After missing the last two NCAA tournaments, the Stanford Cardinal are looking to return to being a national powerhouse this season and prove that they can compete in a loaded ACC.

Stanford failed to really establish an identity in the first two seasons under new head coach Kate Paye. The Cardinal have had a busy offseason after allegations of a toxic culture led to departures in the transfer portal.

To fill out its roster, the Cardinal went all-in this offseason, bringing in new talent and making sure that it fields a highly competitive roster.

While the program experienced a major roster exodus, it also brought in a handful of new players from the portal and a brand new recruiting class that it thinks can be big contributors early on. Here are the top additions for the Cardinal to watch this season.

A two-year standout at Michigan State, Sotelo Míguez comes to The Farm as an expected starter right out of the gate, coming off a sophomore campaign where she averaged 6.8 points per game for the Spartans, adding 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.9 minutes per game. 

Now she's spending the summer playing for Spain in the FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket tournament and shining defensively. She's put up 11.6 points per game along with 7.8 rebounds per game across five contests.

The Cardinal need a beast on the defensive side of things and Sotelo Míguez fits that bill perfectly. She has the skill set to help account for some of the roster departures this offseason. 

Despite a strong high school career, Tuhy did not receive a ton of interest during her initial recruiting, committing to American University, where she spent her first season of college basketball.

But after taking the Patriot League by storm and earning Third Team All-League honors and All-Rookie team honors while averaging 12 points and over 11 rebounds per game, Tuhy opted to take her talents to the Power Four where she is eager to build off her impressive freshman campaign.

While she may not be a starter right away, Tuhy will at least play a big role off the bench and lead the second unit.

The Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year and the recipient of Indiana Miss Basketball this past season, Gilliard is coming to Stanford as a star in the making. 

She's an elite scorer and passer and the Cardinal could see Gilliard turn into one of the faces of the program very early on. While the last couple of seasons have seen the Cardinal rely on veterans, Gilliard's skillset could change that this season. 

A highly-touted recruit, Gilliard received interest from multiple schools such as Davidson, Harvard and Ball State and even committed to Davidson last year before Stanford flipped her decision. Gilliard paired with sophomore Hailee Swain should spell trouble for the opposition. 

Wheeler, much like Sotelo Míguez, comes to Stanford with experience playing in high-leverage games, representing Team Canada in multiple international competitions. Back in June, she averaged 13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in five games to lead Canada to a silver. 

A versatile player, capable of playing both guard spots, Wheeler will likely be on the floor a lot this season given her elite shooting ability. Listed at 6-foot-0, she brings some size to the backcourt.

A four-star talent coming out of high school, Wheeler received interest from several other big schools, but chose Stanford. 

The last true superstar big that the Cardinal had was Cameron Brink, but Green has the makings to be the next. Standing at 6-foot-5 and known for her tenacious play in the middle, Green is also an elite scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game with 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a junior in high school.

Hailing from Hillsboro, Oregon, Green has the size and skill set to make a difference for the Cardinal early on.