Cal Women Face Mississippi State in LA in Opening NCAA Tournament Game

Golden Bears get first March Madness berth since 2019; USC looms in 2nd round

Cal head coach Charmin Smith / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

After traveling across the country for ACC road games this season, Cal will only need to go down the California coast to play its first women’s NCAA tournament game in six years.

The Golden Bears (25-8) received a No. 8 seed in Regional 4 and will face ninth-seeded Mississippi State (21-11) on Saturday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles in their first-round matchup in the field of 68, which was announced Sunday.

“We're going to celebrate, we're going to dance, we're going to enjoy every single moment of this, because I do believe nothing's guaranteed,” coach Charmin Smith said.  “I want them to enjoy this as much as possible every single moment.

So today was a lot of fun. It was a great day. So cool to see our name pop up, to know the whole time that our name was going to be called, to not be worried about them. It's a great day for our program.”

If Cal wins its opening game, it is likely to face an old friend in the second round next Monday.   The Bears’ likely opponent would be USC, which is the top seed in the regional, boasts player of the year candidate Juju Watkins and is coached by former Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Gottlieb was the Bears head coach the last time Cal reached the NCAA tournament, in 2019.

First Cal must get past Mississippi State, which finished 10th in the SEC with a 7-9 conference record.  The Bulldogs and Cal had two common opponents this season – Georgia Tech and Alabama.  Mississipp Statei lost to both Georgia Tech (by three points on the road) and to Alabama (by 20 points at home) while Cal beat both those teams, topping Alabama (by four points at home) and getting past Georgia Tech (by 14 points at home).

This is the 15th time Cal has received a berth to the women’s NCAA tournament. It has reached the Sweet 16 just twice (2013, 2009) and got to the Final Four only once (2013).  The Bears have never played in the NCAA championship game.

Cal results in the women’s NCAA tournament

2019 – No. 8 seed, lost second round

2018 – No. 7 seed, lost first round

2017 – No. 9 seed, lost second round

2015 – No. 4 seed, lost second round

2014 – No. 7 seed, lost second round

2013 – No. 2 seed, lost national semifinals (Final Four)

2012 – No. 8 seed, lost second round

2009 – No. 4 seed, lost third round (Sweet 16)

2008 – No. 3 seed, lost second round

2007 – No. 8 seed, lost first round

2006 – No. 10 seed, lost first round

1993 – No. 9 seed, lost second round

1992 – No. 5 seed, lost first round

1990 – No. 11 seed, lost first round