Women’s basketball opens season with 85–50 win over Cal State LA
Stanford women’s basketball opened its 2025-2026 season with a commanding 85-50 exhibition win over Division II opponent Cal State Los Angeles at Maples Pavilion Wednesday night. The victory marked a confident start for the Cardinal, who controlled play from start to finish in their first outing of the year.
Stanford’s first match up against the Golden Eagles was last year, when the Cardinal defeated them 91-70 in another exhibition matchup. The Cardinal will be seeking a stronger campaign this year after a disappointing 2024-2025 season in which they missed out on the NCAA March Madness tournament.
The Cardinal opened aggressively, establishing a 12-point lead late in the first quarter. Junior guard Chloe Clardy sparked the offense with a three-pointer in the final two minutes, followed closely by a steal and layup from freshman guard Hailee Swain to keep the momentum firmly in Stanford’s favor.
Cal State briefly slowed Stanford’s rhythm in the second quarter as the Cardinal’s defensive intensity dipped. Despite a slow defensive start, Stanford maintained possession of the ball for much of the half and built a 16-point lead with just over two minutes remaining before halftime. Junior forward Nunu Agara nailed a mid-range jump shot, and Clardy followed with a quick transition layup to send the Cardinal into the break with a comfortable advantage.
“Our defense let us down a little bit in the second quarter,” head coach Kate Paye said after the game. “So, we really talked about that — that’s where we start with our team. Number one thing that we’re looking for is our team to play defense individually and collectively.”
As the Cardinal entered the third quarter, they focused on just that.
The third quarter proved Stanford’s most dominant stretch of the game, as the team extended the lead to 31 points heading into the final frame. Freshman forward Lara Somfai impressed in her debut, drawing a personal foul on a layup and converting both free throws as the Cardinal tightened control.
Although the final quarter featured a few miscues, Stanford maintained composure to close out the 35-point victory. Clardy led the scoring, with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
Paye praised Clardy’s consistency after the game, saying the junior “picked up right where she left off” following her strong performance last season.
Somfai, who recorded a double-double in her first ever collegiate game, credited her teammates for her early success.
“The older leaders do a really good job on our team of mentoring the freshman,” Somfai said.
Paye highlighted the team’s collaborative mindset as key to building sustained success throughout this season.
“We don’t have any ball hogs out there,” Paye said. “We are 15 strong, and every single player on our team has a really important role.”
The Cardinal will next face UNC Greensboro at home next Monday night. The game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.
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