Following a bad loss Feb. 19 at Miami, Stanford women’s basketball coach Kate Paye assembled her team in the locker room inside Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. Stanford was on its way to a second straight season without an NCAA Tournament appearance — a major disappointment for the storied program. On Paye’s orders, assistant coaches handed out stat sheets for the year. The head coach then issued a blunt assessment of her team’s performance, according to two former players.

“No one [in the transfer portal] is going to want anyone with these numbers,” the coach allegedly said.

Paye’s comments didn’t stop players from trying to prove her wrong. 

After the Cardinal’s final loss of the season March 26, a stunning seven players turned their backs on Stanford basketball by entering the portal, in addition to three players who graduated early. The exodus of two-thirds of the 15-woman roster follows a season in which Stanford didn’t make an appearance in the AP Top 25 for the first time in 30 years. 

The disappointing season wasn’t solely the fault of the coaching staff. However, two former players and four parents of players who spent the 2025-26 season with the Cardinal allege that Paye has fostered a dysfunctional and toxic environment, in which coaches intimidate and threaten players, and some student-athletes feel “iced out” of practices if they fall on coaches’ bad sides. 

The two former players allege that Paye conducted “distressing team meetings” throughout the season, like the one that took place following the Miami game. During these meetings, one said, Paye not only threatened to bench players — a normal consequence of underperformance in the high-pressure world of Division I athletics — but also floated “getting rid of scholarships or refusing to give recommendations for grad school programs.” 

Parents of former players said there was a culture of retribution for players who spoke out against what they perceived as unfair treatment. 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.

Neither Paye nor Donahoe agreed to be interviewed, and the school did not directly address questions emailed by The Standard about the allegations against Paye.

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. This comes after star Kiki Iriafen graduated in three years and transferred to play at USC ahead of her final college season in 2024-25, and after three other Cardinal players — Nunu Agara, Courtney Ogden, and Chloe Clardy — graduated early and departed Stanford this month. In addition, Stanford lost two players during the year: Point guard Talana Lepolo left the team in January, and walk-on guard Lauren Green left before the final WBIT game.

Stanford did not respond to a question about the potential early graduation policy.

Paye said in a statement that her team, though depleted, is busy building for 2026-27. The program is bringing in recruits Elyse Ngenda, Jordyn Wheeler, newly signed Kiara Green, and Davidson decommit Gracyn Gilliard, and has brought in one transfer, junior Miami of Ohio forward Ilse de Vries. 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,” said Paye. “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,” she added. “We look forward to officially announcing those additions once they have completed the application process and are admitted to the university.”

Paye was hired by Bernard Muir, the previous athletic director, after the legendary Tara 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. Paye spent 17 seasons as an assistant under VanDerveer. In Paye’s first season as head coach, in 2024, Stanford missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 38 years. This year, Stanford improved from 16-15 to 21-14 but finished 8-10 in ACC play for a second consecutive season. 

The Cardinal are hardly the only program dealing with an exodus of players to the transfer portal, as Power Four programs Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Iowa State, and Penn State have also lost at least seven players. 

However, the admission hurdles at Stanford, which has more academic restrictions than other Power Four universities, create a distinct challenge for Paye to rebuild her roster. Three parents told The Standard that Paye and her staff are being forced to recruit players from lower-level programs such as UC Davis and Quinnipiac who possess the academic qualifications to transfer to Stanford. 

“It’s clear that the transfer portal has created an unprecedented shift that is impacting all institutions, and we must embrace that reality,” said athletic director Donahoe in a statement. “College athletics is rapidly changing, and we are focused on adapting our approach to reflect the current landscape. Our attention has been on thoughtfully navigating this period, supporting our student-athletes, and prioritizing all aspects of roster management, including financial support. I am confident that our staff, and this university, will continue to identify and attract the best young women to continue our legacy of success.”

Rumors about a negative team culture under Paye began leaking after several players who announced they were departing this spring posted “goodbye” messages to the program but chose not to thank the coaching staff. 

In Mary Ashley Stevenson’s farewell Instagram post (opens in new tab), she wrote, “I have decided to find a basketball environment that suits me better. I am really excited about that.”

Harper Peterson thanked (opens in new tab) “trainers, doctors, physical therapists, and other support staff who supported me through my season-ending injury last year. Your care and dedication meant everything during such a challenging time.”

Former Stanford guard Jzaniya Harriel commented on Clardy’s farewell post (opens in new tab), “Go where people see your true value!! #freed.” Harriel transferred from Stanford to SMU after the 2024-25 season.

A recent survey on Athletes.org (opens in new tab) ranked Stanford athletics 50th out of 59 universities (opens in new tab) for its treatment of student-athletes. An anonymous women’s basketball player wrote, “There is no development, negative environment, personal attacks, one-third of the team walked away during the season.”

Taken individually, many of the claims about Paye made by former players or their parents are consistent with complaints about other coaches leading programs in Division 1 college basketball. But what’s impossible to ignore is the number of Stanford players racing for the exits. 

“Not a great environment,” said the parent of a player who had been with the program under both VanDerveer and Paye. “It’s not the same program anymore.”

According to the four parents who spoke to The Standard, some of the departures may have stemmed from players receiving lucrative name, image, and likeness deals and other financial commitments from competing programs. However, one said the money wasn’t the main reason for the departures. Stanford paid “players in the rotation” up to six-figure deals starting in January, according to multiple sources. 

“To be clear,” the parent said, “the girls did not want to leave Stanford. It will be spun that way, but it was not about NIL.”

Stanford was always going to have an uphill climb while other schools had more flexibility to pay athletes and bring in transfers. As of May 14, the Cardinal have signed just one player from the portal, and Paye and her staff remain shorthanded heading into the 2026-27 season. 

“I’m glad I moved on,” said one former player. “I’m one of the lucky ones.”