Currently riding a five-game winning streak and fresh off its first national ranking since 2019, the No. 24 California women's basketball team (11-1, 1-0 ACC) is set to host its fourth-annual Raising The B.A.R. (basketball, activism, representation) Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at Haas Pavilion. The Golden Bears will face Fordham (6-3) at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday and then either Xavier or Temple in either the consolation (3 p.m.) or championship game (time TBD) on Sunday.
 
Following the conclusion of the tournament an all-tournament team and tournament MVP will be announced directly after the championship game.
 
If the Bears sweep the weekend they will match their best start since the 2016-17 season, when they started 13-1.
 
Cal head coach Charmin Smith Charmin created the tournament to elevate the voices, stories and people in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice space and highlight the lack of diversity in women's basketball college coaching. All three teams invited to the tournament each year are led by Black female head coaches.
 
This year's tournament includes several exciting new initiatives:

• Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in Haas Pavilion: An in-person panel "EmpowerHER" - a celebration of black women within sport that will feature trailblazing black female head coaches from the 2024 Raising the B.A.R. Invitational. Fans can RSVP HERE
• Fundraising For Change: Each of the four teams will be fundraising for a local charity of its choice. For every point each team scores over the two-day tournament, fans can pledge a monetary amount (10 cents per point, 25 cents per point, $1 per point, etc.) or a flat donation. Fans can donate HERE.
  • Cal will be raising funds for People's Programs - a Black-led organization, founded by Black youth in 2017, dedicated to empowering the community of Oakland through grassroots community programs. Instead of relying on top-down solutions, it champions bottom-up approaches to address the core issues affecting its community. Their mission is clear: To serve the people, build autonomy and directly impact Black lives.
• A toy drive in partnership with StudioFive10: Fans can purchase toys from an Amazon wish list that will be distributed to families after the championship game on Sunday. Fans can participate in the toy drive HERE or drop off toys in the Haas Pavilion lobby.
• A warm coat drive: In partnership with Kappa Alpha Psi, the women's basketball program is encouraging fans to bring a new or gently used coat to donate Saturday. Fans who donate a coat will receive a voucher for an upcoming Cal women's basketball game.

Both of Cal's games during the tournament will be streamed on ACCNX with Dave Benz, Ashlee Jones and former Cal great and WNBA All-Star Layshia Clarendon on the call.
 
FORDHAM GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Saturday, Dec. 21 | 5 p.m. PT
Live Stream: ACCNX
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
About Fordham
This game marks just the second overall meeting between the two programs. Cal and Fordham previously met in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, with the Bears taking a 64-63 win over the Rams on an eventual game-winning jump shot by former Cal great Brittany Boyd.
 
Fordham is led by second-year head coach Bridgette Mitchell who led the Rams to the 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament despite being picked to finish 13th in the preseason poll that year. Fordham is led by Taylor Donaldson, who leads the team in scoring (16.0 points per game) and is coming off a season in which she earned A-10 All-Conference Second-Team honors.
 
About Xavier
Cal has faced Xavier just once previously in an 88-79 win on Dec. 30, 1991.
 
Xavier is led by second-year head coach Billi Chambers, who in her first season helped then-freshman Aizhanique Mayo to 2024 All-BIG EAST Freshman Team honors. The Musketeers feature two players averaging double figures in scoring in Loren Christie (11.1 ppg) and Meri Kanerva (11.1 ppg). Christie is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.4 rebounds per game. 
 
About Temple
Cal has faced Temple just once previously in a 77-66 defeat at the Dial Classic in Tempe, Arizona, on Dec. 10, 1982.
 
Temple is led by third-year head coach Diane Richardson, who led the Owls to a share of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship and a 20-12 record last year. The 20 wins in 2023-24 marked the most for the program since the 2016-17 season. Temple's squad is highlighted by Tiarra East, who is averaging 16.4 ppg and Anissa Rivera, who leads the team in rebounding at 7.9 rpg.
 
QUICK HITS
In the 71-45 win over Austin Peay on Sunday:

• Cal knocked down nine 3-pointers in the first half before finishing with 11 for the game – its sixth game this season with 10+ 3-pointers.
• Kayla Williams who had her best all-around game of the season finishing with 18 points (7-of-8), three 3-pointers, eight rebounds and six assists.
• The Bears held the Governors (3-6) to just 17 points in the second half on the way to the win.
• Michelle Onyiah tied her career high with five blocks for the second straight game.
• Zahra King had her best game as a Bear scoring 13 points (4-of-5) to go along with a pair of 3-pointers.

 
NCAA Team Rankings

• Total 3-pointers made - 2nd (123)
• 3-point makes per game - 11th (10.3)
• 3-point percentage - 13th (39.0%)
• Free throws made per game - 27th - 14.9
• Free throw attempts per game - 30th (21.0)
• Scoring - 43rd (78.2)
• Blocks per game - 37th (4.7)

 
Player Notes

• On Tuesday, Marta Suárez was named to the USBWA Ann Myers National Player of the Week team following her 21-point (including four 3-pointers) and seven-rebound effort in the win over Stanford.
• Ioanna Krimili is currently the nation's leader in both career triples (373) and most career games with at least five made 3-pointers (24). She ranks fourth in the NCAA in career points (2,292) among all active players.
• Krimili and Lulu Twidale are the best 3-point shooting duo in the nation. Twidale is 4th in the NCAA with 39 made triples and Krimili is 7th with 36 (through Dec. 16).
• Krimili and Twidale are 2 of only 3 players in the NCAA with nine games this season with three or more made 3-pointers.
• Marta Suárez has got it going lately as she is averaging 15.8 points per game over her last four outings. She's averaging 2.2 triples per game over that span.
• Suárez's 20 3-pointers this season rank second among all forwards in the ACC. She is also 1 of just 5 forwards in the country shooting at least 49% from the field and 40% from deep (min. 40 3PTA).
• Williams has had at least five assists in five of the last six games and has had six in three of those games.

 
Team Notes

• Cal is the only school in the country to have two players (Krimili and Twidale) rank in the top seven nationally for 3-pointers made. No other school has a duo in the top 35.
• Cal is one of only two ACC schools with five different players having scored 20+ points at least once in a game this season (other is Notre Dame).
• Cal is the only school in the country with four players (Krimili, Suárez, Twidale and Williams) averaging at least 40% from deep (min 40 3PTA).
• Cal's depth on the offensive side of the ball has been on display this season as five different Bears have led the team in scoring in a game. All five starters are also averaging over 10 points per game.

 
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