USC’s future is bright in women’s basketball; what about Oregon’s?

Will Oregon WBB return to being an elite program, or has slippage occurred to an extent coach Kelly Graves won’t be able to handle?

USC is building a very strong women’s basketball program. The floor is high right now. Lindsay Gottlieb is trying to create a very high ceiling, and she is on her way to achieving that goal.

Oregon was a Final Four program in recent years under coach Kelly Graves, who molded Sabrina Ionescu into an elite player and a national superstar. Oregon was the favorite to win the 2020 NCAA Tournament before the pandemic wiped it away.

This season, Oregon has struggled and is on the bubble, just as USC is. We talked to Ducks Wire analyst Donald Smalley about the bigger picture in Eugene for women’s basketball:

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Trojans Wire:

“Is this a temporary blip or any cause for long-term concern beyond this season?”

Donald Smalley, Ducks Wire:

“You have to think it’s a blip. These players are too good. It’s like a slump in baseball. It’s just one of those things. They’ll find it again (hopefully versus USC).”

Or, from our Trojan viewpoint, hopefully not.

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