Duke Women’s Basketball To Kick Off 2025 Season in Paris Clash Against Baylor

The Blue Devils will start their 2025-26 campaign against Baylor on November 3 at Adidas Arena in Paris. The match marks a key part of the third Oui-Play Paris twin-bill games.

"Paris! What an incredible city. I can't wait to go back and open our 2025-26 season in Paris at the Oui-Play event," said Kara Lawson in a news release per The News & Observer. "Our team, our program, and our university are so excited to be over in France and be able to showcase our team and our talent to start the season."

Duke enters the contest after a stellar 29-8 run. They claimed the ACC Tournament title and pushed through to the Elite Eight. With four key players back from their No. 7-ranked squad, they're set for another strong showing.

"Being chosen to open the season in an iconic city like Paris is an incredible honor for our university and our team," said head coach Nicki Collen.

The night starts with California facing Vanderbilt. Duke and Baylor take the court for the main event. TV schedules and start times are still pending.

Last year saw Baylor post a 28-8 mark before Ole Miss stopped their run in the NCAA Tournament's second stage. When playing outside the U.S., they've won 15 of 16 games.

These teams have met just once before. In a tight 2010 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight battle, Baylor edged past Duke 51-48 to advance to the Final Four.

Fans can grab tickets starting June 20 at 1 p.m. ET. Basic seats cost 13 euros. The VIP package, priced at $1,450, includes both games plus extras: a Seine River dinner cruise with the teams and a Louvre visit.

South Carolina beat Notre Dame in the first Oui-Play event in 2023. Last year, UCLA topped Louisville while USC beat Ole Miss at the Paris venue.