Five keys to Colorado women’s basketball taking down Cal

The Buffaloes can’t overlook the Golden Bears

We all knew it coming into this season, but the Pac-12 is loaded with elite college women’s basketball teams.

Four Pac-12 teams are ranked top 10 in the latest AP Poll, with No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Stanford and No. 9 USC joining No. 5 Colorado. The Buffaloes will play all three of those other top 10 teams at home over the next two weeks.

But to start that brutal stretch, Colorado has a home date with another talented Pac-12 team: the California Golden Bears. Cal has played well so far this season, starting 12-3 with a 2-1 conference record. The Buffaloes (13-1, 3-0) will be put to the test when they tip off against Cal on Friday at 7 p.m. MT (Pac-12 Network).

Here are my five keys to Colorado beating the Golden Bears: