Tag: USC trojans women’s basketball

JuJu Watkins speaks after UCLA loss, USC’s first of the 2023-2024 season

JuJu Watkins faced an elite UCLA defense and gained a lot of teachable moments in this part of her freshman season.

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team couldn’t survive a difficult road test against a loaded UCLA Bruin team.

However, freshman JuJu Watkins, who has become a must-watch player for college hoops fans across the country, once again dazzled. She had a game-high 27 points with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in another WNBA-level outing. She wasn’t supremely efficient, but she still battled against an elite team which is ranked No. 2 in the country and will be favored to reach the Women’s Final Four.

After the game, Watkins got honest about losing to UCLA in a hard-fought battle (h/t Matt Moreno of Trojan Sports).

“I mean, of course it’s not great to lose the first one,” Watkins said. “It was a great game. I’m glad I got out here to compete with my team, and we fought. But, this is just a learning lesson for us to go back to Galen and figure out what we need to do to continue to improve.”

The Trojans should be able to move on and figure things out. UCLA had to play really well to beat them. This is their first loss of the season in what was a huge test as Pac-12 play begins. The Trojans didn’t ace this test, but they definitely learned a lot for the road ahead.

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Lindsay Gottlieb impressed with USC’s character in heavyweight battle against UCLA

USC didn’t play a beautifully efficient game, but the Trojans battled No. 2 UCLA for all 40 minutes.

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team lost to the UCLA women by a score of 71-64 on Saturday night before a packed house at Pauley Pavilion.

The Trojans got off to a slow start and scored just 11 points in the first quarter but bounced back with 26 points in the second quarter. USC fell behind early in the second half as well before once again battling back to make UCLA earn this win in a game which lived up to the considerable hype.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb was impressed with the way the Trojans battled back from that slow start (h/t Matt Moreno of Trojan Sports).

“Especially going down early, the way we battled back, the character factor I think for us was really high,” the USC head coach said. “And, I think we’re gonna look back at the film and have so many, so many things we can do better, which is really a positive thing. In terms of how we feel, I’m really proud of our effort and our fight.”

It was an impressive turnaround to battle back in the game against a top team in the nation (No. 2 in the rankings) on the road, but Gottlieb knows things need to improve going forward in Pac-12 play:

“We gotta get better, and now the focus goes onto the next 17 of these things in this league.”

The Trojans next face Oregon State at the Galen Center on Friday night.

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USC and UCLA will measure themselves against each other

Showtime in Westwood is here: It’s a top-five battle royale between two fierce rivals and really good basketball teams.

The USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins women’s basketball teams begin Pac-12 Conference play on Saturday in a huge top-10 showdown at Pauley Pavilion.

The Trojans are 10-0 and UCLA is 11-0, and it is expected to be a huge test for both programs in a loaded Pac-12.

The Trojans are coming off an 8-point win over Long Beach State, and Lindsay Gottlieb’s team has excelled with superstar JuJu Watkins on the squad. 

For UCLA, the Bruins just blew out Hawaii, 85-46, on December 21. Charisma Osborne led the way with 17 points. Lauren Betts, the Bruins’ leading scorer and best player, is going to be a tough player to stop for USC.

UCLA is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in points per game, field goal percentage, assists, and rebounds. UCLA has three massive wins with victories over UConn, Florida State, and Ohio State, while USC has a win against Ohio State for its only ranked win of the year. The Trojans do have other solid wins against Florida Gulf Coast, Seton Hall, and Penn State.

It should be a packed house on Saturday night in Westwood, and it will be a good test for both of these teams. The game starts just after 5 p.m. Los Angeles time on Pac-12 Network.

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JuJu Watkins’ legacy at USC is based primarily on effort

JuJu Watkins is not coasting on her talent or fame at USC. She wants to work for her coaches and teammates.

JuJu Watkins of the USC women’s basketball team was recently interviewed on the CBS Sports Network show “We Need To Talk.” You can find a part of her remarks in the tweet below, but there was something else Watkins said which is an even more simple revelation of who she is as a competitor and teammate:

“Giving full effort.” That’s how she ended her answer in this short snippet.

It’s a testament to the kind of athlete JuJu Watkins is. She is the top-ranked recruit in the country for her recruiting class. She is already the second-leading scorer in the country behind Iowa super-duperstar Caitlin Clark. She is enormously skilled and prodigiously talented.

What is her focus? Effort. Being coachable. Being there for her teammates. She isn’t focused on herself, but how much she gives to everyone around her at USC. That is a championship mindset. That is how an elite player thinks, because elite players make everyone around them better. That is what JuJu Watkins is doing at USC.

The Trojans face No. 2 UCLA on Saturday evening in Pauley Pavilion, in a game shown on Pac-12 Network at 5 p.m. in Los Angeles.

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USC-UCLA game preview: Meet Bruin center Lauren Betts

Lauren Betts will be a matchup problem for USC.

The USC Trojans face the UCLA Bruins in a top-five women’s basketball showdown on Saturday to begin Pac-12 Conference play.

Lindsay Gottlieb’s team has its biggest test of the year, and we will profile some individual players for the Bruins so that you’re aware of what USC is up against in Pauley Pavilion.

The leading scorer for the Bruins is sophomore center Lauren Betts, who is averaging an eye-popping 16.9 points per game with 9.2 rebounds this season and has been a tough task for every opponent UCLA has faced.

After averaging just 9.6 minutes per game in her freshman year at Stanford, she transferred south to Westwood. She has become a star for the Bruins. She has three double-doubles in her last five games and has scored 15 or more in all five of those, including 22 points with 18 rebounds in a victory over Florida State on December 10.

Her numbers this year have been impressive, and she is making her mark as one of the best centers in college basketball.

She began the year with three 20-plus-point performances in the Bruins’ first four games. She has a grand total of six double-doubles this season, so more than half of the games she has played.

In terms of individual player matchups, Betts will be the toughest challenge for USC on Saturday.

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USC rises to No. 5 in latest USA TODAY Sports Women’s College Basketball Poll

USC is a top-five team.

On Tuesday, the latest USA TODAY Sports Women’s College Basketball Poll was released, and USC checked in at No. 5.

UCLA, Colorado, Stanford, Utah, and Washington are also ranked in the top 25, so it has been a huge season for the Pac-12 Conference so far. Colorado, Stanford, and Utah are all in the top 10 alongside the Los Angeles schools.

The USC women’s basketball team continues to make noise this season, and JuJu Watkins is a huge reason why.

The Trojans are 10-0 with wins over Ohio State, Seton Hall, Florida Gulf Coast, Penn State, and Long Beach State. They face UCLA on the road to begin conference play in a massive top-five showdown between the Los Angeles schools.

The Trojans’ offense has done the job. It is 21st in the nation in field goal percentage (47.7), 18th in 3-point shooting (38), and 35th in assists per game (17.5). Lindsay Gottlieb’s team is going to be a tough opponent once Pac-12 play begins, and the UCLA game will be a huge indication of where they stand.

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USC is No. 5 in USA TODAY Sports Women’s College Basketball Poll

USC and UCLA are both in the top five, two and a half weeks before their December 30 showdown in Pauley Pavilion.

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team continues to make headlines led by superstar JuJu Watkins. Lindsay Gottlieb’s team is now 8-0 on the year and has moved up to No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Women’s College Basketball Poll.

The Trojans have wins over Ohio State, Penn State, Florida Gulf Coast, and Seton Hall. They have won each of the last three games by at least 30 points.

The Trojans face CSU Fullerton and then Long Beach State before a huge top-five showdown at UCLA on December 30 to begin Pac-12 play.

There are five teams in the Pac-12 that are ranked and all of them are in the top 10. UCLA is unbeaten at No. 2, but Utah gave No. 1 South Carolina a battle this past weekend before losing a close game. The depth and quality in Pac-12 women’s basketball this season are off the charts.

Here is the full poll:

  1. South Carolina
  2. UCLA
  3. Iowa
  4. North Carolina State
  5. USC
  6. LSU
  7. Texas
  8. Colorado
  9. Stanford
  10. Utah
  11. Ohio State 
  12. Notre Dame 
  13. Baylor
  14. Virginia Tech
  15. Indiana
  16. Kansas State
  17. Louisville
  18. UConn
  19. Marquette
  20. Creighton
  21. Gonzaga
  22. Florida State
  23. Miami (FL)
  24. UNLV
  25. North Carolina

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USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb can’t stop raving about JuJu Watkins — and she shouldn’t

Lindsay Gottlieb has an incredible player at USC who is transcending the very high expectations she carries.

JuJu Watkins has taken the USC Trojan women’s basketball team — and the country — by storm in just a handful of games. The WNBA buzz is already beginning, and the Isaiah Collier-JuJu Watkins pairing for the men’s and women’s teams is something USC has never seen.

Let’s be clear, though: Collier has had some good moments. Watkins is producing a spectacular and historic season just six games in, doing things very few people have ever done.

USC women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb recently couldn’t stop raving about Watkins, per Luca Evans of The Orange County Register (subscription required):

“I’m going through all these things I said, but also I said, ‘the best player in the country is here in L.A.’”

JuJu is one of a kind.

After raving about Watkins to no end after one game this season, Gottlieb added, “Should I stop now?”

The room laughed.

This is what Gottlieb envisioned when she took the USC job. Now JuJu Watkins is a massive piece of the puzzle, with other top recruits following suit and coming to USC.

“When the story plays out,” Gottlieb said, “it should always be more beautiful than you imagined.”

So far, it is.

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Top high school women’s basketball players want to play with JuJu Watkins at USC

JuJu Watkins is having a magnetic effect on USC WBB recruiting.

JuJu Watkins has become the heart of many discussions surrounding this year’s USC Trojan women’s basketball team. Some commentators are saying she is already ready for the WNBA after just a handful of games at USC.

Kennedy Smith, one of the top players in the Class of 2024, recently committed to USC. Watkins and Smith have known each other since their high school days.

The two faced off at Sierra Canyon (JuJu) and Etiwanda (Kennedy Smith). Watkins’ team knocked off Etiwanda in the CIF playoffs two seasons ago, with Smith getting the victory last year.

Now, Smith is committed to USC. Watkins spoke about what Smith brings to the table, per Luca Evans of the Orange County Register (subscription required):

“Playing against her, you see how competitive she is, the dog that’s in her,” Watkins said. “So, to have that – I had to have her. I had to hit her phone up. I appreciate her heavily, because I know what she’s capable of.”

Coach Lindsay Gottlieb knows the future of her team sure looks bright. We can see it from here. Top high school players want to play with JuJu Watkins, creating more accumulated recruiting wins for the Women of Troy.

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National reaction to JuJu Watkins’ dominant women’s basketball debut at USC

JuJu Watkins owned the stage in her #USC debut. Reactions poured in from across the country.

Well, now! That was quite a way to make an entrance for JuJu Watkins.

The USC freshman played her very first regular-season game as a Trojan on Monday. She did so in Las Vegas, a city of dreams and aspirations. She faced the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes, a team with big dreams of its own. The Buckeyes are expected to battle Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Big Ten championship this season. USC, ranked in the top 25 in the preseason polls but just outside the top 20, faced a very big challenge.

JuJu Watkins was going to need to do something special in her first game in order to beat the Buckeyes and give USC women’s basketball a great start to its season.

Does 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting sound good enough for you? What about six rebounds and five assists as well?

Watkins dominated a top-10 opponent in her first USC game. She didn’t need a warm-up game against Long Beach State or Cal-State Bakersfield. She was thrown into the fire against Ohio State and immediately played like a No. 1 recruit.

Social media reaction was swift and clear: USC has something very, very special on its hands.

Let’s see how people responded to this electric collegiate debut for JuJu Watkins: