The California women's basketball team officially opens its 2025-26 season on the world stage as it faces No. 19 Vanderbilt in the Oui-Play event in Paris at Adidas Arena on Monday at 11:30 a.m. PT.
 
A win against Vanderbilt would be Cal's first win against a ranked opponent since defeating then-No. 21 NC State on Jan. 9, 2025.
 
This is the fifth all-time meeting between the programs with the series tied at 2-2. The Bears won the most recent matchup, 67-59, at their own Contra Costa Classic on Dec. 2, 2007.
 
Vanderbilt opens the 2025-26 season as the 19th ranked team in the nation according to the AP Preseason Poll. The Commodores are coming off a 22-11 campaign in 2024-25 where they made it to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They feature Mikayla Blakes who is coming off the most successful freshman campaign in program history, as she averaged 23.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game a season ago en route to multiple postseason honors including USBWA National Freshman of the Year and several All-American Honors.
 
Monday's game will air on ESPNU with Beth Mowins and Carolyn Peck on the call.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Monday, Nov. 3 |11:30 a.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: ESPNU
 
QUICK HITS

• The Bears are coming off their best season under head coach Charmin Smith in which they:
  • Earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018-19,
  • Won 25 games for the first time since 2012-13
  • Maintained an Associated Press Top 25 ranking for eight straight weeks (going as high as No. 18)
  • Set a program record for home wins in a season (16), going 16-1 at Haas Pavilion
  • Set a program record for 3-pointers in a season (297).
  • Defeated multiple ranked teams
  • Advanced to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
• Returner Lulu Twidale was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watchlist.
• Transfer Sakima Walker was named to the Lisa Leslie Award Preseason Watchlist.
• Freshman Puff Morris was named to the ACC Preseason All-Freshman Team.
• Twidale returns as the ACC's top 3-point shooter after she finished the 2024-25 season ranked first in the conference in 3-point percentage (38.2) and second in triples made (94).
• After just two seasons at Cal, Twidale is already ranked sixth on the program's all-time career list for 3-pointers (135) and is just three away from taking the fifth spot to overtake former Bear Lauren Grief.
• Morris is Cal's first McDonald's All-American since Kristine Anigwe (2015).
• Cal welcomes its second-consecutive Top 25 (ESPN) recruiting class that features two ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100 players in McDonald's All-American Morris (No. 24) and Taylor Barnes (No. 70) along with Grace McCallop and Isis Johnson-Musah.
• The Bears brought in three transfers this offseason (Naya Ojukwu/Morgan State, Mjracle Sheppard, LSU and Walker/South Carolina).

 
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