BERKELEY – The California women's basketball team officially opens its 2024-25 campaign by hosting Saint Mary's on Monday at Haas Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. The Golden Bears own a 22-5 series advantage between the teams and have won six straight against the Gaels dating back to the 2016-17 season.
 
The Bears last played Saint Mary's last December at Haas Pavilion in a 74-69 Bears' win. Cal led wire-to-wire and took a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter before the Gaels mounted a late rally.
 
Saint Mary's is led by head coach and former Cal assistant Jeff Cammon, who returns for his second season and welcomes 10 newcomers and seven transfers to the roster. The Gaels were 13-18 overall in 2023-24 and finished West Coast Conference play with a 6-10 record, which was good for sixth place. Notable returners for the Gaels include All-WCC selections Zeryhia Aokuso and Maia Jones. The Gaels' coaching staff also features former Bears great and All-American Brittany Boyd-Jones, who played in Berkeley from 2011-15.
 
Monday's game will air on ACCNX with Dave Benz and Theo Robertson on the call.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Monday, Nov. 4 | 6 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: ACCNX
 
QUICK HITS

• The Bears are coming off their best season under head coach Charmin Smith in which they:
  • Won their most overall (19) and conference (seven) games since 2018-19
  • Had home and road sweeps of Pac-12 schools (Washington and Washington State) for the first time since 2018-19
  • Played in the postseason for the first time since 2018-19
  • Advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament for the first time since 2019-20.
  • Swept three different Pac-12 schools (Oregon, Washington and Washington State) for the first time since 2017-18.
• Last year, Cal set a single-season program record with 282 made 3-pointers
• Graduate guard Ioanna Krimili enters the 2024-25 season as the nation's leader in both career triples (337) and most career games with at least five made 3-pointers (24).
• The Bears received six votes in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll (Oct. 24).
• The returning trio of Krimili, Marta Suárez and Lulu Twidale combined for 144 3-pointers last season, which accounted for 51% of the team's total triples made.
• Suárez proved to be one of the most versatile players on the team last season as she made impacts on both ends of the floor, leading the team in rebounds (171) while ranking third in 3-point makes (42).
• Twidale was was one of only two freshmen in the Pac-12 to either score 24 points or hit six triples in a game; the other was USC's Juju Watkins.
• Michelle Onyiah enters the season ranked eighth on Cal's all-time career blocks list (99) and is just 11 away from moving up to the fifth spot.
• This year's roster features the No. 22-ranked freshman class in the country, and includes two rookies who are part of ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100 - Kamryn Mafua (No. 54) and Zahra King (No. 76) along with last year's Gatorade and MaxPreps Hawaii State Player of the Year Lola Donez and Gabby Abigor.
• The Bears welcome four transfers in graduate forward Natalia Ackerman (Cal Poly), sophomore guard Gisella Maul (Texas), graduate guard Jayda Noble (Washington) and graduate guard Kayla Williams (USC).

 
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