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20 Best Stanford Women’s Basketball Players

Stanford has a rich history of producing some of the finest women’s basketball players in the history of the sport. Over the years, the Stanford Cardinal women’s basketball program has consistently been a powerhouse in NCAA basketball, with numerous conference championships and deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. This list highlights 20 of the best Stanford women’s basketball players, who have not only left an indelible mark on the program but have also made significant contributions to the sport as a whole. Join us as we take a look at the best Stanford women’s basketball players. Shall we begin? Here we go!

1. Candice Wiggins

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She is a four-time WBCA All-American who leads the team in 3-pointers made (295), free throws made (556), and steals made (281) and has the highest career scoring average (19.2 PPG) in program history.

As a freshman and sophomore, she helped Stanford reach the Elite Eight. She led Stanford to its first Final Four in 11 years as a senior by scoring 41 points over top-seeded Maryland in the regional championship.

In addition, Wiggins had 44 points in the second round of the 2008 NCAA tournament, 25 points, 13 rebounds, and the Wade Trophy in the victory over UConn in the national semifinals. Wiggins had brought Stanford back into the national spotlight, but the enchantment ended with a defeat to Tennessee in the NCAA championship.

2. Val Whiting

She was a member of both Stanford national championship teams and made it to three Final Fours. She was renowned for her strong inner presence.

In terms of career points (2,077), rebounds (1,134), and blocked shots, Whiting is sixth. Interestingly, Whiting excelled at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware before Elena Delle Donne became a top student there.

3. Nneka Ogwumike

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With her 2016 WNBA MVP award and league championship, Nneka most likely would have shot to the top spot if we were including professional careers in this ranking.

The elder Ogwumike brought to Stanford amazing athleticism and a positive outlook on life, which she now possesses in the WNBA. Nneka represented the United States three times and helped Stanford to four straight Final Fours.

She ranks third in overall points (2,491) and fifth in both scoring average (17.2 PPG) and rebounding average (8.5 RPG). She was selected first overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft.

4. Cameron Lee Brink

Let’s talk about this American youngster who is making history in each and every game. She contributed to her team’s victory in the national title as a Stanford freshman.

She was named the Pac-12 Co-Player of the Year in her sophomore campaign and helped her team reach the Final Four. Brink became Stanford’s all-time leader in blocks as a junior and was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year.

Brink has competed for the US in youth international competition. She took home gold medals from both the 2018 and 2019 FIBA Under-17 World Cups. As the best defensive player in the country, she was given the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Brink again as a WBCA All-American and received second-team All-American recognition from the AP and USBWA. She had 118 blocks, which surpassed her own single-season school record, and was third among Division I players in blocks per game.

5. Kate Paye

At Stanford, Kate Paye excelled as a player and led the Cardinal to two NCAA Tournament berths. Kate began teaching once her playing career came to an end, and she has subsequently worked with several Pac-12 Conference clubs.

Kate was appointed the Stanford women’s basketball team’s associate head coach in 2017. Her mission is to support the team in achieving its objectives both on and off the field. With her background as both a player and a coach, Kate is well-suited to guide Stanford into further future triumphs.

From 2016 till the present, Kate Paye has served as an assistant coach for the Stanford women’s basketball team. With Minnesota in 1992 and Seattle in 2002, Kate Paye won NCAA championships as a player.

6. Katy Steding

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In the WNBA, Katy Steding played basketball professionally for the Portland Monarchs and Sacramento Monarchs. The Sacramento Monarchs selected Steding with the 14th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft.

From 1986 until 1990, Steding played for Stanford University. Steding retired in 2001 after six seasons of WNBA competition. Steding is presently a Stanford Cardinal assistant coach.

She has served as a head coach for both the Boston University Terriers and the Seattle Storm. Steding has had success as a coach, taking home a championship in 2001 with the Seattle Storm.

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7. Chinenye Ogwumike

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Chinenye “Chiney” Ogwumike plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a professional women’s basketball player. She was the first WNBA player and the first black woman to anchor a national radio show for ESPN as of 2020.

While also competing in the WNBA, she was one of the first and youngest commentators ever to be named an NBA analyst for the network that covers the NBA, WNBA, and various sports.

Chiney is a Stanford University alumnus with a concentration in international relations. As of January 3, 2014, she had participated in three Final Fours and had finished as the conference’s top scorer and rebounder. Ogwumike was chosen as the WNBA Players’ Vice-President as of 2016.

8. Nnemkadi Chinwe

After being selected first overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft, Nnemkadi is a basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is Chiney Ogwumike’s older sister, another Sparks player. Ogwumike was selected as the 2016 WNBA MVP, and her team won the WNBA Finals.

9. Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga

American professional basketball player Jeanette was a student-athlete whom Stanford University recruited.

Stanford supporters remember her for her outstanding performance against the Lady Huskies of the University of Connecticut when she scored 31 points and helped Stanford defeat the unbeaten Huskies.

Pohlen, a Downey, California native, played in three consecutive championship games and four consecutive Final Fours at Stanford. In July 2009, Pohlen won her first gold medal in an international contest while playing for the USA Basketball World University Games Team.

10. Nicole Kristen Powell

She is an American basketball coach who now serves as the University of California, Riverside’s head women’s basketball coach.

Powell had an 11-year WNBA career, most notably with the Sacramento Monarchs where she was an All-Star and won a WNBA Championship. She had a stellar collegiate career at Stanford University.

Powell also made a living playing soccer for Fenerbahce Istanbul abroad. Prior to being named the head coach of UC Riverside in March 2020, Powell worked on the coaching staff at Gonzaga, Oregon, and Grand Canyon.

11. Haley Jones

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The Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is home to American professional basketball player Haley Jones. She participated in American collegiate basketball for the Pac-12 Conference’s Stanford Cardinal.

She was selected as a Pac-12 all-conference performer in 2021 as a sophomore. That year, Jones was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, and the Cardinal won the national championship. The Atlanta Dream selected her with the sixth overall pick in the WNBA draft of 2023.

12. Anna Christine Wilson

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American former collegiate basketball player Anna Christine Wilson played for the Pac-12 Conference’s Stanford Cardinal. Her 160 career games played as a guard are a team record and rank fourth all-time in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

She was a member of Team USA when they took home the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women.

Anna participated in three seasons of varsity basketball for Collegiate School. She set the record for career assists with 246 and finished with 735 points, the fifth-most in team history.

She was selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game. A girls’ basketball all-star game featuring several of the best high school seniors from the United States and Canada.

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13. Sonja Henning

She and Azzi (751 assists) created an outstanding backcourt for three seasons, with Stanford’s all-time leader in assists (757).

Henning has 1,445 points in his career and is second in steals (280). She led Stanford in scoring with 21 points and added nine rebounds in the 1990 NCAA championship win over Auburn (88-81).

14. Kayla Pedersen

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She played the most minutes (4,762) of any Stanford player in history and assisted the Cardinal in four straight visits to the Final Four.

Despite having a career that included the Ogwumike sisters and Appel in addition to three other outstanding rebounders, Pedersen is second in that category (1,266).

Pedersen is tied with fellow 2011 graduate Jeanette Pohlen for the most games played for Stanford (150), and she is ninth in points (1,941).

15. Jayne Appel

She ranks third in rebounds (1,263), sixth in points (2,125), and leads the team in blocked shots (273).

Appel has three times assisted Stanford in reaching the Final Four and has the most points ever scored in a single game for the program (46 in an Elite Eight victory over Iowa State in 2009).

16. Lexie Lauren Hull

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A professional basketball player with the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Lexie Lauren Hull is American.

She won the national championship as a junior while playing college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, where she was a three-time All-Pac-12 pick. In her last year, she was given the Senior CLASS Award and Elite 90 Award.

Hull went to Spokane Valley, Washington’s Central Valley High School, where she assisted in her team’s two state championship wins and was ranked a five-star prospect by ESPN.

17. Bethany Donaphin

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The Women’s National Basketball Association’s Bethany Donaphin is in charge of league operations. She has a long history in the sports sector and has won awards for her work in the field.

She has a solid foundation in business and has contributed to the WNBA’s development into a top league. Donaphin oversees league operations and is a committed professional. She is well-known for working hard and is well-respected in the sports world.

18. Vanessa Nygaard

While a student at Stanford, Vanessa Nygaard participated in the women’s basketball team known as the Stanford Cardinal.

In the 1998 WNBA Draft, the New York Liberty selected her. From 1999 to 2003, Vanessa Nygaard was a player with the Liberty. Vanessa Nygaard ended her career as a professional basketball player in 2003.

In 2013, she was admitted to the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame. From 2013 through 2016, Vanessa Nygaard served as the Phoenix Mercury’s head coach.

19. Nicole Powell

Powell was the player most responsible for keeping the Cardinal at an elite level as the program went through what was — by Stanford’s lofty standards — a bit of a down stretch, with two NCAA second-round defeats.

Wiggins broke a streak and returned the Cardinal to the Final Four. Stanford had regained their place in the Elite Eight by Powell’s senior year.

The most versatile player in program history and a three-time All-American, Powell ranks seventh overall in total assists (577), second in rebounding average (9.6 RPG), and fourth in scoring average (17.3 PPG). Additionally, she owns six of Stanford’s eight triple-doubles.

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20. Kate Starbird

Starbird, a guard with guard abilities who stood 6 feet 2 inches tall, had a dry sense of humor and a penchant for scoring. She is one of only two Stanford players (the other is Wiggins) to have twice in her career scored 40 or more points in a game.

At Stanford, Starbird placed fourth overall in points (2,215), fifth in steals (252), and tenth in assists (437). On teams with lots of talent (like Kristin Folkl, who isn’t on this list since she only played two full seasons and part of another owing to her devotion to volleyball) and personality (like the unstoppably funny Vanessa Nygaard), she contributed to Stanford making three Final Four appearances.

These players, through their skill and determination, have etched their names in the annals of Stanford basketball history. From the early pioneers who laid the foundation to the recent stars who continue to shine, they’ve all left an indelible mark on the program. Their contributions have led to championships, records, and countless unforgettable moments on the court. As we celebrate the 20 best Stanford women’s basketball players, it’s clear that their legacy will inspire future generations to strive for excellence and carry forward the Cardinal tradition of greatness.