ND Women’s Basketball
Notre Dame announces Sniezek as newest addition to program
Observer Sports Staff | Wednesday, May 22, 2019
After all five starters were taken in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Draft, Notre Dame has focused its rebuilding efforts on graduate transfers. Most recently, former Stanford guard Marta Sniezek announced her decision to join the Irish this upcoming season. Sniezek, who announced this decision Wednesday, is the fourth newcomer to the Irish roster, joining fellow fifth-year transfer Destinee Walker from North Carolina and incoming freshmen Samantha Brunelle and Anaya Peoples. Sniezek and Walker are both immediately eligible to play as graduate students.
Originally from McLean, Virginia, Sniezek entered Stanford as a highly touted recruit. At National Cathedral High School in Washington, D.C., Sniezek was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the district in both soccer and basketball. In college, the 5-foot-8 guard had an immediate impact with the Cardinal. She was named a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honorable mention and proved to be a prolific passer, recording 109 assists in her rookie season, making her only the eighth freshman in program history to do so. She was an integral part in the Cardinal’s Elite Eight run, where she contributed 7.3 points and 5.3 assists.
She continued to be a significant presence for Stanford throughout her sophomore year, appearing in all 38 games and starting nine of them. She once again had a strong NCAA Tournament showing, including an eight-point, no-turnover performance in Stanford‘s one-point win over Notre Dame, ending the Irish’s season in the Elite Eight.
Sniezek had an increased role as a floor general in her third season with the Cardinal, starting 32 games and once again recording a strong assist to turnover ratio. However, she was unable to build on that campaign after suffering injuries to her thumb, hand and shoulder, and ultimately having surgery, forcing her to sit out the entirety of her senior year.
With valuable postseason experience, Sniezek is expected to make significant contributions among this young Notre Dame squad both on the floor and in the locker room.
