For almost four decades, there was one woman who was turning Stanford into a dynasty. Tara VanDerveer reshaped the Cardinal. Her time on The Farm saw 14 Final Four runs, three national titles, and an endless parade of game-changers in Cardinal red.
With the game’s all-time winningest coach retired from coaching, it’s time to look at the stars she helped mold.
Who Are the Best Players Ever To Come Out of Stanford?
1. Nneka Ogwumike | 2008–2012
Nneka Ogwumike is an absolute Stanford legend. Four straight years, four Final Fours. She was the face of the league and the leader of its players’ union. At Stanford, she had 2,491 points and 1,226 boards.
Ogwumike was also a three-time All-American. She was the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WNBA draft, she’s been everything a franchise dreams of. Ogwumike averaged 16.5 points per game (PPG) and 7.5 rebounds per game (RPG) across 12 seasons, all with the Los Angeles Sparks.
2. Jennifer Azzi | 1986–1990
Before Stanford was Stanford, there was Jennifer Azzi. The Tennessee native won the school its first national championship in 1990. She put the program on the national map. That Final Four MVP performance was simply iconic.
Azzi was the kind of floor general every coach dreams about. She was dangerous from deep, with a school-best .452 3-point clip. She had 751 assists and was always two steps ahead. Azzi later even reunited with VanDerveer on the 1996 Olympic team.
3. Candice Wiggins | 2004–2008
Candice Wiggins was the woman who scored 41 against Maryland to punch Stanford’s Final Four ticket. She is Stanford’s all-time leader in scoring average at 19.2 PPG and a four-time All-American.
Wiggins reignited the Cardinal, returning them to national relevance after a long Final Four drought. Later, she became a WNBA champ with the Lynx.
4. Nicole Powell | 2000–2004
Nicole Powell did everything. She was a scorer, rebounder, and the fifth all-time in assists. Powell even had six triple-doubles.
She was Stanford’s revival when the program hit a bit of a hiccup. Powell’s senior season saw Stanford return to the Elite Eight. Her post-college journey included 11 seasons in the WNBA and a coaching gig at UC Riverside.
5. Chiney Ogwumike | 2010–2014
If the world thought Nneka was great, wait a moment because her sister is just as legendary. Chiney Ogwumike is Stanford’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She has 2,737 points and 1,567 rebounds. And she holds the school record for making 24 rebounds in a single game.
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Chiney took Stanford to three Final Fours, won the Wooden Award in 2014, and was the No. 1 WNBA draft pick that year. Injuries have slowed her pro career at times, but she is just as good on the hard courts.
6. Jayne Appel | 2006–2010
Jayne Appel is 6’4″ and kept shots away. She has 273 blocks, second all-time. Appel also pulled down 1,263 rebounds and scored 2,125 career points.
Her 46-point performance in the 2009 Elite Eight will forever be remembered in Stanford lore. Three Final Fours later, she went pro, spent seven years in the WNBA, and now works behind the scenes advocating for athletes.
7. Kate Starbird | 1993–1997
Kate Starbird was fourth all-time in scoring with 2,215 points and one of just two Cardinal players to drop 40-plus in a game twice. A tall guard-forward hybrid before it was trendy, she helped Stanford reach three Final Fours, then played professionally in both the ABL and WNBA.
Today, she’s a professor delving into misinformation and tech.
8. Kayla Pedersen | 2007–2011
Kayla Pedersen is a name synonymous with consistency. No one logged more minutes in Cardinal history. Pedersen has 4,762 points. She has 1,266 rebounds and nearly 2,000 points.
Her steady presence helped Stanford make four straight Final Fours. Pedersen played alongside giants like Nneka and Appel. The WNBA got six solid years from her.
9. Val Whiting | 1989–1993
Val Whiting helped Stanford reach two national titles in 1990 and 1992 and was a three-time Final Four staple. Whiting was sixth in career points with 2,077 and had 1,134 rebounds. Before the WNBA even existed, Whiting was creating history.
Whiting played in the ABL and then moved to the WNBA.
10. Cameron Brink | 2020–2024
Cameron Brink came in during a pandemic and still helped deliver a national title as a freshman. Since then, she has become the Cardinal’s all-time blocks queen. She ended her career with 1,892 points and 1,223 rebounds.
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Brink was the first round, second overall pick, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks.
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