UCLA and UConn to Headline Coretta Scott King Classic
The UCLA Bruins and the UConn Huskies, who won the past two national championships, will both play in the third annual Coretta Scott King Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Jan. 18, 2027, according to foxsports.com and soonersports.com.
UCLA and UConn Lead Martin Luther King Jr. Day Doubleheader
The upcoming doubleheader places the reigning national champion UCLA Bruins against the Oklahoma Sooners in the opening game, while the 2025 champion UConn Huskies face the Seton Hall Pirates in a Big East matchup.
The event falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Coretta Scott King and CEO of The King Center, noted that the showcase brings her family’s legacy into spaces where young people can experience those values through women’s basketball. This marks the second time in three seasons that Cori Close’s UCLA squad will play in the doubleheader, having featured in the inaugural event against Baylor two years ago. For UCLA, the Newark appearance slots smoothly into a road trip that includes later conference matchups against Rutgers and Maryland. Meanwhile, UConn and Seton Hall renew a Newark rivalry that dates back to their last meeting in the city in 2010.
Roster Outlooks and Preseason Rankings for the Contenders
The Sooners hold the No. 14 spot in The Athletic’s preseason top 15 and return seven players from last year, featuring ESPN National Freshman of the Year Aaliyah Chavez and FIBA 3×3 gold medalist Sahara Williams. That returning core is complemented by a seven-player newcomer class consisting of three freshmen and four transfers. On the other side, the scheduling provides a direct rematch of a November 10 meeting from the previous season in Sacramento, California, where the Sooners fell 73-59 to the Bruins.
The Coretta Scott King Classic previously tipped off with the Bruins facing Baylor in its inaugural year, establishing a multi-year precedent of pairing national contenders in New Jersey.
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