One of the incoming players for Stanford women’s basketball is 2024 4-star point guard Shay Ijiwoye out of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Ijiwoye caught up with CardinalSportsReport.com about why she chose Stanford and what she hopes to bring to the program next season.
For Ijiwoye, Stanford offers everything she’s been looking for in a program. When Stanford came calling and offered her a scholarship, she knew it was going to be tough to find a program that matched Stanford in all the different boxes that she was looking to check off.
“Elite academics, great basketball. It’s hard to pass up, but I didn’t really lose a lot in my high school career. Like club and high school. So, why would I want to start now?” Ijiwoye said. “So I know Coach Tara, she’s won a lot of basketball games, has a lot of knowledge, and I want to be a coach when I’m done. So learning under her, one of the greatest in the game is just unbeatable. And then it’s close to home, nice weather, and I take academics very seriously. So, just having the opportunity to get a prestigious degree. Hard to beat.”
What Ijiwoye looks to bring to The Farm is her playmaking ability at point guard. She loves to create for her teammates and make the game fun for everyone around her.
“Yeah, I mean definitely being a point guard, just being able to control the team, control the tempo, and get people in their spots,” Ijiwoye said of what she’ll bring to the table. “I think I’m a pretty good playmaker not only for myself but for others. So, just bringing that IQ, that awareness, and then just making the game fun.
“I think it’s something that we’ve done a lot playing with Kidd and just having someone that I’ve known and played with. I think it would be really easy. Just to kind of have fun and play. Play good basketball.”
As far as what she’s most looking to improve, Ijiwoye wants to become a better all-around scorer. Listed at 5’6”, she’s pretty undersized and will need to get creative in terms of getting her shot off against players that are a lot bigger than she is.
“Yeah, I would say definitely my shooting ability,” Ijiwoye said of what she’s most looking to improve. “Like being able to shoot obviously from the college three-point line is a lot further back than high school and then get into my midrange. You know it’s going to be a lot of trees, no pun intended, down in the paint. So, can’t get to the basket all the time.
“So, just being able to get to the floater or midrange or just you know, stepping back out to the three. Those are probably like my biggest things and then just being in good basketball shape. I know next level it’s a faster game. So just being ready for that.”
One thing that will help Ijiwoye adjust to life on The Farm is her relationship with Stanford junior forward Kiki Iriafen. Given that they both have Nigerian roots, they have formed a good bond with one another. If Ijiwoye ever has any questions on the program or what it’s like at the next level, Iriafen is someone she can go to for advice.
“Definitely Kiki,” Iriafen said of who of the current players she is closest with. “I’ve known her since like my freshman year of high school. We played against each other in Arizona. It was like coming out of COVID and I was a freshman and she was a senior. And we’re both Nigerian. So our parents hit it off immediately and we just kinda kept in contact since. So she’s been like my main, like any questions I have I go to her, and yeah, she’s just been a huge help in the whole process and then obviously you know, making decisions and stuff.”
As far as what she wants to study at Stanford, Ijiwoye has a couple of possible majors in mind. She’s really interested in how the human body works and the medical field all while enjoying the chance to express herself in the realms of broadcasting and journalism. If she could find a way to fuse those interests together, she would be really happy.
“So I definitely went back and forth a lot about what I wanted to do. But one thing that’s always been pretty at the forefront is definitely the medical field,” Ijiwoye affirmed. “So, more specifically, the exercise science. Just being an athlete, I feel like they go hand in hand. Learning how the body works and I feel like it’s been good in my development as an athlete and then just continuing to learn more about that and then I can dabble a little bit in broadcasting, in journalism, I like to talk and I don’t mind the camera.
“So I feel like those two. Maybe like a minor or something there. But, whatever can help me coaching-wise, too. There’s a lot to learn about what to look into. So, we’ll see.”
Regardless of what she studies, Ijiwoye will for sure get to learn from an all-time great in Tara VanDerveer. VanDerveer is the winningest coach in NCAA history and has tons of knowledge to pass on to her players. Ijiwoye is looking forward to learning from VanDerveer. She has tremendous respect for her as a coach and also admires the way she tries to adapt and change her style to meet the needs of today’s players.
“I mean obviously, just the amount of knowledge she has of the game,” Ijiwoye said of what she most likes about VanDerveer. “I think she just takes details like very seriously and I feel like that’s something I do as well, too. Her IQ. We sat and watched film one time and just kinda seeing what she saw is just, I dunno, it’s just not a lot of people see that type of stuff. So, I think that.
“And then, I like how she’s trying to be more in and be more hip. When I came out here in February (2023) for the senior night game, we did a Tik Tok together. So just stuff like that.”
Ijiwoye will be part of the first generation of Stanford players to only know life in the ACC. While she’s well aware of the travel, Ijiwoye is excited for the chance to compete in the ACC and play against historic programs like Duke and Notre Dame.
“Yeah, definitely getting those frequent flier miles in. No, but for real, it’ll be good,” Ijiwoye said of playing in the ACC. “Playing good competition night in and night out and then just proving that you can win across the country, too. Obviously Stanford pretty much dominant in the Pac-12 for years and years in a row. So, it’s a new playing field, kinda. So just proving that we can play with the best and compete. And it just prepares you for the tournament as well, too.”
With respect to what she’s most looking forward to about being a student at Stanford, Ijiwoye is excited for everything. She has tremendous respect for the program, the university, and all the bright minds walking around campus. Stanford is such an amazing community and she can’t wait to become a part of it. Her mindset is to embrace it all and make the most of these next four years.
“Yeah, I mean it’s just like the amount of people at such high places in the work field. Like CEOs of companies or founders. Just seeing how many people go and do great things coming out of Stanford,” Ijiwoye said. “And even just seeing like how many of her former players come back and work on their staff I think goes to show like just how great of a family community and even like sisterhood more specifically that it is and I think that’s just really attractive and goes to show how great she is and how great Coach Tara is. People are wanting to come back and they wanna see people that they saw when they were here and I think that’s just huge. I’m really big on people and community and relationships and stuff, so it’s very good to see.
“I think most importantly, really just the experience. Not many who get to experience playing at the next level, let alone at a such a well-known, historic basketball school at Stanford. So, really trying to soak it in and embrace everything that comes with it. The good and the bad and the ugly.”
Overall, Shay Ijiwoye appears to be a great fit for the Stanford program and seems very eager to begin life on The Farm. It’ll be fun to see what she brings on the court and how she ends up making the most of her Stanford experience. She has a very positive personality and a desire to be the best she can be. With a mindset like that, she is sure to be successful.
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