Sotnikova then competed at the 2011 Golden Spin of Zagreb and won the gold medal. At the 2012 Russian Championships, she placed first in the short program and second in the long program, to win her third national title. She then competed at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games and won the silver medal. At the 2012 World Junior Championships, she won the bronze medal behind teammate Yulia Lipnitskaya and U.S. skater Gracie Gold. Sotnikova was named to the Russian team for the 2012 ISU World Team Trophy. She finished 4th overall and posted a season's best in her free skate of 113.57 points.