California Golden Bears Athletics
With a win, Cal will sweep the Washington schools for the first time since 2018-19 when it did it twice that year.
Cal Set To Host Washington State
1/6/2024 12:35 PM | Women's Basketball
Bears Look To Avenge 2023 Pac-12 Tournament Loss To Cougars
BERKELEY – The California women's basketball team will wrap up its 10-game homestand against Washington State on Sunday at noon. This will mark the 78th all-time meeting between the programs with Cal holding a 48-29 series advantage, but a six-game losing streak against the Cougars. The Bears last win in the series came in a 77-58 victory on March 7, 2019 in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
Washington State is led by sixth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge and is the defending Pac-12 Tournament Champion. The Cougars return eight players from last year's squad including three All-Pac-12 players led by All-America guard Charlisse Leger-Walker.
The teams last played on March 1, 2023 in the opening round of last season's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The Bears led 27-21 at halftime after holding the Cougars to 25% shooting, but Cal allowed WSU to get going and shoot 59% in the second half in a 61-49 loss at Michelob Ultra Arena. Michelle Onyiah and Mia Mastrov provided big sparks with each scoring 10 points off the bench.
Sunday's game will air on Pac-12 Washington with Kylen Mills and Jennifer Mountain on the call.
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Sunday, Jan. 7 | 12 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: Pac-12 Washington
QUICK HITS
Cal heads on the road to take on No. 5 Colorado next Friday at 6 p.m.
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal women's basketball, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWBBall), Instagram (@CalWBBball) and Facebook (/CalWBBall/).
Washington State is led by sixth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge and is the defending Pac-12 Tournament Champion. The Cougars return eight players from last year's squad including three All-Pac-12 players led by All-America guard Charlisse Leger-Walker.
The teams last played on March 1, 2023 in the opening round of last season's Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The Bears led 27-21 at halftime after holding the Cougars to 25% shooting, but Cal allowed WSU to get going and shoot 59% in the second half in a 61-49 loss at Michelob Ultra Arena. Michelle Onyiah and Mia Mastrov provided big sparks with each scoring 10 points off the bench.
Sunday's game will air on Pac-12 Washington with Kylen Mills and Jennifer Mountain on the call.
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Sunday, Jan. 7 | 12 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: Pac-12 Washington
QUICK HITS
- In the 70-57 win against Washington (Jan. 5):
- In just her second game back from injury Ioanna Krimili scored a season-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting which included 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
- Leilani McIntosh had three assists and one steal which moved her into a tie with Mikayla Cowling and Natasha Vital for fifth on Cal's all-time career assists list and into ninth on the career steals list, passing Kesha Martin.
- Michelle Onyiah joined Krimili in double figures with 11 points while grabbing a game-high eight rebounds.
- Marta Suárez rounded out the Bears in double figures with 10 points.
- The 70 points scored were the most the Huskies have given up all season after they entered the game ranked first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, giving up just 46.8 points per game.
- Cal held Washington to its second-lowest shooting percentage of the season at 36.1%
- At 11-3, Cal is off to its best start in the Charmin Smith era and its best 14-game start since 2016-17 (13-1 that season).
- Krimili is one of just two active players in the country with career averages of at least 17.0 points per game and 40% from 3-point range. The other is UConn's Paige Bueckers.
- Krimili has scored in double figures in all five games played this season and hit multiple 3-pointers in four of them.
- McKayla Williams has been one of the most active players on the glass for the Bears this season. Her 7.2 rebounds per game average is tied for team lead and ranks second among all guards in the Pac-12 and 11th overall.
- Onyiah has been effective on the glass when she has been on the floor. While averaging just 18.4 minutes per game she ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in rebounding (7.2). Her minutes per game are by far the fewest of any player ranked in the top 25 in the conference in rebounding.
- Marta Suarez's versatility at the forward position has been on display all year as her 21 made 3-pointers rank third in the Pac-12 and 23rd in the country among all forwards.
- McIntosh is on pace to average her most assists per game for a season. Her 6.3 assists per game rank third in the Pac-12 and 14th in the country.
- McIntosh is just one assist away from passing Mikayla Cowling and Natasha Vital for the fifth spot on Cal's all-time career list. She is also just five steals away from passing Karen Smith for eighth on the career steals list.
- McIntosh is one of just two players in the nation to average at least 11 PPG, 6.0 APG, 2 STL and 38.0% from 3-point range. The other is Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo.
- Lulu Twidale has emerged as one of the team's top 3-point shooters. She has now hit multiple 3-pointers in seven of the last 10 games. Her 21 3-pointers are tied for the team lead and rank fifth in the Pac-12 and 36th in the country among all freshmen.
- The Bears are giving up 59.6 points per game, a 10.0-point improvement over last season when they gave up an average of 69.6 points per game.
- Four or more different players scored in double figures in six games this season, a significant improvement from last season when four players scored in double figures just four times all season.
- The Bears have had 10 or more steals in five games already this season, beating their total (2) from all of last year.
- Through the first 14 games of the season, the Bears have hit 10 or more 3-pointers in five games, surpassing last year's total in which they hit double-figure 3-pointers in just one game.
- Pac-12 Leaders as of Dec. 30
- Assists per game - McIntosh, 2nd (6.5)
- Steals per game - McIntosh, 8th (2.2)
- Rebounds per game – Williams and Onyiah, 12th (7.2)
- 3PM per game – Suarez and Twidale, 14th (1.6)
- Cal 3PM, 3rd (105)
Cal heads on the road to take on No. 5 Colorado next Friday at 6 p.m.
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal women's basketball, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWBBall), Instagram (@CalWBBball) and Facebook (/CalWBBall/).
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballWednesday, August 12
Tuesday, August 04
Friday, July 24
Wednesday, May 27
