Cal Women's Basketball to Face Three Returning NCAA Teams Before ACC

The Golden Bears open their season on Nov. 2 at home against Washington State

Cal senior guard Lulu Twidale | Photo by Kendall Spencer

The Cal women’s basketball team, positioned to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2025, will tune up for its ACC schedule with 13 non-conference games that include six road matchups and three duels against returning NCAA squads.

The Bears, with four starters back from a 21-win team year ago, open their season on Monday, Nov. 2 against Washington State (9-25 in 2025-26) at Haas Pavilion.

They will face Nebraska, Gonzaga and Charleston — all NCAA teams in 2026 — at three different venues: 

— Charleston (27-6) visits Haas on Thursday, Nov. 12. The Cougars made their NCAA debut last season, but will play this season under first-heat coach Amanda Butler and with just one starter returning.

— The Bears face Gonzaga (24-10) on Nov. 23 at the North Shore Showcase at the George Q. Cannon Activities Center in Laie, Hawaii. Cal opens the event on Nov. 20 against against Hawaii. The Zags, transitioning from the West Coast Conference to the restructured Pac-12, have advanced to the NCAAs 16 times since 2007.

— Cal takes on the Cornhuskers (19-13) in the Invisalign Bay Area Women's Classic on Sunday, Dec. 20 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Nebraska, which has played in the NCAA tournament the past three seasons and four of the past five, returns three of its four leading scorers.

The Bears will host their 7th annual Raising The B.A.R. (Basketball, Activism, Representation) Invitational on Nov. 27 and 28. The field of teams has yet to be announced.

Cal faces Texas A&M (14-13) at Haas on Dec. 3 as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Here is the Bears’ non-conference schedule for 2026-27: 

Cal women's basketball non-conference schedule | Cal Athletics

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