Stanford opens its 2026-27 women’s basketball season against Arizona on Monday in Las Vegas, with a young, heavily rebuilt roster and an unusually demanding nonconference schedule. The game is a rematch of the 2021 national championship, which Stanford won 54-53.

By the Numbers
  • Stanford is 40-12 in season openers and has won its last 8.
  • The Cardinal leads Arizona 76-15 all time and has won 40 of the last 43 meetings.
  • Stanford returns 25.8% of its scoring, 22.4% of its rebounds and 29.9% of its minutes from last season.
  • The 12-player roster includes 4 freshmen, 4 sophomores and 4 juniors; 7 players are newcomers.
  • Stanford’s nonconference schedule includes 5 Power 4 opponents and 5 true road games.
Yes, But

Stanford’s strong history against Arizona and in season openers offers a promising backdrop, but the team returns little production and has no seniors or fifth-year players. The matchup also comes on the road, marking Stanford’s first season opener away from Maples Pavilion since 2017.

What’s Next

Stanford faces Arizona at 10:30 a.m. PT Monday, Nov. 2, at T-Mobile Arena. The game airs on CBS Sports Network, with radio coverage available through GoStanford.com, the Stanford Athletics app and Learfield’s Varsity Network.

Bottom Line

Stanford begins the season with a high-profile test that will quickly reveal how its young roster handles a demanding schedule and the loss of most of last year’s production.