The Colorado women’s basketball team is set to play UCF in Orlando, Florida, on January 18. The game will tip off at 12 p.m. MT at Financial Arena and will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to the broadcast on the Colorado Radio Network or follow live statistics online.
Colorado enters the matchup with a 12-6 overall record and a 3-3 mark in Big 12 conference play. UCF holds a 9-8 overall record and is 1-5 in conference games. This will be only the third meeting between the two programs, with Colorado leading the series 2-0. Their last encounter was an 81-62 win for Colorado in Boulder on January 8, 2025.
Head coach JR Payne is in her tenth season with Colorado and has compiled a record of 176-122. She has been extended through the 2028 season and has led the team to three NCAA tournament appearances, two WNIT appearances, and one WBIT appearance.
Colorado’s roster this season includes four returning players from last year: sophomore forward Tabitha Betson, senior forward Jade Masogayo, sophomore guard Kennedy Sanders, and fifth-year center JoJo Nworie. Betson rejoined the team after spending a semester at home.
The Buffs have added ten newcomers for the current season—five transfers and five freshmen. Transfers include junior guards Zyanna Walker (Kansas State), Desiree Wooten (North Texas), Claire O’Connor (Gonzaga), Maeve McErlane (DePaul), and senior forward Anaëlle Dutat (Rhode Island). The freshman class features Erianna Gooden, Jade Crook, Isa Hämäläinen, Logyn Greer, and Sophie Zadel.
In their most recent game against No. 19 Iowa State on January 14, Colorado secured a close victory by overcoming a halftime deficit to win 68-62. Junior guard Desiree Wooten led all scorers with a season-high of 24 points along with four rebounds and two assists. Senior forward Anaëlle Dutat contributed twelve rebounds—her eighth double-digit rebounding game this season—and nine points.
Other notable performances included junior guard Zyanna Walker’s ten points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals; freshman forward Logyn Greer’s five rebounds and one block; and senior forward Jade Masogayo’s fifteen points along with five rebounds.
As a team, Colorado ranks among Big 12 leaders in several categories: third in steals per game (10.83), fourth in offensive rebounds (14.1), fifth in rebounding margin (7.7), sixth in total rebounds per game (39.2) as well as free throw percentage (73.3), seventh in scoring defense (59.6) and turnover margin (2.72).
Coach Payne said: “CU is led by 10th-year head coachJR Payne, who has led the Buffs to a 176-122 (.591) record as CU’s eighth head women’s basketball coach. Coach Payne has been extended through the 2028 season and has led the Buffs to three NCAA appearances, two WNIT appearances and one WBIT appearance.”
Fans can follow upcoming games via streaming services or radio broadcasts detailed at CUBuffs.com or through social media channels @CUBuffsWBB.
