Two former women's basketball players and four parents of players who spent the 2025-26 season with Stanford University allege that second-year coach Kate Paye has fostered a dysfunctional and toxic environment, in which coaches intimidate and threaten players.
As reported by The San Francisco Standard, Paye failed to lead the Cardinal to the NCAA tournament for a second straight season, and the 2025-26 team was the first in 30 years to not crack the Top 25 during the season. Following Stanford's final loss of the season season March 26, seven players turned entered the transfer portal, in addition to three players who graduated early — an exodus of two-thirds of the 15-woman roster that went 21-14. In 2024-25, the Cardinal's first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Paye's first as Tara VanDerveer's successor, Stanford finished 16-15.
According to Marisa Ingemi of The Standard, the two former players allege that Paye conducted “distressing team meetings” throughout the latest season. During these meetings, one said, Paye not only threatened to bench players but also floated “getting rid of scholarships or refusing to give recommendations for grad school programs.” In addition, student-athletes felt “iced out” of practices if they fell on coaches’ bad sides.
"Parents of former players said there was a culture of retribution for players who spoke out against what they perceived as unfair treatment," Ingemi wrote. "Players recounted to The Standard that at various practices during the second half of the season, Paye said, 'Our jobs are on the line, and this is how you play?' One parent and one player also allege that multiple players were told they were 'too weak' to play at Stanford.
"Parents of players filed reports with the director and chair of athletics John Donahoe, alleging that Paye had created an unwelcoming and toxic environment, according to screenshots of email messages obtained by The Standard. In response to these complaints, two former players said, Angie Jabir, the executive associate athletics director, observed multiple practices, an uncommon occurrence."
Two parents of former players and one former player told The Standard that Paye is working to implement a rule that would prevent student-athletes from taking larger course loads and summer classes so they can’t graduate early. Most of Stanford’s transfers have ended up with other Power Four schools. Ogden went to Michigan, Agara to Maryland, Clardy committed to North Carolina, Carly Amborn to Cal, Harper Peterson signed with Tennessee, Lara Somfai to TCU, and Mary Ashley Stevenson joined Columbia, Ingemi reported.
Paye said in a statement that her team is busy building for 2026-27. There are 10 players on the current roster, four of them incoming freshmen.
“Our returners are outstanding young women who have recommitted to each other, Stanford women’s basketball, and the entire university community,” Paye said. “They are a focused group that has already begun working diligently to prepare for the year ahead and are excited to welcome our incoming freshmen into the fold this summer.
“We are actively engaged in the transfer portal, and the past few weeks have reinforced that Stanford and this program remain highly attractive to prospective student-athletes who are looking for the singular combination of elite academics and athletics that we offer. We look forward to officially announcing those additions once they have completed the application process and are admitted to the university.”
Paye, who spent 17 seasons as an assistant under VanDerveer, was hired by Bernard Muir, the previous athletic director. VanDerveer retired following a 38-season run in which she became the winningest coach in NCAA history and led the Cardinal to national titles in 1990, 1992 and 2021.
