Stanford Women's Basketball Reveals Numbers for Incoming Freshman

Hailee Swain (wearing No. 2) is a candidate to be next year's star, and has all the makings to be one of the nation's top players. A Team USA U16 and U17 member, winning a gold medal with both, Swain has played on basketball's biggest stages.

A star for Holy Innocents Episcopal in Atlanta, Georgia, her strong play and leadership was a big reason why the program finished 25-5 last season and ended up as the Georgia Girls State Basketball GHSA Class Private champions.

Lara Somfai (No. 12), an Australian native, her commitment to the program helps the Cardinal address their size problem. Since losing Cameron Brink, the Cardinal have been unable to find someone who can defend the middle and struggled in that area this past season. But standing at 6-foot-4, and known for her scoring ability, she will be tasked with filling the void left by Brink.

Alex Eschmeyer (No. 4) is another Team USA player who has experience playing on basketball's biggest stages. A 6-5 forward, Eschmeyer was a key part of the Team USA U17's path to the gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup. At the high school level, Eschmeyer plays at Peak to Peak Charter School where as a senior, she averaged 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Carly Amborn will wear No. 11, while Nora Ezike will wear No. 25. Coach Paye mentioned on a recent episode of TreeCast that all of the freshman will be in the mix immediately, so we shouldn't have to wait long before these five newcomers are making some noise for the Cardinal at Maples.

Missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987, the Cardinal do not want to make that a habit and are going into this season more focused than ever. The ACC will be a very tough conference this season, with teams such as Duke and Notre Dame being perennial contenders while programs such as SMU, Louisville and others starting their ascents back to prominence.

Coach Paye has shown that she is serious about continuing the standard of excellence that Stanford has been known for over decades. But now the real question becomes whether or not the new signees can live up to expectations and be the face of the new era of Stanford women's basketball.