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Berkeley, CA
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Photo by: John McGillen
USC Women Kick Off Pac-12 Play In Bay Area
December 27, 2017 | Women's Basketball, Features
Women of Troy open conference play Friday at No. 20 Cal before Sunday tilt at Stanford.
USC (10-1, 0-0) at #20 California (9-2, 0-0)
Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, Calif.
Friday, Dec. 29 | 6 p.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads 39-30
Last Meeting: L, 71-58 (Feb. 5, 2017 • Berkeley, Calif.)
Current Streak: Cal won 2
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATSÂ
USC (10-1, 0-0) at Stanford (6-6, 0-0)
Maples Pavilion | Palo Alto, Calif.
Sunday, Dec. 31 | 1 p.m. PT
Series Record: Stanford leads 20-57
Last Meeting: L, 58-43 (Feb. 3, 2017 • Palo Alto, Calif.)
Current Streak: Stanford won 4
TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles & Pac-12 Bay Area (PbP: Anne Marie Anderson)
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATSÂ
Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, Calif.
Friday, Dec. 29 | 6 p.m. PT
Series Record: USC leads 39-30
Last Meeting: L, 71-58 (Feb. 5, 2017 • Berkeley, Calif.)
Current Streak: Cal won 2
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATSÂ
USC (10-1, 0-0) at Stanford (6-6, 0-0)
Maples Pavilion | Palo Alto, Calif.
Sunday, Dec. 31 | 1 p.m. PT
Series Record: Stanford leads 20-57
Last Meeting: L, 58-43 (Feb. 3, 2017 • Palo Alto, Calif.)
Current Streak: Stanford won 4
TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles & Pac-12 Bay Area (PbP: Anne Marie Anderson)
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATSÂ
THIS WEEKÂ
The USC women take a 10-1 record into the first steps of Pac-12 play this week with a road trip through the Bay Area. The Trojans open conference action against California (9-2) at 6 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 29) in Berkeley, Calif. Then, it's over to Palo Alto to ring in the new year with a clash at Stanford (6-6) at 1 p.m. That game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Los Angeles and Pac-12 Bay Area with Anne Marie Anderson on the call.
IN THE NATIONÂ Â Â
USC is unranked but is receiving votes in this week's AP and USA Today Coaches poll (as of Dec. 26). California ranks No. 20 in this week's AP poll and No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches poll. Stanford  dropped out of both polls this week and is receiving votes.
SCOUTING CALÂ Â Â Â
The No. 20 Golden Bears are 9-2 overall after beating Kentucky 62-52 in their last competition. Kristine Anigwe leads Cal with 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. USC is 39-30 all-time against Cal after two losses last year. USC fell to Cal 71-58 in the teams' last meeting on Feb. 5, 2017 in Berkeley. USC's last win over Cal was a 65-54 win in Berkeley in 2016.
SCOUTING STANFORDÂ Â Â Â Â Â
The Cardinal enters the week 6-6 after an 83-71 loss to Tennessee last week. Full-time starter Alanna Smith leads Stanford with 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. USC is 57-20 all-time against Stanford after taking losses in the past four meetings.  after two losses last year. USC fell to Stanford 58-42 in the teams' last meeting on Feb. 3, 2017 in Palo Alto. USC's last win over the Cardinal was a 72-68 victory in the 2014 Pac-12 Tournament Championship game in Seattle.
LAST ACTIONÂ Â Â
USC never trailed past the second minute of action, but had to contend with a determined host in order to lock up the Trojans' 10th win of the season. UT Rio Grande Valley had it at a two-point game at halftime and a single-digit margin late in the game, but USC was able to fend off the Vaqueros to win this one 71-64. USC's 10-point lead in the second quarter was swiftly struck down as UTRGV shot 50 percent from the floor in that 10-minute span while the Trojans hit the skids and shot just 22 percent in the second. USC was effective in getting to the free-throw line, but it was the hosts' offensive push in the second that tightened up the game by halftime. The Trojans were up 29-27 despite shooting 30.8 percent from the field in the first half, trailing UTRGV's 46.2 effort. USC went 9-of-14 from the line while the Vaqueros shot no free throws in the first half. Sadie Edwards was the only player in double digits by halftime, holding 12 points for the Trojan cause as USC looked to get back into gear for the second half. USC upped its production in the third to build out a 19-point lead and finished up the game shooting 38.9 percent. That trailed UTRGV's hot 48.1 percent from the floor, but the Trojans landed 11 threes and went 18-of-25 from the free-throw line. UTRGV made eight threes and was 4-of-7 from the line. The Vaqueros outrebounded the Trojans 36-33, but USC forced 19 turnovers out of UTRGV. USC also received a game-high 23 points from Sadie Edwards, who knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers, along with the 21st career double-double for Kristen Simon, who finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Aliyah Mazyck also hit double digits with 12 points, and Minyon Moore added 10 for the Trojan cause, while Jordan Adams contributed six assists for USC. The previous day, USC shrugged off a second-quarter push by Middle Tennessee and stayed the course to post a 72-57 win in the opener of the UTRGV Holiday Classic on Tuesday in Edinburg, Texas. USC's versatility was on display today, with senior post Kristen Simon delivering a game-high 25 points while junior Aliyah Mazyck landed four 3-pointers and nabbed six steals and sophomore Minyon Moore added 17 points and six assists to power up the Trojans to victory. USC improved to 9-1 overall with the win. The lead traded hands three times in the second quarter before USC maneuvered into a seven-point halftime advantage while shooting 35.7 percent from the floor through the first 20 minutes of action. Middle Tennessee shot 37.9 from the floor in the first half, but USC was effective at getting to the line to help the Trojan cause on 9-on-13 shooting from the line to go with five 3-pointers nailed by halftime. In the second half, USC upped its output to finish out the game at 42.1 percent from the floor while landing eight 3-pointers. The Trojans fended off a 10-0 rally by the Blue Raiders in the fourth quarter to press on to victory. Middle Tennessee shot 38.6 percent in the game and also hit eight threes. USC continued to work its way to the stripe, too, going 16-of-21 from the line to outpace Middle Tennessee's 5-of-7 from the line. The teams finished up even at 35 rebounds apiece. At the close of the event, Kristen Simon was named MVP of the UTRGV Holiday Classic, joined by Sadie Edwards and Aliyah Mazyck on the All-Tournament Team.
INJURY REPORTÂ Â Â Â
Freshman Shalexxus Aaron is currently sidelined as she rehabs back from offseason knee surgery. Asiah Jones has also missed USC's first 11 games with injury.
TIGHT TANGLE VS. TEXAS A&MÂ Â Â
USC fought through 17 lead changes and 13 ties in an epic battle against No. 19 Texas A&M on Friday night at the Galen Center, but it was one last bucket from the Aggies' prolific freshman Chennedy Carter that sealed the Trojans' first loss of the season. USC had snagged a one-point lead with 19 seconds left, but Carter landed the go-ahead bucket for the visitors and the Trojans' attempt at a game-winner was just off the mark. Texas A&M's 75-74 win over the host Trojans put USC at 8-1 overall on the year, while the No. 19 Aggies improved to 9-2. Carter finished up with a Texas A&M program-record 46 points on the night, joined by teammate Danni Williams in double figures with 11 points. USC, meanwhile, had four Trojans hit double digits, led by Sadie Edwards' 20 points and 18 from Kristen Simon. Minyon Moore finished up with 17 points along with five assists, and Aliyah Mazyck scored 14 for the Trojan cause. USC, which led 30-29 at halftime, shot 40.9 percent from the floor in the game. Texas A&M shot 41.5 percent and was 16-of-24 from the free-throw line. USC was 14-of-16 from the stripe and wound up outrebounded 45-34 by the Aggies.Â
MOORE MATCHES MILLERÂ Â Â
In USC's 80-70 win at LMU on Dec. 1, Trojan sophomore Minyon Moore had a game-high 34 points on an incredible 21-of-23 shooting night from the free-throw line to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Moore's 34 points were the most scored by any USC player since Ariya Crook did so in 2014. In addition, her 21 free throws made matched the single-game program record set by Trojan great Cheryl Miller in 1985. Moore's 23 free throws attempted was also the second most in a single game all-time at USC.Â
HITTING HIGH MARKS IN HAWAI'IÂ Â Â
During USC's victorious run through the Rainbow Wahine Showdown the week of Thanksgiving, two milestones were hit by Trojans. With her fourth of a final 16 points in the Nov. 25 win over Marist, senior Kristen Simon joined the 1,000-point club at USC, becoming the 26th Trojan to break that barrier. The very next day, USC gathered a 71-60 win over host Hawai'i, notching USC head coach Mark Trakh's 400th career victory as a head coach. His career record now stands at 404-267 (.602) in his 23rd season of coaching. Now with 1,113 career points, Simon ranks No. 21 all-time in scoring at USC and is just four points from cracking the all-time top-20.Â
STAY GOLDÂ Â Â
These two simple words are being used to define a new culture shift and a hopeful rebirth of the storied USC women's basketball program under the direction of newly-minted Trojan head coach Mark Trakh. "With this team, it's all about the culture," Trakh said. "We want the golden standard of cultures here at USC and to get our kids to be on the same page — to work hard, work together, play together hard offensively and defensively, be consistent with that effort, and represent the university well on and off the floor. I think that's the formula to winning and getting back in the tournament, and having that structure will go a long way for us this year and moving forward."  #StayGold
TROJAN GREATNESSÂ Â Â
USC senior Kristen Simon has received national acclaim as one of the nation's top-20 centers named to the watch list for the 2018 Lisa Leslie Award. The Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association released their selections on Nov. 10. The award — named for Trojan great Lisa Leslie, who was a three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year during her time at USC — will honor the nation's top center, to be announced at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. This 20-player watch list will narrow to 10 in mid-February before five finalists are revealed in March. Simon, a 6-2 post who officially starts her senior season with the Women of Troy tonight in USC's home opener at 4 p.m., was named to the All-Pac-12 Team as a junior. She led the Trojans in scoring (14.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.7 rebounds per game) in the 2016-17 campaign. The versatile Simon has collected 21 double-doubles in her USC career to date, boasting a 21-rebound performance as a sophomore to net the fourth most single-game records ever by a Trojan. That effort was just two boards away from the career-best posted by Leslie while she was a Trojan.
LOOK WHO'S BACKÂ Â Â
Mark Trakh is no stranger to the demands of being a head coach in one of the premier conferences for women's basketball. During his first tenure at USC (2004-09), he compiled a 90-64 overall record, making back-to-back NCAA appearances before a series of promising seasons that were eventually derailed by injuries to key players. Trakh also was able to compile an 8-3 record against crosstown rival UCLA while winning at least 17 games in each season as head coach. In his 22 years as a head coach — spanning Pepperdine, USC, New Mexico State and now a second stretch at USC — he has led his teams to eight NCAA appearances. For this 2017-18 season, Trakh has brought in associate head coach Jason Glover and assistant coaches Aarika Hughes, who played for Trakh at USC, and Blanche Alverson as his coaching staff.
SUPER SENIORÂ Â Â
Jordan Adams was granted a sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA after a season-ending knee injury last year. Now, the captain is back to bring a veteran presence at the point guard position. Prior to her injury, the former McDonald's All-American was having her best season in a Trojan uniform, averaging 8.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and shooting over 55 percent from the floor in five games.Â
MORE SENIOR STRENGTHÂ Â Â
Sadie Edwards, who earned Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention after playing in all 30 games and starting the final 22 games last season, returns in the backcourt. The Connecticut product finished second on the team in 3-pointers made last season (24) and averaged 9.2 ppg, often being called upon to hit big shots. Bringing additional experience and leadership in the post is All-Pac-12 Team honoree Kristen Simon. Simon led USC in scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg) as a junior, starting all 27 games in which she appeared. She also played the second most minutes per game last season (behind former guard Courtney Jaco) and will look to have another star-studded season as a senior starter.
HIGH POWER DOWN LOWÂ Â Â
USC also has a quartet of young post players in sophomore forwards Asiah Jones, Ja'Tavia Tapley, Dani Milisic, and junior forward Marguerite Effa — all of whom are hoping to make 2017-18 their breakout seasons. Jones, an athletic 6-3 post played in 29 games as a true freshman and made some noise when she delivered eight blocks in a game against Mississippi State last season, the most by a USC player since Trojan great Lisa Leslie had eight in 1993 and the third most blocks ever recorded by a Trojan in a single game. She led USC in blocks last season with 35. Tapley, a versatile 6-3 forward, showed flashes of her potential last season after appearing in all 30 games and starting the last 15 of the year as a freshman. She set career highs with 15 points against Arizona and eight rebounds against WSU and averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg. Also returning is redshirt sophomore Milisic, who brings both strength and length in the post. The 6-4 Australian looms as USC's tallest player on the roster this season. Milisic made her Trojan debut last year, playing in 20 games and shooting 40 percent from the floor. Rounding out the post players is 6-3 junior Effa, a native of Cameroon who prepped in Los Angeles and who boasts tremendous athletic ability. In addition to their defensive abilities, Trakh looks to these four to expand their offensive range and provide some support in the frontcourt for Simon.
BACK FOR MOOREÂ Â Â
USC's sophomore guard Minyon Moore was undoubtedly USC's spark plug off the bench last season, playing in all 30 games and leading the team in assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.9 spg) in addition to finishing second in scoring (11.7 ppg). The Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection shot 38 percent from 3-point range last season and also made a living at the free-throw line, shooting nearly twice as many free throws as the next player on the team. Trakh will rely on Moore to provide leadership and a big punch in the backcourt with her skills as a savvy distributor and sure scorer.
SPEEDY MAZYCKÂ Â Â
USC returns the services of junior Aliyah Mazyck, a tireless defender with burning quickness who averaged 6.6 ppg and 1.5 steals per game in 19 games last season. With her speed and threat from beyond the arc, a fully healthy Mazyck is guaranteed to cause huge problems for opponents this season.Â
LAST SEASONÂ Â Â Â
USC finished up the 2016-17 season with a 14-16 overall record in head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke's fourth season at Troy. In Pac-12 play, USC finished tied for ninth place at 5-12 and fell in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament to eight-seeded Cal.  At the close of the season, junior Kristen Simon picked up a place on the All-Pac-12 Team, while senior Courtney Jaco earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention and Pac-12 All-Defensive Honorable Mention. Freshman Minyon Moore, who was a two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and USBWA National Freshman of the Week during the season, was selected to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Simon was USC's top scorer and rebounder with 14.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Moore led the team in assists (4.0 per game) and steals (1.9 per game). Jaco moved up to rank No. 2 all-time at USC in career 3-pointers as she added a team-high 68 threes to her career count in her final season at Troy.
THE NEW CREWÂ Â Â Â
The Trojans have two newcomers at the guard position, true freshmen Shalexxus Aaron and transfer Mariya Moore. Aaron, a 6-1 guard from Apple Valley, Calif., is the sister of current USC men's basketball player Shaqquan Aaron and was a CIF Southern Section First Team selection and CIF All-State Second Team pick as a senior in 2017. The headliner, however, is All-American caliber guard in Mariya Moore. Mariya, the older sister of current sophomore Minyon, transferred to USC following three successful years at Louisville where she was a three-time selection to the Naismith Trophy Watch List and an All-ACC Second Team performer as a junior for the Cardinal after averaging 12.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, and 4.9 apg and helping Louisville to the Sweet Sixteen. A jack of all trades, the 6-0 Moore finished in the top-10 at Louisville in career assists, 3-pointers made, and free throws made, and No. 13 all-time in career points (1,365), while registering five career double-doubles and one triple double (11 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists vs. Syracuse). Moore will sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules and will have one year of eligibility at Troy.
COMMITTED!   Â
USC has added two new members to the Trojan family, as head coach Mark Trakh announced the signings of Jillian Archer and Desiree Caldwell to national letters of intent on Nov. 8. Archer and Caldwell will bring much-needed depth to their respective positions once they arrive on campus, as both prep standouts are set to don the Cardinal and Gold in the fall of 2018. A 6-2 forward from Santa Monica, Calif., Jillian Archer has made a name for herself as one of the best young rebounders and post players in the country. Ranked as the No. 47 overall player and No. 7 forward in the nation according to ESPN, Archer also currently ranks No. 54 overall and as the No. 8 forward according to ProspectsNation. Archer averaged 11.4 points per game to go along with 10.3 rebounds per game as a junior at Bishop Alemany HS in Mission Hills. Archer earned a spot on the All-CIF Southern Section Open Division First Team after she led her Lady Warriors to the CIF Southern California Division 1 Regional State Semifinals. A 5-6 point guard, Desiree "Desi" Caldwell hails from San Antonio, Texas. Ranked the No. 13 guard and the No. 74 overall player in the country according to ESPN, Caldwell currently sits as the nation's No. 14 overall player and No. 5 guard in the land according to ProspectsNation. Caldwell is a quick and savvy floor general who brings multiple years of international experience to Troy, having been part of the USA Basketball U16 National Team where she set the U16 assists record during her play in the 2015 FIBA Americas Tournament Championship. In that tournament held in Puebla, Mexico, she helped Team USA bring home the bronze medal with a 4-1 record. Caldwell will play her senior year of basketball at Byron P. Steele II HS in Cibolo, Texas, after playing one varsity season at Claudia Taylor Johnson HS in San Antonio. As a freshman, Caldwell compiled 316 points, 46 rebounds, 33 assists, and 23 steals, shooting 38 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. Although Caldwell has spent the majority of her life in Texas, both of her parents are from California and surrounding Los Angeles areas. Her older sister, Recee, also started her collegiate basketball career at nearby UCLA before transferring to Texas Tech. Caldwell's international experience plus her extensive basketball background will serve her well when she arrives at USC. •
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Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
