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Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer announced the signings of three highly-touted high school standouts to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Cameron Brink (Beaverton, Ore./Mountainside), Agnes Emma-Nnopu (Victoria, Australia/Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence) and Jana Van Gytenbeek (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) will join the Cardinal ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
Stanford’s class is one of the nation’s strongest, collectively rated No. 5 by espnW HoopGurlz.
“These three are all great fits and tremendous players and are going to be wonderful additions to our program,” VanDerveer said. “They’re talented on the court, but we are just as thrilled to bring in people of their character. Cameron, Agnes and Jana will fit in seamlessly with the culture we have here at Stanford and we cannot wait to see them on the floor in Maples next season.”
The three are strong additions to a program which has won a pair of national championships, been to 32 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, advanced to the Final Four in seven of the past 12 seasons and the Elite Eight in 12 of the past 16, won at least 20 games for 18 straight years and claimed a combined 36 Pac-12 regular season and conference championships.
Brink, a 6-foot-4 forward, is a five-star talent and the No. 3 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100.
A two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year (2018, 2019) and two-time Oregonian 6A Player of the Year (2018, 2019), Brink played her first three prep seasons at Southridge High School and will wrap up her high school career at Mountainside High School.
As a junior, Brink averaged 21.3 points and 11.1 rebounds and guided her team to the Oregon Class 6A state final and a 25-4 record. She was named the USA TODAY Oregon Player of the Year, Naismith High School All-American honorable mention and to the MaxPreps High School All-America second team.
She was named to the 50-person watch list for the Naismith Trophy Girls’ High School Player of the Year on Tuesday.
“Stanford has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember,” Brink said. “I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”
A USA Basketball veteran, Brink won gold medals with the United States at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand alongside future teammate Francesca Belibi and the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup in Minsk, Belarus alongside Belibi and Haley Jones.
“Cameron is going to be a tremendous addition to our team,” VanDerveer said. “She is very versatile big who runs the floor extremely well and blocks shots. We lose Nadia [Fingall] to graduation after this season and I think Cameron is someone that can come in, contribute and help us fill that void.”
Emma-Nnopu, a 6-foot forward, is one of Australia’s top prospects and a member of two medal-winning World Cup teams. She will be the second Australian to suit up for the Cardinal in the program’s history, joining 2019 All-American Alanna Smith, who signed as Stanford’s first international recruit in Nov. 2014.
At the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, Emma-Nnopu averaged 6.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in leading Australia to a silver medal. She had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in the quarterfinals against Mali and had nine points and 12 boards in the championship against the U.S.
In the summer of 2018, Emma-Nnopu averaged 6.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists as Australia finished third at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Minsk, Belarus. Her best performance came in the quarterfinals against Italy, when she scored 11 and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 64-46 victory.
“As soon as I stepped on campus I knew that Stanford was where I wanted to be,” Emma-Nnopu said.
Emma-Nnopu also represented her country at the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in India in October 2017 and led Australia in rebounds (8.5) and field goal percentage (.640) and was second in scoring (11.5).
“Every team needs what she does,” VanDerveer commented. “Agnes plays defense and she rebounds and she’ll come in with extensive national team experience. She’s very aggressive, has a high motor and will fit our system very well.”
Van Gytenbeek, also rated a five-star talent, is the No. 38 overall player in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100. A true point guard, Van Gytenbeek averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals for Cherry Creek as a junior last season.
She hit the game-winning basket in the waning seconds of the Colorado Class 5A state final against Grandview High School, the two-time defending champions, to give the Bruins their first state title.
The 2019 Colorado High School Activities Association 5A Player of the Year, Van Gytenbeek has played in 77 career games and averaged 16.5 points, 6.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals. She posted numbers of 16.4 points, 7.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 steals in 2017-18 and 14.8 points, 5.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals as a freshman.
“Stanford is a place where I know I will be surrounded by people who will positively impact me for the rest of my life,” Van Gytenbeek said.
Van Gytenbeek is on the Naismith High School Girls’ Watch List along with Brink.
“Jana is a classic point guard,” VanDerveer said. “She’s vocal, has a high basketball IQ and is an excellent passer and shooter. She has everything you’re looking for in someone at her position and we’ve very excited she’s coming to Stanford.”
By Staff report
By Staff report
By Staff report
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By Staff report