Joining Courtney Ogden in Stanford women’s basketball’s 2023 recruiting class is 4-star guard Nunu Agara out of Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Agara caught up with CardinalSportsReport.com about her decision and why Stanford is the right place for her.
Agara feels like Stanford offers the best combination of academic and athletic excellence of any school in the country. On top of that, she feels like the coaching staff did a wonderful job of connecting with her family and building a strong relationship. That seemed to really help Stanford differentiate themselves from other schools.
“I committed to Stanford because you get the best of both worlds,” Agara said. “Academics and basketball. They recruited me, but also my family. The coaches got to know each of my family members and they were really welcoming. Who wouldn’t want to play for an amazing coach?”
Speaking of Tara VanDerveer, what stood out to Agara about the legendary coach is her knowledge of the game and personability. Agara is struck by how much of an emphasis VanDerveer places on team success and also how much she valued getting to know her family.
“My first impression of Tara is that she knows so much about the game,” Agara said. “She doesn’t care about positions. She cares about how you are best going to contribute to the team. She not only recruited me, but my family. She talked to each of my family members and got to know each of us. She’s great at what she does and I’m excited to play for her.”
What Stanford really likes about Agara is her versatility and ability to help them win in a variety of ways. Agara is a really good two-way player who can guard multiple positions and do whatever is asked of her. While some players prefer to have a narrower role, Agara is energized by the challenge that comes with having to be flexible.
“They like how versatile I am,” Agara said. “I am able to do many things on the floor such as ball handling, shooting, posting up, and play multiple positions and guarding multiple players. I can bring so many things to the table to help my team win. I can bring aggressiveness, rebounding, scoring, but also being a good teammate and being able to encourage my teammates.
“I’m able to play a lot of positions so being able to go all over the floor is key. I want to be prepared for anything that my coaches ask me to do, so being versatile in my game such as ball handling and shooting and my post skills will be a factor.”
In addition to being a good fit for Stanford on the basketball court, Agara is also a good fit for the community that Stanford seeks to build. She has a real passion for social justice and wants to be a force for good in the world. Such desires are perfectly in line with Stanford’s core mission and values.
“I want to be a criminal defense attorney,” Agara said. “I’m not sure what I want to major in, though. There’s a lot of social injustice in our justice system. I want to be a part of that change. I want to make systematic changes that have been rooted in our justice system since it was created. Helping all people is the goal for me.”
While Stanford’s academic and basketball opportunities are unparalleled, its weather and overall atmosphere played a major role in Agara’s decision as well. Just walking around the campus, Agara feels right at home.
“I love palm trees, so Palm Drive was a key factor,” Agara said. “I loved the law school. I got to see the court rooms they practice in. It was really cool. I also love the weather. I’m from Minnesota, so we don’t have 50 degree weather in December, which is amazing.”
Looking ahead to her time at Stanford, what has Agara most excited is the chance to build lifelong relationships with her future teammates, experience the college life, and develop some independence. While she’s going to miss her family, Agara is eager to accept the challenge and learn from this new chapter of her life:
“I’m looking forward to playing with my teammates. I’m looking forward to the college lifestyle and seeing what it’s like being on my own and away from my family. I’m going to miss my family, but I can’t wait to see what the competition is like and how I can adapt to change.”
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