The women’s college basketball season got off to a surprising start Monday night, with No. 20 Colorado upsetting the defending national champion, No. 1 LSU, 92-78, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
LSU’s championship run behind star forward Angel Reese raised the program’s profile, and the stars were out for their first game at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series. That included legendary LSU alum Shaquille O’Neal and current WNBA star Candace Parker, who served as an analyst for the TNT broadcast.
After the game, O’Neal and Parker visited Colorado’s locker room to show the Buffaloes respect following their impressive victory.
“I hope to see you at the Final Four,” Parker told Colorado coach JR Payne.
You can see the heartwarming interaction below.
Big man, bigger win ????????#GoBuffs // #HOFSeries pic.twitter.com/99Ipwh51Wg
— Colorado Women's Basketball ???? (@CUBuffsWBB) November 7, 2023
O’Neal has long shown respect to opposing teams despite his strong LSU ties, and Parker is one of the biggest names in women’s college basketball history from her time at Tennessee. Getting a visit from two of the sport’s biggest luminaries had to be a pretty awesome moment for the Buffaloes.
Although LSU was the bigger draw, Colorado boasts a strong team of its own coming off a 25-9 season. The Buffaloes impressively held LSU stars Reese and Hailey Van Lith to a combined 10–of–26 shooting from the field.
