It certainly felt like basketball season in San Francisco on Saturday.

Temperatures in the low 50′s, a deep marine layer and a chilly wind that made it jacket-neccessary.

In the warmth and dim lighting of Kezar Gymnasium and with a couple hundred fans in the stands (including Stanford starters Kayla Pedersen, Nneka Ogwumike and Jeanette Pohlen), Golden State played Mission Rec Center in the first game of the championship series of the San Francisco Pro-Am Summer League. Mission Rec won 77-61.

The series continues Sunday at 2 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it will be played Aug. 14 at 2 p.m. Admission to the gym is free. Parking in the adjacent lot is not.

The women’s summer league has been part of the Bay Area basketball landscape for 15 years, giving college, former college and pro players — some of whom have WNBA experience – a competitive place to play in the offseason.

It is also the starting point in the college careers of many of the area’s top players and it has been that this year for the incoming freshmen who are taking summer classes and preparing to begin their college eligibility.

On Saturday, the Golden State team featured all of Stanford’s incoming freshmen and a pair of sophomores looking to improve their prospects of playing time on a stacked Cardinal squad expected to be one of the nation’s top teams again come November.

Chiney Ogwumike — the national high school player of the year — along with fellow McDonald’s All-American Sara James and fellow freshmen Toni Kohenis were on the floor along with Sarah Boothe, coming off a redshirt season, and sophomore forward Michaela Ruef.

Ogwumike is among the league’s leading scorers, averaging 16.7 points a game. Heading into Saturday’s game, James was averaging 15.0 points a game and had connected on 10 3-pointers.

Boothe has made the most of her summer experience. Despite a difficult day on the floor — she finished without scoring after picking up quick fouls and heading to the bench, Boothe has been scoring, using the opportunity to assert herself in the post.

The 6-foot-5 Boothe redshirted last season for the Cardinal after sustaining a foot injury that required surgery. She and the coaches made the decision that she would take the year off to heal and to develop. With the graduation of Jayne Appel at center, Boothe will have three years to settle in as the heir apparent.

Boothe looks lean and mobile. She has been scoring well (averaging 14.0 points a game), save for Saturday’s struggles. She said she is 100 percent healthy.

“I don’t regret it. It was the best decision I ever made,” Boothe said of her redshirt season. “It’s not easy to sit out, but my teammates stood behind me.”

Boothe said this season will present “opportunities” to contribute.

Asked how she is a different player than she was her freshman season, she laughed.

“I don’t remember what kind of player I was a couple of years ago,” Boothe said. “I guess I’m still trying to figure that out.”

James, who also struggled with foul trouble Saturday, said the summer league has been a valuable experience.

“It’s a good transition,” James said. “It’s kind of like playing pick-up, but it’s a chance for us to play with one another.”

Ruef was the leading scorer among the Stanford players Saturday with eight points in the second quarter, including a pair of three-pointers.

Ruef played sparingly in her freshman season on The Farm.  Ruef said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said she needed to work on her shot and her conditioning in the offseason.

“This is a chance to play in game situations, but it’s not as serious,” Ruef said. “I feel like I’ve done a lot of things here that will help me.”