The USC women’s basketball team is undeniably talented and versatile. There are lots of ways in which this team can win. USC was able to dig deep on defense and make plays late in the fourth quarter to escape with a 68-66 win over Ole Miss on Monday in Paris. Yet, for all the talent on this team, no one can walk away from this game thinking that USC will just be able to show up and win on talent alone. The Trojans realized against Ole Miss that they have to be precise and detail-oriented on a consistent basis if they want to make the 2025 Women’s Final Four in Tampa.
Let’s tell the truth about the Ole Miss game: USC got rattled and remained rattled for most of the second half before rallying late to win. USC was up 15 at 43-28. After the next dozen minutes or so, USC trailed 64-60. Ole Miss put USC in jail with lockdown defense for more than a full quarter. USC needed free throws and rugged defense to survive. It became very hard for USC to execute a simple pass or dribble handoff. It was that bad for 12 to 15 minutes in the second half.
Talent alone won’t carry USC to the Final Four. The Trojans need to make quicker, more immediate adjustments. They have to shrug off one or two bad possessions and come back with a crisp halfcourt set. JuJu Watkins needs to not shoot off-balance shots. Kiki Iriafen can’t pass up layups as she did in the fourth quarter. Talia von Oelhoffen needs to find ways to contribute — not necessarily as a scorer but in some way to create a good shot or open space for a teammate. Every Trojan can look at the film of this game and identify areas for improvement on offense. Fixing these issues could give USC the basketball education needed to become a poised, adaptable, more resourceful team over the next several months.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, Ducks Wire, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.