NCAA Rewind: A Controversial End to Stanford's Bounce-Back Season

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2025 — look out for our NCAA Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings later this summer — our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking a last look at the 2024 college lacrosse season.

To do that, we’re taking a journey through 30 of the top teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse to see what went right, what went wrong and how we should feel about the season.

STANFORD

USA Lacrosse preseason/final ranking: NR/18
2024 record: 13-5 (7-0 Pac-12)

What went right: Expectations were lower than usual for the Cardinal entering the 2024 season after a “down” 2023 in which Stanford lost in the Pac-12 semifinals and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The departure of Ashley Humphrey, who broke the single-season NCAA assist mark with 86 in 2022, to UNC didn’t do much to elevate confidence.

And that’s why championships aren’t won on paper. 

Stanford edged rival and defending Pac-12 champion USC 8-6 on April 13, winning the final regular-season conference title with a 7-0 mark for the second time since 2021. In the conference championship game, Stanford topped a Colorado team that upset USC in the semifinal, booking a trip to the NCAAs. Annabel Frist shined in the circle, corralling 126 draws, before sustaining a season-ending injury against USC. Meanwhile, a balanced attack led by Aliya Polisky (53G, 18A), Jordyn Case (48G, 14A) and Jay Browne (30G, 31A) gelled, and the defense held opponents to single-digit goals in 12 of 18 games. 

What went wrong: The final play of Stanford’s 2024 season could — should — be fodder during the next rules change cycle. The Cardinal had a figurative shot to even the score in the waning seconds of its NCAA Tournament first-round game vs. Denver. However, it literally did not get a shot off. Browne pulled down the final draw control and was fouled in the offensive zone. However, she was unable to make one last play as the referees worked to position players as the clock ran, per the rules. 

Season highlight: The frustration of last season and lower-than-usual external expectations had to make reclaiming the Pac-12 conference tournament crown — and the NCAA automatic qualifier that came with it — gratifying for the Cardinal. The Buffs, hungry for an NCAA bid that never came, put up a fight, but Stanford never trailed and held off a late push for the win. Browne quarterbacked the offense with four goals to go along with an assist.

Verdict:  Call it a bounceback. Stanford’s Pac-12 title run included overcoming the loss of Humphrey to the portal and Frist to a late-season injury. (The Cardinal still held a 15-14 draw edge over Denver in the NCAA tournament.) Up next? A move to the ACC and life beyond Browne, who turned her tassel in May.