Colorado Women’s Basketball Opens 2025-26 Season with New Mexico

Thursday, November 6

Boulder, Colo.

6:00 PM

Colorado

New Mexico

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Colorado Women’s Basketball Opens 2025-26 Season with New Mexico

November 05, 2025 | Women's Basketball

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By: Malala Pyle, Assistant Director of Athletic Communication

BOULDER – The Colorado women's basketball team (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) hosts New Mexico (1-0, 0-0 Mountain West) for its home opener at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colo., on Nov. 6. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MT.

CU opened the 2025-26 season with an exhibition game against the Colorado School of Mines on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Events Center, where the Buffs defeated the Orediggers, 87-24. The Buffs won 21 games in the 2024-25 season and finished ninth in the Big 12 standings. Colorado fell to Gonzaga, 64-55, in its final game of the season and the second round of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Buffs were picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and went 9-9 in conference play to finish ninth overall in the Big 12. This year, CU sits steady at ninth in the 2025-26 conference preseason poll.

THIS WEEK
GAME #1 • Thursday, November 6 • 6 p.m. MT
Colorado (0-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs. New Mexico (1-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
SERIES RECORD: CU Leads, 8-6 (.571)
LAST MEETING: W 85-53 (November 23, 2013 • Albuquerque, N.M.)
STREAK: Won 8 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 8-2
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoLobos.com

TIP-OFF (TL;DR)

CU is led by 10th-year head coach JR Payne, who has led the Buffs to a 164-116 (.536) 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.
In its second year back in the Big 12, Colorado was picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.
The Buffs return three from last year's roster, including one starter, in Sr. F Jade Masogayo, R-So. G Kennedy Sanders and 5th C JoJo Nworie.
Colorado welcomes 10 newcomers for the 2025-26 season, five transfers and five freshmen. The five transfers include R-Jr. G Zyanna Walker (Kansas State), R-Jr. G Desiree Wooten (North Texas), Jr. G Claire O'Connor (Gonzaga), R-Jr. G Maeve McErlance (DePaul) and Sr. F Anaëlle Dutat (Rhode Island). The five freshmen include G Erianna Gooden (Fork Smith, Ark./Northside H.S.), C Jade Cook (Albury, Australia/Basketball Australia Center of Excellence/Lake Ginninderra College), G Isa Hämäläinen (Lorentzweiler, Luxembourg/European School of Luxembourg 1), F Logyn Greer (Lansdowne, Pa./Friends' Central School) and F Sophie Zadel (San Antonio, Texas/Alamo Heights H.S).
The Buffs add assistant coach Jordynn "Jojo" Hernandez to their staff for the 2025-26 season. Hernandez joins the Buffaloes bench after spending the last two seasons as an assistant at Stephen F. Austin. Prior to SFA, Hernandez spent two years at UT Arlington, starting as a graduate assistant during the 2021-22 season. She was promoted to the Director of Player Development for the 2022-23 season, and prior to coaching, was an athlete at UTA.
Sr. F Jade Masogayo was selected to the 2025-26 Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Masogayo played and started in all 33 games in the 2024-25 season for the Buffs. She led Colorado with a career-high 12.5 points per game, averaging 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. She reached double-digit points in 24 games, shooting 59.9 % from the field overall, which ranked 12th in the NCAA. In the team's win over Arizona last season, Masogayo logged her first double-double at CU with 19 points and 14 rebounds (Feb. 5). Against No. 8 TCU, she recorded a season-high 22 points, and against No. 10 Kansas State, she tied the CU record for blocks in a quarter with three in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with a season-high four blocks. Following the conclusion of the season, she earned Big 12 All-Conference Honorable Mention.

ROAM WITH THE BUFFS: The Buffs' first home game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans also can follow Colorado games through live stats with links available at CUBuffs.com.

BEAT THE LOBOS: Colorado last met with New Mexico in the 2013-14 season, where the Buffs traveled to Lobo country and beat UNM, 85-53. The Buffs have won eight-straight of the last 10 matchups with the Lobos, and hold a 3-3 record when playing them in Boulder. CU is 8-6 against New Mexico all-time.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING: Sr. F Jade Masogayo recorded a double-double in the 2025-26 with 19 points and 14 rebounds against Arizona (Feb. 5) bringing her career total to two. Two of Colorado's transfers, R-Jr. G Zyanna Walker and Sr. F Anaëlle Dutat have one and six career double-doubles, respectively.

LOCKED DOWN DEFENSE: With the addition of Wooten, Walker and Dutat to the Buffs' 2025-26 roster, CU boasts three new All-Defensive team selections, honing in on the team's defense focus. Against Mines in their exhibition, the Buffs had 30 defensive rebounds and 24 steals.

#0 GOODEN: Fr. G Erianna Gooden is not the only athlete in her family. Gooden's dad attended Kansas State, where he played football. Alongside basketball, Gooden also competed in football, track and field and wrestling. Gooden plans to pursue a professional career after graduating. Off the court, Gooden also enjoys reading and cooking. Catch a more in-depth feature on Gooden here.

For more information on the Colorado women's basketball team, a complete schedule and results, please visit CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsWBB.