Stanford-bound hooper Lara Somfai shares snaps from her graduation day at IMG Academy [PHOTOS]

Stanford Cardinals signee Lara Somfai has graduated. On Friday, she shared pictures from her IMG Academy graduation in Bradenton, Florida, on Instagram story.

She appears dressed in a blue graduation gown and a graduation cap. In other stories, she posed with her friends and family.

"IT'S GRADUATION DAY!! 🎓" Somfai captioned her story.

The 6-foot-4 power forward from Australia ranked overall No. 21 in the Class of 2025. According to On3 Top Recruits rankings, she's third, after Sienna Betts and Kaelyn Carroll among power forwards. Somfai is also the third-best player in Florida.

In the 2024-25 season, Somfai led IMG Academy to its first Chipotle National Championship. The team secured an 80–78 overtime victory against Montverde Academy on April 15 in Indiana. She was declared a McDonald's All-American and recognized as an elite player.

Somfai has represented Australia internationally in FIBA competitions and is a three-time gold medalist. In the 2024 FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup, she averaged 17.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, earning a spot on the All-Star Five.

Lara Somfai expresses excitement about starting at Stanford

On May 16, the five-star forward shared her excitement about starting at Stanford on Instagram with a photo of herself at IMG wearing a Stanford shirt. She captioned her story:

"See you soon!! @stanfordwbb"

In a conversation with On3, Somfai said that her decision was instinctive. The environment and connection fostered by the team were essential factors in her decision.

“I think it’s kind of just a gut feeling,” she said. "My family – if they see me at the place like I do. The most important aspect, though, is definitely the relationships. I’d like to play with someone I can trust that however they are on the court, they care for me and want the best for me.

"The teammates I’m playing with are a huge factor because I’ve been with them for four years. So if they’re incredible people, it’ll be even better," she added.

Stanford's academic side and her belief in the coaches were also influential.

With coach Tara (VanDerveer) as well, I know she’s gone now, but I looked up to her so much. And coach Kate (Paye) was the one recruiting me. So when she took over, I didn’t really mind at all, because she’s the one I knew the best,” said Lara Somfai.

Lara Somfai chose Stanford over offers from top programs like Duke and UConn.

About the author

Nishant is a Delhi-based journalist at Sportskeeda specializing in High School Sports. He graduated in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing a Masters in Operational Research at Delhi University.

With his educational background and over four years of experience, Nishant likes to be precise with information. He is passionate about cricket, football, basketball, and chess, often writing about events and game analysis.

His favorite team is the Michigan Wolverines, and he thoroughly enjoyed their unbeaten season and championship win, especially when it culminated in Jim Harbaugh fulfilling his promise of getting a tattoo.

When he is not working or watching sports, Nishant likes to play football and write poetry. Wrapping everything in humor with relatable memes and defending his heart out on the football field is why he gets up every day.

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Edited by Bhargav