forest’s Dearica Hamby in 2014-15 (20.1 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.4 apg).
- Agara is one of four ACC players in the league’s top 10 in both scoring and rebounding, along with Haley Cavinder (Miami), Khadija Faye (Pitt) and Makayla Timpson (Florida State).
- She has scored in double figures in 18 of 19 games this season, including four 20-point efforts, and has a double-double in five of Stanford’s last eight games.
- Agara had career highs with 29 points and 13 rebounds in Stanford’s overtime loss at No. 5 LSU on Dec. 5 and shot 75.0 percent from the floor (12-of-16). According to Sports Reference, she is the fifth DI player since 2002-03 to have 29 points and 13 rebounds in a true road game against an AP top five opponent and the only one to do it on better than 60.0 percent shooting.
- 11/21/21: NaLyssa Smith (Baylor) at No. 3 Maryland (30 pts, 15 rebs, .560 fg%)
- 1/24/21: Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech) at No. 2 NC State (30 pts, 13 rebs, .591 fg%)
- 12/22/13: Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan) at No. 4 Notre Dame (30 pts, 13 rebs, .429 fg%)
- 11/19/08: Alysha Clark (MTSU) at No. 2 Oklahoma (31 pts, 16 rebs, .444 fg%)
YOUTH MOVEMENT »
- Stanford made a change to its starting lineup against Clemson on Jan. 5, with freshman Shay Ijiwoye and sophomore Chloe Clardy earning their first career starts in the backcourt. Along with sophomore Nunu Agara in the front court, it was the first time Stanford had started three underclassmen since Feb. 7, 2020, when sophomores Lacie and Lexie Hull and freshman Ashten Prechtel joined senior Nadia Fingall and junior Kiana Williams in the first five in a game against UCLA.
- Those three have started each of the past six games. Stanford hasn’t started three underclassmen in seven consecutive games since the end of the 2018-19 season when sophomore Kiana Williams, freshman Lacie Hull and sophomore Maya Dodson started the final nine alongside senior Alanna Smith and junior DiJonai Carrington.
- Over the past two games, Stanford’s freshmen and sophomores have combined to score 105 of Stanford’s 121 points (86.8 percent) and grab 49 of its 58 rebounds (84.5 perecent).
FIRST CLASS »
- Kate Paye’s first signing class as head coach includes three five-star talents and two four-stars according to espnW HoopGurlz, and four ranked in that publication’s top 100.
| Player | HoopGurlz Rank | Stars | Ht./Pos. |
| Hailee Swain | 9 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5-11 • G |
| Lara Somfai | 16 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 6-4 • F |
| Alex Eschmeyer | 31 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 6-5 • F |
| Nora Ezike | 84 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 6-2 • F |
| Carly Amborn | -- | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 6-2 • G/F |
- The class began with Swain’s commitment in July 2022 and culminated with Somfai’s announcement the morning of Nov. 13. The group is rated No. 3 by espnW HoopGurlz.
- Stanford’s three five-star signees are second to LSU (4) and the program’s most since it had four in the Class of 2019 (Haley Jones, Ashten Prechtel, Fran Belibi, Hannah Jump). That group won a national championship as sophomores.
- On Jan. 27, it was announced that Eschmeyer, Somfai and Swain will participate in the 2025 McDonald’s All American Game on April 1 in Brooklyn.
- Of the 24 women selected to be McDonald’s All Americans, Stanford and Tennessee have the most players suiting up next fall with three commits each.
- Stanford’s three McDonald’s All Americans are almost as many as the rest of the ACC combined (4).
- This is the fourth time Stanford has had three McDonald’s All Americans in the same class, along with 2019 (Fran Belibi, Haley Jones, Ashten Prechtel), 2016 (DiJonai Carrington, Nadia Fingall, Anna Wilson) and 2007 (Ashley Cimino, Kayla Pedersen, Jeanette Pohlen).
- Eschemyer and Swain are also on the USA Basketball roster for the 26th Nike Hoop Summit on April 12 in Portland, Ore.
RESUME »
- Stanford, which has made 36 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, is currently 44th in the NET rankings and among the ‘Next Four Out’ of the NCAA Tournament field according to ESPN’s latest Bracketology.
- The Cardinal’s strength of schedule according to the NET is 14th, third-toughest amongst ACC schools.
- Stanford’s 89-84 victory over Florida State on Jan. 9 moved to a Quad 1 victory after the Seminoles won at North Caroline (NET No. 15) on Sunday. FSU is 23rd in the NET.
- The Cardinal is one of 46 programs nationally that has a Quad 1 win this season.
- Major conference teams without a Quad 1 win that are currently in the field in ESPN’s Bracketology are West Virginia (No. 13 NET; 0-2 Q1; No. 91 SOS), Baylor (No. 25 NET; 0-3 Q1; No. 57 SOS), Minnesota (No. 29 NET; 0-2 Q1; No. 126 SOS), Creighton (No. 33 NET; 0-4 Q1; No. 50 SOS), Iowa (No. 36 NET; 0-5 Q1; No. 28 SOS), Iowa State (No. 40 NET; 0-5 Q1; No. 39 SOS).
WHERE WE STAND »
- Stanford secured its first road win of the season at Wake Forest on Jan. 16, 74-71. It was the Cardinal’s first win in the state of North Carolina since a 78-63 win at NC State on Dec. 3, 1994.
- The Cardinal is 9-2 at home this season, but 1-7 away from Maples Pavilion. Stanford was the third-to-last Power 4 program to secure a victory away from its home court this season (road or neutral), ahead of Rutgers and Houston. The Cougars still do not have a road or neutral-site win.
- This was the latest in a season Stanford had gone without a road win since 2000-01. That year, the Cardinal didn’t pick up its first true road win since beating California in Berkeley on Jan. 20, 63-56.
- Prior to heading east, Stanford snapped an uncharacteristic three-game losing streak with an 89-84 win over visiting Florida State on Jan. 9, the Cardinal’s first in the ACC.
- The three game losing streak (Ohio State, SMU, Clemson) was the Cardinal’s first within the same season since January 2001 against Arizona, Oregon State and Oregon. Stanford has not dropped four straight in a season since January and February 1987 against Oregon State, Oregon, USC and UCLA.
- Stanford is 3-8 in its last 11 games, shooing 41.2 percent from the floor, 34.8 percent from beyond the arc, and with 124 assists against 177 turnovers (0.70 A/TO ratio). In the team’s first eight games during the month of November, the Cardinal went 7-1, shot 50.5 percent overall, 44.0 percent from deep, and had 135 assists and 95 turnovers (1.42 A/TO ratio).
- The team’s 3-8 record in December and January is its worst 11-game stretch since the final 11 games of the 1986-87 season when closed 3-8.
- Stanford’s 10-9 record is the program’s worst 19-game start since beginning the 1998-99 season 10-9.
- Stanford’s 2-6 start in conference play is its worst since 1985-86, Tara VanDerveer’s first year on The Farm. In the season before the start of Pac-10 women’s basketball, the Cardinal would lose its first six Pac-West games en route to a 1-7 league mark.
- In home games, Stanford is scoring 82.3 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting, including 41.4 perfect from deep. In its eight road and neutral games away from Maples, the Cardinal is averaging 65.4 points on 39.6 percent shooting and 34.4 percent on 3-pointers.
WHAT’S BACK, WHAT’S NOT »
- Heading in 2024-25, Stanford was looking replace 59.8 percent of its scoring, 54.4 percent of its rebounding and 42.8 percent of its minutes played from a season ago.
- The Cardinal’s leading returning scorer was Elena Bosgana (6.7) and its leading returning rebounder was Brooke Demetre (3.6).
FROM DEEP »
- The Cardinal is third nationally in 3-point percentage, shooting 38.8 percent (156-of-402). That is all despite going only 35-of-134 (.261) across seven games against UC Davis, Indiana, Cal Poly, LSU, Ohio State, NC State and Cal (Jan. 23). In Stanford’s other 12 games, it has made more than 45 percent (121-of-267; .453).
- Stanford was incredible from 3-point range over the first three games of the season. One game after hitting a school-record 18 3-pointers in the opener against Le Moyne, the Cardinal went 14-of-20 (.700) in a win over Washington State and knocked down another 13 against Gonzaga on Nov. 10.