Colorado women’s basketball opened its 2026 foreign tour with a runaway performance, rolling past Paco 87-31 on Wednesday in Portugal.
The Buffaloes came out firing and never let the game get close. Anete Adler, Brooke Walker and Logyn Greer helped fuel a 21-3 first-quarter burst, and Colorado’s defense set the tone from the start. Paco never managed to settle in against the Buffs’ pressure or their balanced attack.
By halftime, Colorado had pushed the margin to 41-14. Walker did most of her damage in the second quarter, scoring seven of her nine points there and hitting a three-pointer. Adler kept piling up points efficiently and finished with a game-high 16 on 8-of-10 shooting.
Paco briefly answered with a 6-0 run to open the second half, but Colorado quickly shut that down. Claire O’Connor and Adler scored to put the Buffs back in control, and Colorado carried a comfortable lead into the fourth quarter before finishing strong.
Aniya’ Foy gave the final period a jolt, scoring nine of her 15 points in the frame. She knocked down a three-pointer and added points at the line as the Buffs stretched the lead beyond 50. Mecailin Marshall chipped in nine points, including three shots from deep, as Colorado kept getting production from across the roster in the 56-point win.
“This trip has been such a special experience for our team,” head coach JR Payne said. “Portugal is a beautiful country, and our players have embraced every opportunity to learn about the culture while creating memories together. Seeing everyone contribute in our first game was a great reflection of our team's unselfishness and depth, and the bonding that's taken place has been just as valuable as the basketball.”
The exhibition also gave several newcomers their first game action, including Colorado’s transfer class and incoming freshmen, as the program continues building chemistry for the 2026-27 season.
The tour hasn’t been all basketball. After the opener, the Buffaloes kept soaking in Portugal, taking a Tuk Tuk tour through Lisbon, visiting Estádio da Luz for a behind-the-scenes look at Benfica’s home stadium, and stopping at the Boca do Inferno cliffs in Cascais.
Colorado’s 10-day foreign tour gives the team 10 extra practice days and two exhibition games, offering a chance to work in five transfers and two freshmen before the regular season begins. The Buffs will continue the trip with more sightseeing and exhibition action before heading back to Boulder later this month.
Head coach JR Payne is entering her 11th season at Colorado. In her 10th, the Buffaloes went 22-12 and 11-7 in Big 12 play during their second season back in the league.
Colorado posted four ranked wins during the 2025-26 season, knocking off No. 19 Iowa State, No.
14 TCU, No. 20 Texas Tech and No.
20 Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament to reach the semifinals. The Buffs finished the year with their 17th NCAA Tournament appearance, falling 66-57 to seven-seed Illinois in the First Round on Mar.
Colorado has won more than 20 games in each of the last five seasons and has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five years.
In Other News...
Colorado Fires Back At Criticism That Wont Go Away
During fall camp, Deion Sanders and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion spent part of their time pushing back on the same old conversation surrounding Colorado football, the idea that the Buffaloes are simply too small. Marion made the case that the team should be judged by what it does on the field instead of by appearances, while Sanders brushed off the size talk as noise that does not match what he sees in practice.
The debate matters because Colorados roster was built with Marions Go-Go offense in mind, a system that leans into speed and versatility rather than bulk. There will not be much time for outside opinions to linger, either, with the Buffaloes set to open the season on Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech, where the first real answer will come from how the roster performs against another team. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Is Pushing Colorado Into A Different Kind Of Fall Camp
Fall camp has looked a little different around Colorado this year, and not just because the Buffaloes are working in Colorado Springs before heading back to Boulder. Deion Sanders has put more of the day-to-day burden on his players, and senior tight end Zach Atkins said the shift has shown up in the way the locker room carries itself. The leadership group has grown into a bigger part of the programs voice, while the staff continues installing Brennan Marions Go-Go offense for the 2026 season.
Atkins also pointed to the progress of quarterback Julian Lewis, who is working through the new system as part of a camp that feels aimed as much at building responsibility as it is at building schemes. Faith has become part of that locker-room culture as well, adding another layer to a team trying to define itself under Sanders in a different kind of preseason routine. The broader question now is how much of that increased ownership will show up once the Buffaloes get back to Boulder and the real work of the new year begins. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado May Have Found A Needed Answer At Receiver
Colorados receiver room got a fresh look during fall camp as redshirt freshman Quentin Gibson started turning heads with a series of notable plays, including a touchdown catch and several sizable gains. For a program still sorting out its passing-game depth, that kind of showing from a younger player matters, especially with Joseph Williams back as a full participant and able to rejoin the mix on the field.
The bigger question hovering over camp has been the status of transfer wideout Danny Scudero, whose absence has changed the shape of the competition at the position. With Colorado not saying much publicly about his situation, the opportunity has opened for others to make a case, and Gibson has taken advantage in a way that could force the staff to keep a closer eye on how the receiver rotation settles once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]