Stanford Freshman Earns National Honor

From the first game of the season, Lara Somfai has been showing that she's going to be a force for the Stanford Cardinal, and this week she's starting to earn a little more exposure. On Tuesday, it was announced that the freshman forward had earned the National Freshman of the Week award, and she certainly deserved it after the numbers she put up.

Playing games against Lehigh and UC Davis, Somfai put up new career highs in points (15), minutes (27), field goals made (6), 3-point field goals made (2) and attempted (7), along with assists (2) and blocks (2).

Somfai has been a huge addition to the Cardinal starting rotation, and in most games this season it has been her hot shooting that has earned the team a quick lead.

One comparison she has drawn in her early days at Stanford is to former Cardinal Alanna Smith, who is now a key member of the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. While it's still plenty early, Somfai is a starter while Smith didn't start a single game in her freshman season.

In fact, it wasn't until her junior campaign that Smith was a regular starter for Stanford, which just goes to show how much potential Somfai has as she continues to develop over the next four seasons. Earning an award just three weeks into the season is just putting her on the map for the next four years.

Below is the press release sent out detailing Somfai's incredible week.

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford forward Lara Somfai was named the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Tuesday.

Somfai averaged a near double-double of 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in Stanford’s two wins over UC Davis (70-45) and Lehigh (98-43) and had her third double-double of the season against the Aggies with 14 points and 12 rebounds. She is tied for the ACC lead in double-doubles (3) and is tied for the national lead in double-doubles among freshmen with four other players.

Somfai filled the stat sheet against Lehigh with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks, becoming just the second major conference freshman in the country to have that line in a game this season (Madison Francis – Mississippi State – Nov. 9 vs. Mississippi Valley State).

She is one of two Power 4 freshmen in the country averaging 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds (Bonnie Deas – Arkansas) and is sixth nationally in defensive rebound percentage at 32.7 percent.

Stanford next heads to Las Vegas for the Resorts World Classic after Thanksgiving. The Cardinal will play FGCU on Friday, Nov. 28 and Colorado State on Saturday, Nov. 29. Both games tip at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on FloCollege.