No. 6/7 Oklahoma (1-0) travels west for a blockbuster non-conference clash against No. 3/4 UCLA (2-0) at the Golden 1 Center—home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings—in Sacramento, California, on Monday night.

This top-10 showdown, the earliest in Oklahoma women’s basketball history, tips off at 9:30 p.m. CT and will air live on FS1, with Elise Woodward and Kim Adams handling broadcast duties.

Fans can also catch the action on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (107.7 FM in Oklahoma City) via play-by-play voice Andrew Himes and analyst Tyler Neal, or tune into the Spanish-language broadcast with Luis Rendon on Los Sooners Radio (1560 AM). Both radio streams are accessible through the Varsity App.

The Sooners opened the 2025-26 campaign with a convincing 84-67 victory over Belmont on November 3. The ensuing week-long layoff represents the longest gap between the first and second games of a full, non-COVID season since the 2002-03 campaign.

Head coach Jennie Baranczyk’s squads have thrived with extended rest, posting a 27-5 record when enjoying five or more days between contests. After the pause, Oklahoma embarks on a demanding four-game, six-day, coast-to-coast swing that begins against the Bruins, continues with a pair of home dates in Norman, and wraps up at Western Carolina on Sunday.

Picked to finish fourth in the Southeastern Conference by the league’s 16 head coaches, Oklahoma returns a potent core highlighted by preseason All-SEC honorees Raegan Beers (first team) and Payton Verhulst (second team).

The Sooners bring back the SEC’s second-highest returning scoring output (62.3% of last year’s points), paced by Beers (17.3 PPG), Verhulst (14.9 PPG), and sophomore standout Sahara Williams (10.6 PPG).

Baranczyk bolstered the roster with the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class according to 247Sports, headlined by consensus No. 1 freshman Aaliyah Chavez. The 11-player rotation features six returners and five first-year players, blending veteran leadership with elite youth.

Monday’s neutral-site battle marks just the eighth all-time meeting between these storied programs and renews a rivalry steeped in postseason drama.

UCLA holds a 4-3 series edge, including a 1-0 advantage in the Baranczyk era courtesy of a second-round NCAA Tournament triumph in Westwood in 2023. In that contest, Oklahoma stormed back from an 18-point deficit before the Bruins pulled away late to reach the Sweet 16.

The loss signaled the end of an era for the Sooners, as seniors Madi Williams, Taylor Robertson, and Ana Llanusa—OU’s highest-scoring trio in program history—played their final collegiate minutes.

Since Baranczyk’s arrival in Norman in 2021, Oklahoma has notched five victories over AP top-10 opponents, taking down foes ranked No. 2, No. 3, No. 9 (twice), and No. 10.

A win Monday would deliver Baranczyk’s sixth top-10 triumph, her third against a top-five opponent, and Oklahoma’s first top-five non-conference victory since defeating No. 3 Duke in the 2001 national semifinals. It would also be OU’s first top-five win overall since a thrilling 71-70 decision over No. 3 Texas on February 28 of last season.

The marquee individual matchup pits two of the country’s premier post players against one another: Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers versus UCLA’s Lauren Betts. Both former five-star recruits and All-Americans were finalists for the 2024 Lisa Leslie Award—given to the nation’s top center—with Betts claiming the honor.

The duo has squared off three times at the collegiate level. In January 2023, Beers (then at Oregon State) managed 4 points in 14 minutes against Betts’ Stanford squad.

A year later, in January 2024, Beers poured in 21 points and five rebounds in a loss at Pauley Pavilion. Their most recent encounter came in February 2024, when Beers exited early after an elbow from UCLA guard Kiki Rice, yet Oregon State hung on for a 79-77 upset.

Their rivalry traces back to Colorado high school hoops, where Betts’ Grandview High School nipped Beers’ Valor Christian in the 2022 Class 5A state championship despite Beers’ 14 points and nine rebounds.

For Oklahoma, the formula for success has remained consistent under Baranczyk: outshoot the opponent from the floor. The Sooners are a staggering 86-4 (.956) when posting a higher field-goal percentage than their adversary.

Additionally, OU owns an 82-9 mark when holding foes below 42% shooting. If Oklahoma can dictate pace, limit second-chance opportunities, and convert efficiently in the half-court, the Sooners will position themselves to author another signature early-season statement against one of college basketball’s blue bloods.