Cardinal Canopy Podcast: Jasmine Aikey on Her Time at Stanford, the 2026 Team

In this episode of the Cardinal Canopy Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, I am joined by former Stanford Women's Soccer Player Jasmine Aikey for a wide-ranging conversation about her love for soccer, her time at Stanford, injuries, and the 2026 Stanford Women's Soccer season.

Jasmine Aikey finished her Stanford career as one of the most accomplished and versatile players in program history. The Palo Alto native recorded 43 goals and 25 assists in 83 games, helped Stanford reach two College Cups, and capped her career by winning the MAC Hermann Trophy.

But Aikey’s connection to Stanford started long before she ever put on the uniform.

Growing up in Palo Alto, Aikey attended Stanford women’s soccer games as a kid and looked up to players like Catarina Macario. She even attended the 2019 College Cup with future Stanford teammates Joelle Jung and Allie Montoya.

Her soccer career actually started somewhat accidentally. After her dad missed the signup for rec soccer, Aikey first played softball before switching to soccer the following year. The sport quickly became an outlet for both her creativity and competitiveness.

That versatility became one of the defining parts of her game. Aikey played forward, midfield, and defense during her Stanford career, continuing something she had done throughout youth soccer.

“You’re a soccer player, you’re not just one position,” Aikey said.

Her Stanford career also produced several unforgettable moments. She scored an intentional Olimpico against Saint Mary’s in 2023 after noticing the goalkeeper aggressively attacking her corner kicks. Two years later, she scored a bicycle kick against No. 1 Virginia.

Aikey reached the College Cup in both 2023 and 2025, taking on a much larger leadership role during her second run. Her final touch at Cagan Stadium was fittingly a free-kick goal before she was substituted out.

Her career, however, also included significant adversity. Aikey dealt with a broken fibula, knee problems, and an ACL tear with meniscus damage. Those injuries changed her perspective on both soccer and recovery.

“I don’t think you’re ever the same player coming back from injury,” she said. “Different in a lot of better ways.”

Now beginning the next chapter of her career with the Denver Summit, Aikey is also keeping a close eye on Stanford. She believes the 2026 Cardinal have the talent to make another postseason run, highlighting Charlotte Kohler, Y-Lan Nguyen, and Eleanor Klinger as players to watch.

The biggest challenge will be replacing experience from a senior-heavy 2025 team. For Aikey, Stanford’s ability to handle that adversity and grow throughout the season could ultimately determine whether the Cardinal once again find themselves competing for a national championship.

Let me know in the comments what you think!