SMU women’s basketball heads to Stanford to close its 50th season, leaning on Zahra King and a defense ranked top three in ACC steals.
The 50th season of SMU women’s basketball is heading west. The Mustangs wrap up the regular season with a two-game California swing, starting Thursday night at Stanford inside Maples Pavilion.
For a team that has battled injuries, roster turnover and the grind of year two in the ACC, this trip is about finishing strong and proving growth is real.
SMU (2-14 ACC) has dropped its last two games, but the foundation remains clear ... Zahra King is the engine.
The sophomore guard has been one of the ACC’s most efficient scorers, shooting 45 percent from the field and averaging 15 points per game, including 16.7 per contest in league play.
She’s poured in 397 total points this season and has 18 double-digit games. Her 40-point explosion against Pitt - where she went 7-of-12 from deep - stamped her as one of the league’s breakout stars.
Inside, Anaya Brown continues to anchor the paint. She ranks ninth in the ACC with 40 total blocks and averages 6.5 rebounds in conference play. Alongside Grace Hall, SMU is the only ACC program with two players ranked in the league’s top 10 in blocks per game.
SMU ranks third in the ACC in steals per game (10.6) and has forced 20 or more turnovers in 11 contests. That defensive identity has kept them competitive even while playing short-handed; the team dressed just seven players in its last outing.
Offensively, the Mustangs have knocked down 176 3-pointers, shot over 40 percent from deep in 10 games and produced nine outings with 30-plus points in the paint.
Stanford (6-10 ACC) sits 9-6 at home and holds the edge in league wins, but SMU already proved last season it can beat the Cardinal.
Head coach Adia Barnes, who faced Stanford in a national title game while at Arizona, understands the challenge.
For SMU, this trip isn’t just about standings. It’s about closing a milestone season with resilience ... and showing that the rebuild is moving in the right direction.