The UCLA Bruins and UConn Huskies, who won the past two national championships, will both play in the third annual Coretta Scott King Classic this year.
The Bruins, who won the NCAA title last season, will face the Oklahoma Sooners in the opener on Jan. 18. The 2025 champion Huskies will face the Seton Hall Pirates in a Big East matchup in the second game.
“The Coretta Scott King Classic continues to bring my family’s enduring legacy into spaces where young people can see, experience, and embody the values my mother held so deeply,” said Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Coretta Scott King and CEO of The King Center. “Through the power of women’s basketball, this event creates an opportunity to celebrate excellence while encouraging the next generation to lead with courage, purpose, and a commitment to community.”
The games, to be played in Newark, New Jersey, will be nationally televised on FOX.
It’s the second time in three seasons that the Bruins are playing in the doubleheader. Cori Close’s team played in the inaugural one against the Baylor Bears two years ago. The timing works out well for UCLA, which will play Big Ten opponents Rutgers and Maryland later that week on the road.
“We are proud to return to the Coretta Scott King Classic this season. It is such a blessing to be part of an amazing event that honors the legacy of the King family and brings us together through sport,” Close said. “We always look to compete against excellent competition, and we know Oklahoma will bring out the best in us.”
It’s not the first time that UConn and Seton Hall have faced each other in Newark. The two teams last played each other there in 2010.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
