Saturday, December 30
Los Angeles, Calif.
5:00 PM
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UCLA
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Photo by: John McGillen
Undefeated No. 6/5 USC Women’s Basketball Visits No. 2 UCLA In Pac-12 Opener
December 26, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Women of Troy take on the Bruins in a battle of undefeated rivals at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
#6/5 USC (10-0) at #2/2 UCLA (11-0)
Pauley Pavilion | Westwood, Calif.
Saturday, Dec. 30 | 5 p.m.
Series Record [since 1971-72]: USC trails 50-56 (L8)
Last Meeting: L 61-60 [1/8/23 • Pauley Pavilion]
TV: P12 Networks (Talent: Anne Marie Anderson & Mary Murphy)
STREAM | STATS
THIS WEEK
Coming off a short holiday break, undefeated No. 6/5 USC (10-0) sets up for its Pac-12 opener at No. 2 UCLA with a clash against the also-undefeated Bruins (11-0) at 5 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Pauley Pavilion.
FOLLOW ALONG
This week's USC-UCLA crosstown showdown in Westwood will be televised on Pac-12 Networks with Anne Marie Anderson and Mary Murphy on the call.
IN THE POLLS
USC's No. 21 preseason national ranking marked the fourth time the Trojans have appeared in preseason AP and USA Today polls since 2005. It's the highest preseason ranking for USC in that span, following No. 23 in 2011, No. 22 and 2006 and No. 24 (AP) and No. 22 (USA Today) in 2005. As of the most recent AP poll (Dec. 25), USC ranks No. 6 in the AP poll for the fifth straight week. USC also remains at No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll for the third week. In the nation's top 10 for the seventh consecutive week, the Trojans continue to enjoy their highest rankings since reaching No. 4 in both polls during the 1994 season.
QUICK HITS
• Now 10-0 overall, USC has recorded back-to-back 9-0 starts for just the second time, going back to the 1983-84 (10-0) and 1984-85 (10-0) seasons.
• This will be the first-ever meeting between USC and UCLA in which both teams enter the game undefeated.
• USC and UCLA have met as AP top-10 teams three times in the rivalry's history all taking place in 1981.
Feb 6, 1981 — #5 UCLA 81, #7 USC 79
Feb 25, 1981 — #9 UCLA 87, #8 USC 83
March 13, 1981 — #9 USC 102, #7 UCLA 85
• The last time the two schools met as ranked AP opponents was March 7, 1985 (#20 UCLA 57, #11 USC 56)
• The Trojans have scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since also recording five 80-plus games in a row in the 2018-19 season.
• USC has averaged 12.7 steals per game over its last three games
LAST ACTION
USC faced its first true road game of the season, heading down to longtime rival Long Beach State for the Trojans' final nonconference game of the year. Down three players, USC gutted out a good win, netting an 85-77 victory over the Beach thanks in large part to a career-high 36 points from McKenzie Forbes and season-high scoring from Kayla Padilla (16 points), Roxane Makolo (nine points) and Kayla Williams (nine points). With a trio of Trojans sidelined for this one, USC still had the depth to keep the Beach at bay. Forbes and Padilla were in double digits by halftime for USC, which shot 35.3 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes. Long Beach State was a bit warmer, going 36.4 percent overall and leading on the boards 38-18. USC's firepower beyond the arc kept the Trojans out in front, with six threes landed as USC led it 40-31 by halftime. By the final buzzer, the Beach led the battle of the boards 49-39 and was still hotter from the floor at 42.2 percent, but the Trojans capitalized from the free-throw line (31-of-39) and from beyond the arc with 10 threes landed to make up ground on a day that saw USC shoot a season-low 33.3 percent overall. Forbes finished up as the game's top scorer with her career-high 36 points, joined by Padilla's 16 points and 11 from Taylor Bigby for the Trojans in double digits on the day. Long Beach State received a team-high 17 points from Savannah Tucker along with 14 apiece from Lovely Sonnier and Sydney Woodley, with Jada Crawshaw adding 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Beach.
NOTABLE:
- FR Malia Samuels made her first career start.
- GS Kayla Padilla made a season-high four threes and scored a season-high 16 points.
- GS McKenzie Forbes scored a career-high 36 points — the most by a Trojan in a game since 2019.
- JR Clarice Akunwafo matched her season high of eight rebounds.
- In a series dating back to the 1973-74 season, USC is now even at 28-28 all-time against Long Beach State, now with wins in the past 12 meetings.
- USC shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the floor.
- Now 10-0 overall, USC has recorded back-to-back 9-0 starts for just the second time, going back to the 1983-84 (10-0) and 1984-85 (10-0) seasons.
- The Trojans have now scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since also recording five 80-plus games in a row in the 2018-19 season.
- USC had three players out for this game: Rayah Marshall, JuJu Watkins and Kaitlyn Davis.
30-SOMETHING
With her fifth 30-point outing on Dec. 3, JuJu Watkins added to her USC freshman record for 30-point games in a season — and this was just seven games into her Trojan career. Back-to-back 30-point efforts vs. Cal Poly and vs. San Diego followed a 31-point outing vs. Penn State on Nov. 22, giving Watkins three consecutive 30-point games. That tied the USC record set by Cheryl Miller, who also had three straight 30-point outings during her junior 1984-85 season. With 26.8 points per game, Watkins currently ranks No. 2 in the nation in scoring.
SIX PACK
JuJu Watkins continues to pile up honors as her collegiate career commences, as she grabbed Pac-12 Freshman of the Week accolades in each of her first five weeks of action as a Trojan and recently added one more to make it six such picks. The first player in the conference to win four in a row, Watkins is the seventh Trojan to earn the award, and has helped make a grand total of 17 such honors for USC. On Dec. 4, Watkins became the fourth conference player to sweep the weekly awards, named Pac-12 Player of the Week along with her fourth freshman award. Now with six freshman honors, she is chasing the conference record of eight Freshman of the Week awards by a single player.
WEEK SEVEN
Watkins went for 23 points in USC's high-powered 93-44 win over Cal State Fullerton, extending her own streak of leading the Trojans in scoring to nine straight games. She also set new career highs in that tilt, serving up six assists and recording three blocks. Additionally, Watkins made three 3-pointers vs. the Titans to help USC set a program record with 16 made threes in that victory.
WEEK FIVE
Watkins' fifth straight award came after the nation's No. 2 scorer dropped 27 points and served up five assists and five steals in another 80-point outing from the Trojans as they topped visiting UC Riverside 85-53 on Sunday at Galen Center. Watkins led undefeated USC in scoring for the eighth straight game as the Trojans improved to 8-0 with Sunday's win over the Highlanders. She also matched her own career highs with two blocks and five assists, and shot a season-best 75 percent from 3-point range in going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
WEEK FOUR
Fresh off matching the USC record of three straight 30-point performances, Watkins claimed a sweep of the Pac-12's weekly awards. Watkins' efforts in past week helped keep the Trojans on an undefeated start to 2023-24, with home wins over Cal Poly (85-41) and San Diego (89-58). Watkins dropped 30 points in both games to add to her collection of USC records in these early goings of her Trojan career. Against Cal Poly, she recorded her fourth 30-point game and broke the freshman record held by Lisa Leslie and Paula McGee for most 30-point games in a season. It was her second straight 30-point game, making her the fourth Trojan to record back-to-back 30-point games, following Cheryl Miller, Cherie Nelson and Paula McGee. Next, with another game-high 30 points vs. San Diego, Watkins notched her third consecutive 30-point outing, matching the USC record set by Cheryl Miller with three straight 30-point outing in her junior season (1984-85). She also had a season-high five assists vs. the Toreros, and was a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line in those two games.
WEEK THREE
Watkins' third selection came after helping USC stay undefeated at 5-0 with two wins at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas. She scored a team-high 15 points in USC's 64-54 win over Seton Hall, and then notched her third 30-point game and first double-double of the season with 31 points and 12 rebounds in a tense win over Penn State. Watkins scored the last seven straight points of that, including the game-winning basket, as USC recorded a 71-70 comeback win. Watkins' 31-point outing matched a freshman record hit by Lisa Leslie in 1990-91 and Paula McGee in 1980-81 — two Trojan greats who recorded three 30-point outings in their freshman seasons. With 131 points scored for the 5-0 Trojans, Watkins has scored more points in her first five games as a Trojan than Cheryl Miller (104) and Lisa Leslie (109) did in their first five games at USC.
WEEK TWO
Watkins became the first USC freshman to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors in consecutive weeks with her second pick on Nov. 20. In a meeting with Le Moyne, Watkins put up 35 points, making six 3-pointers to go along with nine rebounds and six assists — all new highs for her as a Trojan. Her 35-point outing pushed her three-game total as a Trojan to 85 points — more than Cheryl Miller (67) and Lisa Leslie (64) did in their first three games at USC. It also was the second highest single-game scoring effort by a USC freshman (Cheryl Miller scored 39 vs. Northwestern on Nov. 30, 1982). Watkins' six 3-pointers made in USC's 93-42 win over the Dolphins tied for the second most threes made in a game by a Trojan. What's more, Watkins' 35 points marked her second 30-plus outing in her first three games, making Watkins the first freshman in 25 years to record multiple 30-point games in her first three games.
WEEK ONE
Watkins secured the first Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors of the season along with national acclaim as USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week. In her USC debut, Watkins had pinned up 32 points on No. 7 Ohio State, setting a program record for points scored by a freshman in a debut and marking the third most points scored in any game by a USC freshman. Watkins' 32-point effort to start her freshman season helped USC to its first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990, when a No. 25 USC team upset No. 7 Texas 88-77 (11/25/90). That effort beat out Lisa Leslie's 30-point effort in her first game as a USC freshman — recorded in that aforementioned 1990 season opener — to set a new USC record for points scored in a freshman debut. Only two other USC freshmen have scored more than 32 points in any game — Cheryl Miller (39 points vs. Northwestern, 11/30/82) and Lisa Leslie (33 points at Cal, 1/17/91). In USC's home opener days later, Watkins tallied a team-high 18 points in a 67-51 win over Florida Gulf Coast at Galen Center. That effort pushed her to 50 total points in her first two games as a Trojan — also achieved by Trojan great Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982.
FORBES LISTED
McKenzie Forbes, who was a two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week while playing at Cal years ago, secured her first Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on Dec. 26 after tallying a season-high 17 points vs. Cal State Fullerton and then more than doubling that effort with a career-high 36 points in an 85-77 road win at Long Beach State. Her 36 points was the most scored in a game by a Trojan since Mariya Moore scored 36 in 2019. Also against the Beach, Forbes made a career-high 13 free throws on a career-high 16 attempts and collected a season-high seven rebounds. She has now scored in double figures in USC's last five games. Earlier this season, Forbes picked up national accolades with a spot on the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List.
GREAT SHOW AT GALEN OPENER
USC drew its largest Galen Center crowd since 2010 in the Trojans' home opener on Friday (Nov. 10), picking up its second win of the season on a 67-51 victory over visiting Florida Gulf Coast. All 11 available Women of Troy got in the game, with Aaliyah Gayles and Roxane Makolo both making their USC debuts in the victory. Also at the game, USC honored the 1984 NCAA Championship team, which claimed back-to-back NCAA titles with a roster of legends including Cheryl Miller and Pamela and Paula McGee, who were in attendance at the game. USC recovered from a slow start to the game, falling behind 9-0 and then heating up to go 48-percent from the floor by halftime and lead it 33-19 at the break. USC's defense forced four shot-clock violations out of FGCU in the first half, and the Eagles were at 29 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes of play. FGCU was ahead on the board, however, leading 20-14, but USC's scoring depth of six different scorers helped keep the Trojans out ahead. FGCU got to within five early in the third, but USC manufactured a steady push and would lead it by 20 entering the fourth. By the final buzzer, USC's second win of the season was in the books, with the Trojans having gone 45 percent from the floor to outpace the Eagles' 32.1 percent. FCGU won the battle of the boards 39-34, but the Trojans dished out 18 assists and nabbed 10 steals to keep USC's momentum going. USC received 18-point outings from both Rayah Marshall and JuJu Watkins, who has now generated 50 points in her first two games at USC — matching the total that Trojan great Cheryl Miller put up in her opening games as a freshman. FGCU had Maddie Antenucci score a game-high 19 points, and Uju Ezeudu led all on the boards with 11 rebounds.
NOTABLE:
- With two blocks, Rayah Marshall extended her streak to 53 straight games with at least one block.
- With a team-high 18 points, freshman JuJu Watkins has totalled 50 points in her first two games as a Trojan — also achieved by Trojan great Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982
- With an attendance of 4,712, the USC women recorded their largest attendance at Galen Center since Jan. 17, 2010.
- The attendance also ranks as the eighth most for a USC women's game at Galen Center.
- Redshirt freshman Aaliyah Gayles and grad transfer Roxane Makolo both made their USC debuts.
- USC is now 42-5 all-time in home openers.
- This was the first-ever meeting between USC and FGCU.
TOP-10 TAKEDOWN
USC notched its first season-opening win over a ranked opponent since 1990 with an upset victory over No. 7 Ohio State at the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That 1990 upset win came over a No. 7 Texas team, with Trojan great Lisa Leslie delivering 30 points in her freshman debut at USC. Fitting, then, that today's statement win by the Women of Troy featured a 32-point effort from true freshman JuJu Watkins. Leslie and Watkins both were named Gatorade National Players of the Year as seniors in high school before signing on to USC. Up 46-28 at halftime, USC was shooting 51.4 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes, with JuJu Watkins holding 16 points and Rayah Marshall already at a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds by the break. Ohio State, which made just two field foals in the second quarter while winding up at 29.6 percent shooting the first half. The Buckeyes would bounce back, however, benefitting from a swaying foul count and almost matching USC's second-quarter effort in outscoring USC 30-10 in the third. A stalwart effort from the Trojans would pull them back ahead in the fourth, fending off the No. 7 Buckeyes to win the day in Vegas. USC finished out the game shooting 51 percent overall to outpace Ohio State's 40-percent effort. USC also outrebounded the Buckeyes 43-28. Led by freshman Watkins' game-high 32 points, USC also saw Marshall net her 21st career double-double with a final 18 points and 17 rebounds. Marshall also extended her impressive blocks streak to 52 straight games with two more tallied today, and added a career-high six steals. Also hitting double digits for the Trojans was McKenzie Forbes with 11 while Kaitlyn Davis added nine rebounds for USC and Watkins dished out five assists. Ohio State was paced by Jacy Sheldon's 28 points along with 16 from Taylor Thierry.
NOTABLE:
- USC's win over No. 7 Ohio State was its first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990, when a No. 25 USC team upset No. 7 Texas 88-77 (11/25/90).
- With 32 points, FR JuJu Watkins beat Lisa Leslie's 30-point effort in her first game as a USC freshman — recorded in that aforementioned 1990 season opener.
- Watkins' 32 points scored marked the most by a USC (or any Pac-12) freshman in any game since Alissa Pili (32 points) in 2020.
- Only two other USC freshmen have scored more than 32 points in a game — Cheryl Miller (39 points vs. Northwestern, 11/30/82) and Lisa Leslie (33 points at Cal, 1/17/91).
- JR Rayah Marshall recorded her 21st career double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds.
- With two blocks, Marshall has extended her streak to 52 straight games with at least one block.
- Marshall also recorded a career-high six steals.
- Five players scored their first points as Trojans — Watkins (32 points), GS McKenzie Forbes (11), GS Kayla Padilla (8), GS Kaitlyn Davis (4) and FR Malia Samuels (2).
- USC is now 4-4 all-time against Ohio State.
- USC's last win over a top-10 opponent was a 55-46 victory over No. 2 Stanford last season (1/13/23).
TOP TALENT
For just the second time in program history, USC women's basketball welcomes the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year to Troy, with the addition of heralded incoming freshman JuJu Watkins. Watkins follows in the footsteps of another Los Angeles native, Lisa Leslie, a Trojan great who was the Gatorade Player of the Year in 1990 on her way into USC. Watkins picked up All-Pac-12 Preseason Honorable Mention, and was recently named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Watch List.
BLOCK LOCK
Defense was one of USC's strengths last season with the help of Rayah Marshall, who earned 2023 All-Pac12 Team honors as she led the conference in total rebounds with 322 and was second in the nation with 98 blocks as a sophomore. Now a junior and coming off a summer preparing for and playing for the USA in the FIBA Women's AmeriCup, Marshall's shot blocking and rebounding ability coupled with her newfound leadership has made her an essential role player for the Women of Troy as she enters her junior season tasked with time in the paint as a center. After tacking up her 21st career double-double in USC's season opener, Marshall also added to her impressive blocks streak, which extended to 53 straight games until being interrupted on Nov. 13. Still, she's in the nation's top-20 with her current mark of 2.25 blocks per game, and she has recorded at least one block in 58 of the last 59 games in which she's played.
VETERAN STATUS
In addition to Marshall, USC welcomes back a strong group of returners from last season's success. Now a senior, guard Kayla Williams picked up 2023 Pac-12 All-Defensive Honorable Mention, having started all 31 games as a reliable backcourt defender for the team. Also back for more in 2023-24 is redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Bigby, who brings length and sharpshooting to the perimeter, where fifth-year guard India Otto also is a proven threat. Now with two years under her belt at USC, 6-6 center Clarice Akunwafo is back to help man the paint as a junior.
DEPTH CHARGE
Freshman Malia Samuels comes into the season having been named Washington's 2022 3A Player of the Year, adding point guard savvy and defensive talents to the squad. USC's guard depth is intensified as redshirt sophomore guard Dominique Darius steps on the court this season for her first action as a Trojan following her midseason transfer from UCLA. And after redshirting her first season, guard Aaliyah Gayles made her Trojan debut as well this year.
GRAD GREATS
With a proven eye for talent, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has added four graduate transfers to the 2023-24 Trojan roster. Three — Kaitlyn Davis, McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla — were standouts in the Ivy League, and one — Roxane Makolo — boasts international experience with Team Canada. A proven point guard in her time at Penn, Padilla joins the Trojans as a three-time All-Ivy First Team selection. Her speed and basketball IQ will be an asset to the team for the upcoming season. Marshall and Akunwafo will be supported in the paint with Columbia forward Davis, whose strength and agility make her extremely difficult to defend. With depth comes versatility as Forbes returns to her home state after three strong years at Harvard, where she earned 2022 All-Ivy Second Team honors. She also was recently selected to the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List.
WNBA DRAFT DOUBLE
USC grad students Kadi Sissoko and Okako Adika were picked back-to-back in the 2023 WNBA Draft Third Round as the 29th and 30th overall players chosen, respectively. A 6-2 forward from Paris, France, Sissoko was the Trojans' top scorer season and was selected by the Phoenix Mercury. A full-time starter from Holster, Denmark, Adika — a 6-0 guard — was a defensive lock who came up big for the Trojans and has been picked by the New York Liberty. It was the first time since 2012 and just the third time ever that USC has had two players selected in a WNBA Draft. They followed 2012 picks for Jacki Gemelos and Briana Gilbreath, and 1997 draftees Pam McGee and Tina Thompson. Adika was waived for the 2023 season, while Sissoko played the full season with the Mercury. Sissoko is currently playing in France with Flammes Carolo Basket Ardennes
LAST SEASON
During the 2022-23 season, the USC women went 11-7 in conference play and finished 21-10 overall. Succeeding in arguably one of the most competitive conferences, the Women of Troy were able to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, when USC won the Pac-12 Tournament title. USC's 2023 NCAA appearance marked its first at-large bid into the tourney since 2006. The Trojan defense set a program record last season in holding opponents to just 35.4 percent shooting from the floor.
SIGNED!
Six standouts from six different states have signed on to join head coach Lindsay Gottlieb's Women of Troy for 2024, including the top player out of California for the second straight year. Three members of USC's incoming class — Kennedy Smith, Kayley Heckel and Avery Howell — have been named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Girl's High School Player of the Year Watch List. As of Nov. 21, ESPN ranked USC's incoming 2024 class as No. 1 in the nation.
KENNEDY SMITH | 6-1 G | Etiwanda, Calif. (Etiwanda HS)
Kennedy Smith stands as the No. 6 recruit in the nation as she turns to a career as a Trojan. An all-state first-teamer as a junior, Smith was also selected to the 2023 Los Angeles Times All-Star Team and was a Nike EYBL Champion with CalSparks. She has helped Etiwanda to a 2023 Open Division State Championship and the 2022 Southern Section title and also was named the 2023 Press Enterprise Inland Empire Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
KAYLEIGH HECKEL | 5-9 PG | Port Chester, N.Y. (Long Island Lutheran HS)
Already having pinned up 2,000 points in her prep career, Kayleigh Heckel helped lead her high school squad to a national runner-up finish in her junior season and was named the MaxPreps New York Player of the Year. Ranked No. 27 in the nation overall, she also is a 2022 Nike TOC Champion and plays AAU ball with Exodus NYC.
RIAN FORESTIER | 5-11 G | San Antonio, Texas (Brandeis HS)
Ranked as the top guard in Texas, Rian Forestier is a noted 3-point threat and a regular on all-state, all-region and all-district honor rolls. District MVP as a junior, she was the All-Area and All-District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman at Brandeis High in San Antonio. Also committed to community service, Forestier founded a non-profit called 4WARD, which donates new basketball shoes to middle school girls in the San Antonio region.
AVERY HOWELL | 6-0 G | Boise, Idaho (Boise HS)
The 2023 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year, Avery Howell stands ranked No. 23 in the nation and was a participant in the Wooten Top 150. Also an invitee to the Canadian National Team's training camp in 2023, Howell is a highly touted guard who set single-season records in points and rebounds in her junior season at Boise High, which finished third at the 2023 state championships. She participate in the Adidas 3SSB Eurocamp and was one of the top scorers and rebounders on the Adidas Circuit in the summer.
LAURA WILLIAMS | 6-1 F | Fairfax, Va. (St. Paul VI Catholic HS)
The top-ranked player in Virginia, Laura Williams has helped St. Paul VI continue its run of state titles. A top-100 player in ESPN's 2024 class, Williams averaged 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game with Fairfax Stars AAU on the 2023 summer Nike EYBL circuit soon after earning First Team All-State honors.
VIVIAN IWUCHUKWU | 6-3 F | Montverde, Fla. (Montverde Academy)
Ranked as the No. 47 recruit in the nation by ESPNW, Iwuchukwu helped Montverde to a 26-1 record last season, claiming back-to-back GEICO High School Nationals titles in her sophomore and junior years. The sister of current USC men's player, Vince, she is a 2022 Adidas Circuit runner-up and was named to the 2023 Nike EYBL All-Tournament Team, playing club for Essence AAU. •
Pauley Pavilion | Westwood, Calif.
Saturday, Dec. 30 | 5 p.m.
Series Record [since 1971-72]: USC trails 50-56 (L8)
Last Meeting: L 61-60 [1/8/23 • Pauley Pavilion]
TV: P12 Networks (Talent: Anne Marie Anderson & Mary Murphy)
STREAM | STATS
THIS WEEK
Coming off a short holiday break, undefeated No. 6/5 USC (10-0) sets up for its Pac-12 opener at No. 2 UCLA with a clash against the also-undefeated Bruins (11-0) at 5 p.m. on Dec. 30 at Pauley Pavilion.
FOLLOW ALONG
This week's USC-UCLA crosstown showdown in Westwood will be televised on Pac-12 Networks with Anne Marie Anderson and Mary Murphy on the call.
IN THE POLLS
USC's No. 21 preseason national ranking marked the fourth time the Trojans have appeared in preseason AP and USA Today polls since 2005. It's the highest preseason ranking for USC in that span, following No. 23 in 2011, No. 22 and 2006 and No. 24 (AP) and No. 22 (USA Today) in 2005. As of the most recent AP poll (Dec. 25), USC ranks No. 6 in the AP poll for the fifth straight week. USC also remains at No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll for the third week. In the nation's top 10 for the seventh consecutive week, the Trojans continue to enjoy their highest rankings since reaching No. 4 in both polls during the 1994 season.
QUICK HITS
• Now 10-0 overall, USC has recorded back-to-back 9-0 starts for just the second time, going back to the 1983-84 (10-0) and 1984-85 (10-0) seasons.
• This will be the first-ever meeting between USC and UCLA in which both teams enter the game undefeated.
• USC and UCLA have met as AP top-10 teams three times in the rivalry's history all taking place in 1981.
Feb 6, 1981 — #5 UCLA 81, #7 USC 79
Feb 25, 1981 — #9 UCLA 87, #8 USC 83
March 13, 1981 — #9 USC 102, #7 UCLA 85
• The last time the two schools met as ranked AP opponents was March 7, 1985 (#20 UCLA 57, #11 USC 56)
• The Trojans have scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since also recording five 80-plus games in a row in the 2018-19 season.
• USC has averaged 12.7 steals per game over its last three games
LAST ACTION
USC faced its first true road game of the season, heading down to longtime rival Long Beach State for the Trojans' final nonconference game of the year. Down three players, USC gutted out a good win, netting an 85-77 victory over the Beach thanks in large part to a career-high 36 points from McKenzie Forbes and season-high scoring from Kayla Padilla (16 points), Roxane Makolo (nine points) and Kayla Williams (nine points). With a trio of Trojans sidelined for this one, USC still had the depth to keep the Beach at bay. Forbes and Padilla were in double digits by halftime for USC, which shot 35.3 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes. Long Beach State was a bit warmer, going 36.4 percent overall and leading on the boards 38-18. USC's firepower beyond the arc kept the Trojans out in front, with six threes landed as USC led it 40-31 by halftime. By the final buzzer, the Beach led the battle of the boards 49-39 and was still hotter from the floor at 42.2 percent, but the Trojans capitalized from the free-throw line (31-of-39) and from beyond the arc with 10 threes landed to make up ground on a day that saw USC shoot a season-low 33.3 percent overall. Forbes finished up as the game's top scorer with her career-high 36 points, joined by Padilla's 16 points and 11 from Taylor Bigby for the Trojans in double digits on the day. Long Beach State received a team-high 17 points from Savannah Tucker along with 14 apiece from Lovely Sonnier and Sydney Woodley, with Jada Crawshaw adding 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Beach.
NOTABLE:
- FR Malia Samuels made her first career start.
- GS Kayla Padilla made a season-high four threes and scored a season-high 16 points.
- GS McKenzie Forbes scored a career-high 36 points — the most by a Trojan in a game since 2019.
- JR Clarice Akunwafo matched her season high of eight rebounds.
- In a series dating back to the 1973-74 season, USC is now even at 28-28 all-time against Long Beach State, now with wins in the past 12 meetings.
- USC shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the floor.
- Now 10-0 overall, USC has recorded back-to-back 9-0 starts for just the second time, going back to the 1983-84 (10-0) and 1984-85 (10-0) seasons.
- The Trojans have now scored 80 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since also recording five 80-plus games in a row in the 2018-19 season.
- USC had three players out for this game: Rayah Marshall, JuJu Watkins and Kaitlyn Davis.
30-SOMETHING
With her fifth 30-point outing on Dec. 3, JuJu Watkins added to her USC freshman record for 30-point games in a season — and this was just seven games into her Trojan career. Back-to-back 30-point efforts vs. Cal Poly and vs. San Diego followed a 31-point outing vs. Penn State on Nov. 22, giving Watkins three consecutive 30-point games. That tied the USC record set by Cheryl Miller, who also had three straight 30-point outings during her junior 1984-85 season. With 26.8 points per game, Watkins currently ranks No. 2 in the nation in scoring.
SIX PACK
JuJu Watkins continues to pile up honors as her collegiate career commences, as she grabbed Pac-12 Freshman of the Week accolades in each of her first five weeks of action as a Trojan and recently added one more to make it six such picks. The first player in the conference to win four in a row, Watkins is the seventh Trojan to earn the award, and has helped make a grand total of 17 such honors for USC. On Dec. 4, Watkins became the fourth conference player to sweep the weekly awards, named Pac-12 Player of the Week along with her fourth freshman award. Now with six freshman honors, she is chasing the conference record of eight Freshman of the Week awards by a single player.
WEEK SEVEN
Watkins went for 23 points in USC's high-powered 93-44 win over Cal State Fullerton, extending her own streak of leading the Trojans in scoring to nine straight games. She also set new career highs in that tilt, serving up six assists and recording three blocks. Additionally, Watkins made three 3-pointers vs. the Titans to help USC set a program record with 16 made threes in that victory.
WEEK FIVE
Watkins' fifth straight award came after the nation's No. 2 scorer dropped 27 points and served up five assists and five steals in another 80-point outing from the Trojans as they topped visiting UC Riverside 85-53 on Sunday at Galen Center. Watkins led undefeated USC in scoring for the eighth straight game as the Trojans improved to 8-0 with Sunday's win over the Highlanders. She also matched her own career highs with two blocks and five assists, and shot a season-best 75 percent from 3-point range in going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
WEEK FOUR
Fresh off matching the USC record of three straight 30-point performances, Watkins claimed a sweep of the Pac-12's weekly awards. Watkins' efforts in past week helped keep the Trojans on an undefeated start to 2023-24, with home wins over Cal Poly (85-41) and San Diego (89-58). Watkins dropped 30 points in both games to add to her collection of USC records in these early goings of her Trojan career. Against Cal Poly, she recorded her fourth 30-point game and broke the freshman record held by Lisa Leslie and Paula McGee for most 30-point games in a season. It was her second straight 30-point game, making her the fourth Trojan to record back-to-back 30-point games, following Cheryl Miller, Cherie Nelson and Paula McGee. Next, with another game-high 30 points vs. San Diego, Watkins notched her third consecutive 30-point outing, matching the USC record set by Cheryl Miller with three straight 30-point outing in her junior season (1984-85). She also had a season-high five assists vs. the Toreros, and was a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line in those two games.
WEEK THREE
Watkins' third selection came after helping USC stay undefeated at 5-0 with two wins at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas. She scored a team-high 15 points in USC's 64-54 win over Seton Hall, and then notched her third 30-point game and first double-double of the season with 31 points and 12 rebounds in a tense win over Penn State. Watkins scored the last seven straight points of that, including the game-winning basket, as USC recorded a 71-70 comeback win. Watkins' 31-point outing matched a freshman record hit by Lisa Leslie in 1990-91 and Paula McGee in 1980-81 — two Trojan greats who recorded three 30-point outings in their freshman seasons. With 131 points scored for the 5-0 Trojans, Watkins has scored more points in her first five games as a Trojan than Cheryl Miller (104) and Lisa Leslie (109) did in their first five games at USC.
WEEK TWO
Watkins became the first USC freshman to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors in consecutive weeks with her second pick on Nov. 20. In a meeting with Le Moyne, Watkins put up 35 points, making six 3-pointers to go along with nine rebounds and six assists — all new highs for her as a Trojan. Her 35-point outing pushed her three-game total as a Trojan to 85 points — more than Cheryl Miller (67) and Lisa Leslie (64) did in their first three games at USC. It also was the second highest single-game scoring effort by a USC freshman (Cheryl Miller scored 39 vs. Northwestern on Nov. 30, 1982). Watkins' six 3-pointers made in USC's 93-42 win over the Dolphins tied for the second most threes made in a game by a Trojan. What's more, Watkins' 35 points marked her second 30-plus outing in her first three games, making Watkins the first freshman in 25 years to record multiple 30-point games in her first three games.
WEEK ONE
Watkins secured the first Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors of the season along with national acclaim as USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week. In her USC debut, Watkins had pinned up 32 points on No. 7 Ohio State, setting a program record for points scored by a freshman in a debut and marking the third most points scored in any game by a USC freshman. Watkins' 32-point effort to start her freshman season helped USC to its first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990, when a No. 25 USC team upset No. 7 Texas 88-77 (11/25/90). That effort beat out Lisa Leslie's 30-point effort in her first game as a USC freshman — recorded in that aforementioned 1990 season opener — to set a new USC record for points scored in a freshman debut. Only two other USC freshmen have scored more than 32 points in any game — Cheryl Miller (39 points vs. Northwestern, 11/30/82) and Lisa Leslie (33 points at Cal, 1/17/91). In USC's home opener days later, Watkins tallied a team-high 18 points in a 67-51 win over Florida Gulf Coast at Galen Center. That effort pushed her to 50 total points in her first two games as a Trojan — also achieved by Trojan great Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982.
FORBES LISTED
McKenzie Forbes, who was a two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week while playing at Cal years ago, secured her first Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on Dec. 26 after tallying a season-high 17 points vs. Cal State Fullerton and then more than doubling that effort with a career-high 36 points in an 85-77 road win at Long Beach State. Her 36 points was the most scored in a game by a Trojan since Mariya Moore scored 36 in 2019. Also against the Beach, Forbes made a career-high 13 free throws on a career-high 16 attempts and collected a season-high seven rebounds. She has now scored in double figures in USC's last five games. Earlier this season, Forbes picked up national accolades with a spot on the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List.
GREAT SHOW AT GALEN OPENER
USC drew its largest Galen Center crowd since 2010 in the Trojans' home opener on Friday (Nov. 10), picking up its second win of the season on a 67-51 victory over visiting Florida Gulf Coast. All 11 available Women of Troy got in the game, with Aaliyah Gayles and Roxane Makolo both making their USC debuts in the victory. Also at the game, USC honored the 1984 NCAA Championship team, which claimed back-to-back NCAA titles with a roster of legends including Cheryl Miller and Pamela and Paula McGee, who were in attendance at the game. USC recovered from a slow start to the game, falling behind 9-0 and then heating up to go 48-percent from the floor by halftime and lead it 33-19 at the break. USC's defense forced four shot-clock violations out of FGCU in the first half, and the Eagles were at 29 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes of play. FGCU was ahead on the board, however, leading 20-14, but USC's scoring depth of six different scorers helped keep the Trojans out ahead. FGCU got to within five early in the third, but USC manufactured a steady push and would lead it by 20 entering the fourth. By the final buzzer, USC's second win of the season was in the books, with the Trojans having gone 45 percent from the floor to outpace the Eagles' 32.1 percent. FCGU won the battle of the boards 39-34, but the Trojans dished out 18 assists and nabbed 10 steals to keep USC's momentum going. USC received 18-point outings from both Rayah Marshall and JuJu Watkins, who has now generated 50 points in her first two games at USC — matching the total that Trojan great Cheryl Miller put up in her opening games as a freshman. FGCU had Maddie Antenucci score a game-high 19 points, and Uju Ezeudu led all on the boards with 11 rebounds.
NOTABLE:
- With two blocks, Rayah Marshall extended her streak to 53 straight games with at least one block.
- With a team-high 18 points, freshman JuJu Watkins has totalled 50 points in her first two games as a Trojan — also achieved by Trojan great Cheryl Miller as a freshman in 1982
- With an attendance of 4,712, the USC women recorded their largest attendance at Galen Center since Jan. 17, 2010.
- The attendance also ranks as the eighth most for a USC women's game at Galen Center.
- Redshirt freshman Aaliyah Gayles and grad transfer Roxane Makolo both made their USC debuts.
- USC is now 42-5 all-time in home openers.
- This was the first-ever meeting between USC and FGCU.
TOP-10 TAKEDOWN
USC notched its first season-opening win over a ranked opponent since 1990 with an upset victory over No. 7 Ohio State at the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That 1990 upset win came over a No. 7 Texas team, with Trojan great Lisa Leslie delivering 30 points in her freshman debut at USC. Fitting, then, that today's statement win by the Women of Troy featured a 32-point effort from true freshman JuJu Watkins. Leslie and Watkins both were named Gatorade National Players of the Year as seniors in high school before signing on to USC. Up 46-28 at halftime, USC was shooting 51.4 percent from the floor in those first 20 minutes, with JuJu Watkins holding 16 points and Rayah Marshall already at a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds by the break. Ohio State, which made just two field foals in the second quarter while winding up at 29.6 percent shooting the first half. The Buckeyes would bounce back, however, benefitting from a swaying foul count and almost matching USC's second-quarter effort in outscoring USC 30-10 in the third. A stalwart effort from the Trojans would pull them back ahead in the fourth, fending off the No. 7 Buckeyes to win the day in Vegas. USC finished out the game shooting 51 percent overall to outpace Ohio State's 40-percent effort. USC also outrebounded the Buckeyes 43-28. Led by freshman Watkins' game-high 32 points, USC also saw Marshall net her 21st career double-double with a final 18 points and 17 rebounds. Marshall also extended her impressive blocks streak to 52 straight games with two more tallied today, and added a career-high six steals. Also hitting double digits for the Trojans was McKenzie Forbes with 11 while Kaitlyn Davis added nine rebounds for USC and Watkins dished out five assists. Ohio State was paced by Jacy Sheldon's 28 points along with 16 from Taylor Thierry.
NOTABLE:
- USC's win over No. 7 Ohio State was its first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1990, when a No. 25 USC team upset No. 7 Texas 88-77 (11/25/90).
- With 32 points, FR JuJu Watkins beat Lisa Leslie's 30-point effort in her first game as a USC freshman — recorded in that aforementioned 1990 season opener.
- Watkins' 32 points scored marked the most by a USC (or any Pac-12) freshman in any game since Alissa Pili (32 points) in 2020.
- Only two other USC freshmen have scored more than 32 points in a game — Cheryl Miller (39 points vs. Northwestern, 11/30/82) and Lisa Leslie (33 points at Cal, 1/17/91).
- JR Rayah Marshall recorded her 21st career double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds.
- With two blocks, Marshall has extended her streak to 52 straight games with at least one block.
- Marshall also recorded a career-high six steals.
- Five players scored their first points as Trojans — Watkins (32 points), GS McKenzie Forbes (11), GS Kayla Padilla (8), GS Kaitlyn Davis (4) and FR Malia Samuels (2).
- USC is now 4-4 all-time against Ohio State.
- USC's last win over a top-10 opponent was a 55-46 victory over No. 2 Stanford last season (1/13/23).
TOP TALENT
For just the second time in program history, USC women's basketball welcomes the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year to Troy, with the addition of heralded incoming freshman JuJu Watkins. Watkins follows in the footsteps of another Los Angeles native, Lisa Leslie, a Trojan great who was the Gatorade Player of the Year in 1990 on her way into USC. Watkins picked up All-Pac-12 Preseason Honorable Mention, and was recently named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Watch List.
BLOCK LOCK
Defense was one of USC's strengths last season with the help of Rayah Marshall, who earned 2023 All-Pac12 Team honors as she led the conference in total rebounds with 322 and was second in the nation with 98 blocks as a sophomore. Now a junior and coming off a summer preparing for and playing for the USA in the FIBA Women's AmeriCup, Marshall's shot blocking and rebounding ability coupled with her newfound leadership has made her an essential role player for the Women of Troy as she enters her junior season tasked with time in the paint as a center. After tacking up her 21st career double-double in USC's season opener, Marshall also added to her impressive blocks streak, which extended to 53 straight games until being interrupted on Nov. 13. Still, she's in the nation's top-20 with her current mark of 2.25 blocks per game, and she has recorded at least one block in 58 of the last 59 games in which she's played.
VETERAN STATUS
In addition to Marshall, USC welcomes back a strong group of returners from last season's success. Now a senior, guard Kayla Williams picked up 2023 Pac-12 All-Defensive Honorable Mention, having started all 31 games as a reliable backcourt defender for the team. Also back for more in 2023-24 is redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Bigby, who brings length and sharpshooting to the perimeter, where fifth-year guard India Otto also is a proven threat. Now with two years under her belt at USC, 6-6 center Clarice Akunwafo is back to help man the paint as a junior.
DEPTH CHARGE
Freshman Malia Samuels comes into the season having been named Washington's 2022 3A Player of the Year, adding point guard savvy and defensive talents to the squad. USC's guard depth is intensified as redshirt sophomore guard Dominique Darius steps on the court this season for her first action as a Trojan following her midseason transfer from UCLA. And after redshirting her first season, guard Aaliyah Gayles made her Trojan debut as well this year.
GRAD GREATS
With a proven eye for talent, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has added four graduate transfers to the 2023-24 Trojan roster. Three — Kaitlyn Davis, McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla — were standouts in the Ivy League, and one — Roxane Makolo — boasts international experience with Team Canada. A proven point guard in her time at Penn, Padilla joins the Trojans as a three-time All-Ivy First Team selection. Her speed and basketball IQ will be an asset to the team for the upcoming season. Marshall and Akunwafo will be supported in the paint with Columbia forward Davis, whose strength and agility make her extremely difficult to defend. With depth comes versatility as Forbes returns to her home state after three strong years at Harvard, where she earned 2022 All-Ivy Second Team honors. She also was recently selected to the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List.
WNBA DRAFT DOUBLE
USC grad students Kadi Sissoko and Okako Adika were picked back-to-back in the 2023 WNBA Draft Third Round as the 29th and 30th overall players chosen, respectively. A 6-2 forward from Paris, France, Sissoko was the Trojans' top scorer season and was selected by the Phoenix Mercury. A full-time starter from Holster, Denmark, Adika — a 6-0 guard — was a defensive lock who came up big for the Trojans and has been picked by the New York Liberty. It was the first time since 2012 and just the third time ever that USC has had two players selected in a WNBA Draft. They followed 2012 picks for Jacki Gemelos and Briana Gilbreath, and 1997 draftees Pam McGee and Tina Thompson. Adika was waived for the 2023 season, while Sissoko played the full season with the Mercury. Sissoko is currently playing in France with Flammes Carolo Basket Ardennes
LAST SEASON
During the 2022-23 season, the USC women went 11-7 in conference play and finished 21-10 overall. Succeeding in arguably one of the most competitive conferences, the Women of Troy were able to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, when USC won the Pac-12 Tournament title. USC's 2023 NCAA appearance marked its first at-large bid into the tourney since 2006. The Trojan defense set a program record last season in holding opponents to just 35.4 percent shooting from the floor.
SIGNED!
Six standouts from six different states have signed on to join head coach Lindsay Gottlieb's Women of Troy for 2024, including the top player out of California for the second straight year. Three members of USC's incoming class — Kennedy Smith, Kayley Heckel and Avery Howell — have been named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Girl's High School Player of the Year Watch List. As of Nov. 21, ESPN ranked USC's incoming 2024 class as No. 1 in the nation.
KENNEDY SMITH | 6-1 G | Etiwanda, Calif. (Etiwanda HS)
Kennedy Smith stands as the No. 6 recruit in the nation as she turns to a career as a Trojan. An all-state first-teamer as a junior, Smith was also selected to the 2023 Los Angeles Times All-Star Team and was a Nike EYBL Champion with CalSparks. She has helped Etiwanda to a 2023 Open Division State Championship and the 2022 Southern Section title and also was named the 2023 Press Enterprise Inland Empire Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
KAYLEIGH HECKEL | 5-9 PG | Port Chester, N.Y. (Long Island Lutheran HS)
Already having pinned up 2,000 points in her prep career, Kayleigh Heckel helped lead her high school squad to a national runner-up finish in her junior season and was named the MaxPreps New York Player of the Year. Ranked No. 27 in the nation overall, she also is a 2022 Nike TOC Champion and plays AAU ball with Exodus NYC.
RIAN FORESTIER | 5-11 G | San Antonio, Texas (Brandeis HS)
Ranked as the top guard in Texas, Rian Forestier is a noted 3-point threat and a regular on all-state, all-region and all-district honor rolls. District MVP as a junior, she was the All-Area and All-District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman at Brandeis High in San Antonio. Also committed to community service, Forestier founded a non-profit called 4WARD, which donates new basketball shoes to middle school girls in the San Antonio region.
AVERY HOWELL | 6-0 G | Boise, Idaho (Boise HS)
The 2023 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year, Avery Howell stands ranked No. 23 in the nation and was a participant in the Wooten Top 150. Also an invitee to the Canadian National Team's training camp in 2023, Howell is a highly touted guard who set single-season records in points and rebounds in her junior season at Boise High, which finished third at the 2023 state championships. She participate in the Adidas 3SSB Eurocamp and was one of the top scorers and rebounders on the Adidas Circuit in the summer.
LAURA WILLIAMS | 6-1 F | Fairfax, Va. (St. Paul VI Catholic HS)
The top-ranked player in Virginia, Laura Williams has helped St. Paul VI continue its run of state titles. A top-100 player in ESPN's 2024 class, Williams averaged 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game with Fairfax Stars AAU on the 2023 summer Nike EYBL circuit soon after earning First Team All-State honors.
VIVIAN IWUCHUKWU | 6-3 F | Montverde, Fla. (Montverde Academy)
Ranked as the No. 47 recruit in the nation by ESPNW, Iwuchukwu helped Montverde to a 26-1 record last season, claiming back-to-back GEICO High School Nationals titles in her sophomore and junior years. The sister of current USC men's player, Vince, she is a 2022 Adidas Circuit runner-up and was named to the 2023 Nike EYBL All-Tournament Team, playing club for Essence AAU. •
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
