Five takeaways from ACC Tipoff: Stanford Women’s Basketball 

This week, Stanford women’s basketball participated in the ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte, North Carolina. Head coach Kate Paye, junior guard Chloe Clardy, and junior forward Nunu Agara represented the team. Below are five takeaways I have from what they said. 

VIDEO: Stanford Women’s Basketball 2025 ACC Tipoff Press Conference 

QUOTES: Stanford Women’s Basketball 2025 ACC Tipoff Press Conference 

#1. Stanford likes their blend of returners and incoming talent: Stanford really likes the fact that they have a lot of returning players while also bringing in a star-studded freshman class consisting of guard Hailee Swain, forward Alexandra Eschmeyer, guard Carly Amborn, forward Lara Somfai, and forward Nora Ezike. Stanford feels like they’ve put a lot of work in during the offseason and that when you combine that with the roster they have, good things will happen as a result. 

“Christy, I am so excited about our team,” Paye said. “As you point out, we have 10 fantastic returners who busted it this off-season. All spring long, on the track, on the turf, on the sand, in the weight room, on the court.

“Our 10 returners really recommitted themselves to the Stanford way, which is working really hard, being really unselfish so when our five fantastic freshmen arrived on campus for summer quarter, they were ready to mentor them, to help them, and that’s what we call the Stanford sisterhood.

“The team is working really hard. Our fall practice is off to a great start. We know it’s going to take everyone. Our five freshmen are great and we are counting on them to make immediate impact. But we know our success this season, our goal of having a championship season, it will be determined and we will be led by our returners.” 

“We was on the track, we was on the sand, we was on the turf,” Agara told ACC Network of how hard they worked in the offseason. “Yeah, we were in the pool. We was everywhere. But, lots of hard workouts, but I mean, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.” 

#2. Nunu Agara and Chloe Clardy are feeling a lot more settled in: Now that they are both juniors, Agara and Clardy feel a lot more confident in their game and their role on the team. When you are an underclassman, there’s a lot you are still learning, but once you become an upper classman, things start to click a lot more for you and that certainly seems to have happened for both Agara and Clardy. 

“Yeah, I think my main focus was probably my leadership,” Agara said of what she’s most been focusing on. “Like she said, our five freshmen coming in. I think for me, I just wanted to set the biggest example that I can to make sure that they know how the Stanford way, the way they do things. So yeah, I guess that was the biggest thing.” 

“Think it was just, like, things change, things happen all the time in basketball with different teams, so just stepping into my role and really taking that on and just trying to be the best that I could be for my team, and I think that just continues into this year, like Nunu said, being a leader,” Clardy added. “Our five freshmen, they all are doing amazing, so just really helping them, and like Kate said, mentoring them, and getting all of our team together and just ready to compete this year. We’re going to be a championship team this year.”

#3. Making noise in March is the goal: After missing the NCAA tournament last season for the first time in 36 seasons and losing in the first round of the WBIT, Stanford is hoping to get back to the tournament and make some noise. They have high expectations as a program and made it clear that they see themselves as a team capable of doing some damage come March. 

“You know, the Stanford way, we’re going to play up tempo, we want to play fast, we want to play what we call tag team,” Paye said. “I think we have a lot of depth. We really have different weapons out there. We need everyone. It’s a long season. We have championship aspirations, championship goals. We know we’re going to see a lot of different styles of play. More than anything, I’m just really happy the way people are working together and really taking on kind of the sisterhood and the Stanford way.”

#4. Stanford’s campus sells itself: When asked about what drew her to Stanford, Agara made it clear that Stanford’s campus played a huge role in her decision. It’s a reminder that in many ways, Stanford sells itself. It’s just matter of whether or not someone wants to partake of what it has to offer. 

“The reason I chose Stanford was the palm trees,” Agara said with a laugh. “Yes, I know it’s really weird, but yes, the palm trees. I’m from Minnesota. It is so cold there. It’s negative 30 in the winter so I couldn’t do it. When I saw Stanford and meeting Kate, she was my coach at the time, and we were on Palm Drive, which is this amazing street full of palm trees.

“So we’re at the Stanford church and I’m looking and I turn and I’m like, there’s palm trees. I am like, this is amazing. I looked at my mom and I looked at Kate. I’m like, Kate, can I come here? I said, can I commit here? Can I come here? She’s like, yeah. It was like, okay, I’m coming. So yeah, that’s the reason why I chose Stanford.” 

#5. Chloe Clardy’s dad continues to have a positive impact on her game: During their time on set with ACC Network, Clardy made it clear that her dad continues to have a positive influence on her game. Her dad is a coach and he’s always giving her confidence and tips of how to be better. She is grateful for the impact he has had on her and the amount of time he has invested in her game. It’s always cool to hear of positive parent-child dynamics in athletics. 

“I started working out with him since I could dribble,” Clardy said of her dad. “My dad’s a coach, so he’s been my coach all my life. Him on top of the combination of my sister and my brother is, it’s a tough workout and I don’t always enjoy them, but I feel like they’re what got me to this point and so he’s going to be on top of me about everything. My parents make it to basically every single game. So he’s always there and he’s always sending me messages every day about do this, do that. And so, it’s just, it’s been amazing having him.” 

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