LA JOLLA, Calif.—UC San Diego women's basketball will open its 2024-25 campaign with a busy three-game week. The Tritons have completed their mandatory four-year NCAA Division I reclassification period and are now fully eligible for Big West and NCAA postseason competition.
The Tritons will play host to Occidental in their season opener on Monday at 7 p.m. in LionTree Arena. UC San Diego will travel to face Sacramento State on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. before returning to host Arizona on Sunday at 2 p.m. to wrap up the busy first week.
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
DETAILS
Game 1
UC San Diego vs Occidental
Monday, Nov. 4 | 7 p.m.
LionTree Arena (4,000) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: 13-2
Last meeting: UCSD 89, OXY 32 (Jan. 7, 2000)
Streak: W11
Watch on ESPN+ |
Live Stats
Game 2
UC San Diego at Sacramento State
Thursday, Nov. 7 | 6:30 p.m.
The Nest (1,012) | Sacramento, Calif.
All-time series: First meeting
Watch on ESPN+ |
Live Stats
Game 3
UC San Diego vs Arizona
Sunday, Nov. 10 | 2 p.m.
LionTree Arena (4,000) | La Jolla, Calif.
All-time series: 0-1
Last meeting: UCSD 38, AZ 81 (Dec. 7, 2023)
Streak: L1
Watch on ESPN+ |
Live Stats
| ABOUT THE TRITONS |
| Roster | Schedule | Stats |
| 23-24 Overall: 12-19 |
| 23-24 Big West: 8-12 |
| 23-24 Home: 6-9 |
| 23-24 Away: 5-9 |
| 23-24 Neutral: 1-1 |
| vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0 |
| Streak: L3 |
| ABOUT OCCIDENTAL |
ABOUT SACRAMENTO ST. |
ABOUT ARIZONA |
| Roster | Schedule | Stats |
Roster | Schedule | Stats |
Roster | Schedule | Stats |
| 23-24 Overall: 22-6 |
23-24 Overall: 6-25 |
23-24 Overall: 18-16 |
| 23-24 Conf: 11-5 |
23-24 Conf: 4-14 |
23-24 Conf: 8-10 |
| 23-24 Home: 13-2 |
23-24 Home: 4-12 |
23-24 Home: 10-5 |
| 23-24 Away: 7-4 |
23-24 Away: 1-12 |
23-24 Away: 4-7 |
| 23-24 Neutral: 2-0 |
23-24 Neutral: 1-1 |
23-24 Neutral: 4-4 |
| vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0 |
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0 |
vs. Ranked Opponents: 2-14 |
| Streak: L1 |
Streak: L1 |
Streak: L1 |
TRITON TIES TO TIGERS
Prior to her tenure in La Jolla, UC San Diego head coach
Heidi VanDerveer spent four seasons leading Division III Occidental College from 2008-09 to 2011-12. While with the Tigers, VanDerveer compiled an overall record of 84-25 (.771) and led the Tigers to four straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles. She also guided Occidental to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances -- including the program's first-ever NCAA berth in her first season in 2008-09.
VanDerveer went 50-6 (.893) in SCIAC play, amassing the highest conference winning percentage of any coach in league history. She coached three all-conference selections in 2011-12, including SCIAC Player of the Year Makenzie Brandon, who led the league in scoring at 18.1 points per game. Monday's season opener will mark the first time the teams have faced off during VanDerveer's tenure at UC San Diego.
Additionally, UC San Diego assistant coach and recruiting coordinator
Britinee Yasukochi is a 2010 graduate of Occidental College where she played collegiately under VanDerveer. During her senior campaign, Yasukochi led the team in assists (4.9 per game) and was one of three Tigers to start every game.
EXPERIENCED ROSTER
UC San Diego returns 12 Tritons from the 2023-24 squad, including starters
Gracie Gallegos,
Parker Montgomery and
Sumayah Sugapong. Sugapong was named Big West Freshman of the Year and All-Big West Honorable Mention a season ago, recognized alongside Gallegos on the All-Freshman Team.
FRESH FACES
The Tritons added three talented newcomers to the squad during the offseason, signing one incoming true freshman and two transfer scholar-athletes for the 2024-25 season. Freshman guard/forward
Nicki Polocheck is headed to La Jolla after a successful prep career at Memorial Senior High School (Houston, Texas). UC San Diego also added two talented transfers, junior
Sabrina Ma (San Jose State) and senior
Kayanna Spriggs (CSUN).
SUGAPONG NAMED TO PRESEASON COACHES' TEAM
Sophomore guard
Sumayah Sugapong was one of six scholar-athletes recognized by the conferences' 11 head coaches on the 2024-25 Big West Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Team. She was the only underclassman selected to the list, joining three fifth-year athletes and two seniors. Sugapong was just the third Triton to be recognized on the conference's preseason team since UC San Diego joined the Big West in 2021.
Sugapong was a standout in her first season with the Tritons in 2023-24, earning Big West Freshman of the Year as well as All-Big West Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team recognition. The San Diego native averaged 14.0 points per game to lead all Triton scorers and rank sixth overall in the Big West. Sugapong was the leading scorer in 15 of UC San Diego's 31 games with 23 double-figure scoring efforts and six 20-point games. She also led the Tritons with 64 assists (2.1 per game) and with 41 steals (1.3 per game). She finished seventh in the Big West with a .738 free throw percentage (90-of-122) and ranked 17th in three-point field goals (1.2 per game).
TRITONS PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
UC San Diego was picked to finish sixth in the 2024-25 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll with 60 points. For the third straight season, Hawai'i was picked to finish first with six of the 11 first-place votes (96 points). UC Irvine followed closely with the remaining five first-place votes (95 points) and UC Davis rounded out the top three (81 points).
Long Beach State was picked to finish fourth with 63 points, followed by Cal Poly (61 points), UC San Diego (60), UC Santa Barbara (52), UC Riverside (40), Cal State Fullerton (25), Cal State Bakersfield (18) and CSUN (14).
SABRINA MA NAMED TOUGH LIKE TAMMY TEAM AMBASSADOR
Sabrina Ma will be the UC San Diego team ambassador for the Big West's Tough Like Tammy fundraising initiative for the 2024-25 women's basketball season. The program is a joint venture between Big West women's basketball, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Big West women's basketball analyst Tammy Blackburn designed to support life-saving research on all cancers affecting women.
A year ago, the program more than doubled its goal of raising $5,000, with all 11 women's basketball programs participating to contribute $10,236 to the cause. The goal in 2024-25 is to raise $15,000 through donations or pledges for each offensive rebound secured during the final month of the Big West women's basketball season. Each Big West women's basketball program has selected team ambassadors to spearhead the effort to exceed the team goal of $1,000 per institution and Ma was named the representative for the Tritons.
WINNING IN THE CLASSROOM
The Tritons excelled in the classroom in 2023-24 with three scholar-athletes earning College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors, including
Izzy Forsyth and graduating seniors
Denali Pinto and
Katie Springs. UC San Diego had five scholar-athletes named to the 2023-24 Big West Winter All-Academic Team, including current Tritons Forsyth,
Gracie Gallegos, and
Gabby Louther. Additionally, 12 Tritons were named to the Big West Commissioner's Honor Roll with eight earning Highest Honors (3.51-4.00 GPA) including
Meaali'i Amosa,
Izzy Forsyth,
Gracie Gallegos,
Rosa Smith,
Emma Svoboda and
Grace Talbot.
WELCOMING A PAIR OF TRITONS BACK TO STAFF
UC San Diego welcomes two Tritons back to La Jolla for the 2024-25 season to serve in support roles. Miranda Seto, a 2015 graduate of the UC San Diego women's basketball program, returns to La Jolla as an assistant coach and the Tritons' director of basketball operations. Seto previously served as an assistant at her alma mater Pinewood School and Fever Club Basketball in Los Altos, Calif. As a senior at UC San Diego, Seto was named All-CCAA Honorable Mention and earned first-team accolades as a junior. She was also a three-time CCAA All-Academic honoree for the Tritons.
Additionally, UC San Diego has named former Triton head men's basketball coach Bill Car as the General Manager for both the men's and women's programs. Carr led the Triton men from 2004-07 and spent the last eight years as the head women's basketball coach at Santa Clara. In his new position, Carr will be responsible for implementing and managing a comprehensive basketball name, image and likeness (NIL) program and will serve as a valuable asset toward roster management, recruiting and overall program success for both the Triton men's and women's basketball programs.
WHY THE TRITONS?
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program has completed a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the
Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. All UC San Diego sports are now eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
WELCOME TO LIONTREE ARENA
Since it was established nearly three decades ago, the University of California San Diego's RIMAC (Recreation, Intramural and Athletic Complex) Arena has been home to countless athletic competitions, graduations, concerts and other events that are imprinted on the memories of thousands of UC San Diego alumni, students, friends and visitors.
In June of 2022, UC San Diego announced that RIMAC Arena has been named LionTree Arena in recognition of a $5 million gift for scholar-athletes from LionTree, an independent investment and merchant bank with expertise in technology, media and the digital economy. LionTree was founded by UC San Diego alumnus Aryeh B. Bourkoff, who also serves as the firm's CEO. LionTree's gift is the largest ever received by UC San Diego Athletics, establishing the LionTree Endowed Scholarship Fund to support scholar-athletes.
UC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Most UC San Diego home men's and women's basketball games, men's and women's soccer matches, men's and women's volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego women's basketball, visit
UCSDTritons.com/live.
GAME DAY GOES DIGITAL
Triton fans now have a whole new way to access game day information, as game programs have gone digital! Fans can visit
UCSDTritons.com from their smart phone or scan the QR code at the entrance to LionTree Arena for everything they need to know about each home game, including updated rosters, schedules, and stats for each team, as well as links to watch on ESPN+.
COVERING THE TRITONS
Media members wishing to cover a UC San Diego game in-person at LionTree Arena must notify a member of the Athletics Communication staff no later than 24 hours prior to the game.
Following the conclusion of each home game, a video highlight melt and video postgame interviews will be made available for media members to download.
GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through
Twitter and
Instagram. The team's handle is @UCSDwbb.
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the
Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!
GEAR
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories,
click here.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
