NCAA Championship
The Stanford women’s Water Polo team made history yet again on May 11 when they won the 2025 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship. The Cardinal women defeated Southern California to clinch the 10th NCAA tournament victory in Stanford’s program history. The Stanford women were the favorite to win the tournament.
This was Stanford’s third title in four seasons, and they have qualified for every tournament since the league began. As a team, Stanford leads the country with the most overall team championships—a staggering 137 titles across all of their NCAA sports.
Growth of Women’s Water Polo
Women’s water polo in the NCAA has seen significant growth in viewership in the past 10 years. The women on NCAA teams are playing a critical role in expanding the sport and the opportunities for young girls everywhere. The impact that these women—especially those on a recognizable powerhouse team like Stanford’s—have had is crucial to continuing to build women’s water polo.
USA Water Polo has been pivotal in this growth through the promotion of the sport at the NCAA level. Through their partnership with ESPN and the NCAA, they have not only expanded coverage but also helped to advertise and gain more VISibility. Now, all NCAA matches are able to be streamed on NCAA.com, helping to make water polo an accessible sport nationally. The impact that these women have had is crucial to continuing to build women’s water polo.
“People are definitely starting to realize how fun and amazing water polo is.”
The Future of Water Polo
Stanford's legacy of success in women’s water polo builds exposure and VISibility for the sport, exposing young girls to the sport and inspiring them to pursue their dreams. More exposure to the sport means that more girls will play water polo. And more people playing water polo raises the caliber of the competition, which will help women’s water polo soar to new heights.
More young girls interested in water polo can also lead to more high school and club programs. This will increase access to women’s water polo for girls nationwide. Because the sport is just gaining traction, women’s water polo has a lot of room left to grow. Maggie Steffens, a Stanford Water Polo alumna, tells USA Water Polo, "People are definitely starting to realize how fun and amazing water polo is. But because it's a smaller sport, there is a smaller pool that people are choosing from in terms of colleges." In this interview, Steffens advocates for the interpersonal skills the sport brings, along with critical life skills such as swimming ability. She highlights the unique size of the sport, emphasizing how it is a great opportunity to be competitive in a specific athletic environment.
As the Stanford women continue to raise the standard in water polo, the future of the sport is brighter than ever. The Cardinal women are part of a movement that will inspire generations of girls to come.
