There is a difference in the way the Cal women’s basketball team sees itself this season — and probably how the Bears’ opponents view them. Coach Charmin Smith said her players are embracing those elevated expectations.
“Our goal is to make the NCAA Tournament, which means beating some ranked opponents while protecting our home court.
We’re doing that,” Smith said after the 24th-ranked Bears defeated Florida State 82-70 on Sunday afternoon, with a 34-point lead midway through the third quarter.
“We understand that there is a target on our back, and we may be the ones being hunted.
We’re used to hunting, and now we can become the hunted.”
Cal is off to its best start in 12 seasons, sitting 16-2 overall and tied for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 4-1. The Golden Bears went after a very good Florida State team (13-4, 3-2) with the zeal of a team that still believes it has something to prove.
They proved it by holding the nation’s second-highest scoring team 24 points below its season average.
They also defanged junior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who came to Haas Pavilion as the nation’s leading scorer at 27.7 points per game.
Latson had just three free throws at halftime, when the Bears led 50-25. She didn’t make her first field goal until 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, and her 13 points had no bearing on the game’s outcome.
Only ten days before, Latson scored 40 points against Virginia Tech, one of her 19 career games with at least 30 points.
When asked to evaluate a defensive performance led by Lulu Twidale and Jayda Noble, Smith responded, “I’d say I was very impressed.”
California Golden Bears guard Lulu Twidale (10) shoots and makes a 3-point basket past Florida State Seminoles guard Sydney Bowles (11) during the first half of their NCAA game at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
California Golden Bears forward Marta Suarez (7) drives past Florida State Seminoles forward Mariana Valenzuela (6) during the first half of their NCAA game at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
California Golden Bears center Gabrielle Abigor (33) shoots over Florida State Seminoles forward Malea Williams (22) during the first half of their NCAA game at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
California Golden Bears forward Marta Suarez (7) shoots and makes a three-point basket against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half of their NCAA game at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
California Golden Bears head coach Charmin Smith speaks to her players during a timeout in the second half of their NCAA game at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. Cal defeated Florida State 82-70. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
California Golden Bears head coach Charmin Smith chats with California Golden Bears guard Jayda Noble (2) as they return to the bench during a timeout in the second half of their NCAA game at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. Cal defeated Florida State 82-70. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
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Twidale, an Australian sophomore guard who scored all 19 of her points in the first half, said the Bears are playing with great confidence right now.
“We just came into the game really comfortable,” she told me. “We understood what we needed to do defensively. We know that if we take care of the defensive end, the offensive end will follow.
Senior guard Ioanna Krimili, who scored 18 points, was a first-year transfer from San Francisco last year, when the Bears won 18 games but went 0-9 against AP Top 25 teams.
“This year is a different standard,” Krimili stated. “We knew we were going to be fine. We’ve been working since the summer, so this didn’t happen overnight.
The most noticeable difference, according to Smith, is finishing the job in close games. The Bears didn’t always do that a year ago, but this season, they’ve won close ranked games over Alabama (four points) and North Carolina State (seven points) earlier this week.
“This year we’re able to get the wins,” said Smith, whose team improved to 11-0 at home. “We have some returners and such, but it’s just a completely different team, a completely different feel, a completely different vibe.”
The Bears, who are chasing their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019, play at No. 14 Duke (13-4, 4-1) on Thursday.
“Our coaches will give us a good scout, so we know what we’ve got to do when we go there,” Twidale told reporters. “Our confidence level will stay how it is.”
