Stanford's Nunu Agara Makes ESPN's List of Breakout Candidates

From the moment that she spoke with the media before the start of the 2024-25 season, it was clear that Stanford's Nunu Agara was going to have a special season--and she delivered. Agara took on a big role with the team in her sophomore season, following the departures of Cameron Brink to the WNBA and Kiki Iriafen to USC.

Stanford's women's basketball program needed someone to step up and become the star of the show, and that was Agara last year. She played in 25 games, starting 23, after an injury kept her sidelined down the final stretch of the schedule.

When she was on the court, however, she was the team's best player. She led the Cardinal in points per game and rebounds per game, averaging 15.8 and 7.6. As a forward, she also tied for third on the team with 1.9 assists per contest and was second on the team in blocks per game with 0.7. She was an all-around player that was leading Stanford into a new era.

Following the retirement of legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer, and the school's transition into the ACC, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the program. Last season was a little bit about forging a new identity, not only with a new head coach in Kate Paye and the new conference, but also with a new group of players after losing Brink and Iriafen.

The women's program dealt with a lot of change all at once. This year, they'll have plenty of reinforcements looking for their chance to contribute and to add to that identity. Stanford's recruiting class is one of the best in the nation, led by Hailee Swain, Lara Somfai, Nora Ezike, Carly Amborn, and Alex Eschmeyer.

Eschmeyer, Swain, and Somfai are all five-star recruits that should see playing time throughout the season. It's the addition of all five of these women that will also lead Agara to have a breakout campaign in 2025-26. ESPN ranked her as one of their breakout picks for the upcoming season, after all.

From ESPN: "In a season of change, Agara was the brightest spot for the Cardinal. A former high school teammate of Paige Bueckers in Hopkins, Minnesota, Agara averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds for Stanford and was named to the second-team All-ACC. Expect even more from her as a junior."

In her first season of regular playing time and real minutes, Agara was named to second-team All-ACC. With that experience under her belt and coming into the season with more pieces around her, Agara's time to shine is coming.