Stanford women's basketball projected to finish seventh in ACC in preseason poll

A new season is here and after coming off of a strong 2023-24 campaign, the Stanford Cardinal will join the ACC with a lot to prove.

Oct 9, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford head coach Kate Paye during ACC Media Days at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

As the Stanford Cardinal women's basketball season quickly approaches, updated polls and lists have started to be released, with the ACC’s projected order of finish being just one example of many preseason storylines that have begun to come out. Now a member of the ACC due to the major conference realignment that occurred at the beginning of the season, the Stanford Cardinal will join the conference eager to turn heads. After a dominant tenure in the Pac-12, the Cardinal will face a major challenge in replicating previous success in a conference filled with strong talent.

In the ACC’s 2024-25 predicted order of finish, the Stanford Cardinal are projected to finish seventh out of 18, with Notre Dame, NC State, Duke, Louisville and Florida State making up the top five. Projected to finish just above Stanford is North Carolina, a team that is coming off of a 20-13 season and that made it all the way to the second round of the NCAA tournament. 

Only three teams in the poll received first place votes, with 70 for the top team Notre Dame, followed by eight first place votes for the projected second place team in NC State. Stanford was the other team that ended up with a first place vote.

Led by new head coach Kate Paye, the Cardinal will join the ACC after coming off of a 30-6 season in their final campaign in the Pac-12. In what was legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer’s final season before retiring in April, the Cardinal won the Pac-12 regular season before finishing as runners-up to USC in the Pac-12 tournament. Making it all the way to the NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen before losing to NC State, the Cardinal finished the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll and No. 8 in the coaches poll.

A new-look program has the Cardinal unranked heading into this season, but if the legacy of Stanford has taught us anything, it is to never count them out. Nearing the beginning of non-conference play, the Cardinal will begin their season on November 4 with a home game against Le Moyne. Tip off will be at 7:00 p.m. (PT) at Maples Pavilion.