University Southern California Trojans
Five Decades of Fight On: Celebrating 50 Years of USC Women’s Basketball
October 14, 2026 | Women's Basketball
USC enters its 51st season celebrating 50 years of history, ready to add to it.
Fifty years ago, USC women's basketball began building a legacy.
Since taking the court for the first time in 1976, the Women of Troy have become one of the defining programs in women's college basketball. USC has won two NCAA championships, reached three NCAA Final Fours and made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, all while producing seven first-team All-Americans and three different Naismith Trophy winners.
From Cheryl Miller, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson to Linda Sharp and Lindsay Gottlieb, USC's history has been shaped by some of the most accomplished players and coaches the game has known.
Now, as the program celebrates 50 years of Women of Troy basketball, USC looks back on five decades of historic achievements and ahead to the next chapter of its storied legacy.
1976-86: THE BEGINNING OF A DYNASTY
USC women's basketball began competition in 1976-77 under head coach Marci Cantrell, becoming the first Division I women's basketball program to award athletic scholarships.
One year later, the arrival of head coach Linda Sharp marked the beginning of one of the most successful eras in the sport's history. Across 12 seasons, Sharp guided the Women of Troy to a 271-99 record, two NCAA championships and 10 postseason appearances.
USC reached the national stage for the first time in 1981, advancing to the AIAW Final Four before finishing fourth nationally. The following season, Pam McGee, Paula McGee and Cynthia Cooper helped the Women of Troy reach an NCAA regional final in the first NCAA-sponsored women's basketball tournament.
Then came Cheryl Miller.
Miller arrived at USC in 1982 and joined Cooper and the McGee sisters to form the foundation of a team that would change the trajectory of the program and women's basketball.
The Women of Troy finished Miller's freshman season with a 31-2 record and defeated Louisiana Tech 69-67 in Norfolk, Va., to capture the 1983 NCAA championship. A year later, USC became the first program to win consecutive NCAA women's basketball titles, defeating Tennessee 72-61 on April 1, 1984, in Westwood, just miles from the USC campus.
The Women of Troy returned to the national championship game in 1986, finishing as NCAA runners-up after a 31-win season. In a four-year span, USC reached three Final Fours, played in three national championship games and won two titles.
Miller's individual accomplishments were just as historic. She earned three consecutive Naismith Trophies from 1984-86 and finished her career as USC's all-time leader in scoring and rebounding. Four decades later, she still owns both records with 3,018 points and 1,534 rebounds.
The stars of USC's championship teams continued to shape the sport long after leaving campus.
Cooper became a two-time Olympic medalist and one of the defining players of the WNBA's early years, winning four consecutive league championships and two WNBA MVP awards with the Houston Comets.
Miller entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, while Cooper joined her in 2010. Miller, Cooper and Sharp have also been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
1987-96: CARRYING THE TORCH
USC's success continued beyond its championship era.
Guard Rhonda Windham received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 1987 as the nation's top player under 5-foot-6. That season, the Women of Troy earned their fourth conference crown in five years and advanced to the NCAA regional round.
Marianne Stanley took over as head coach in 1989 and led USC to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1991-93. The Women of Troy compiled a 71-46 record during Stanley's four seasons, highlighted by a 23-win campaign in 1991-92. Stanley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
The beginning of the decade also brought the arrival of another transcendent Trojan.
Lisa Leslie made an immediate impact in 1990-91, earning national and conference freshman of the year honors. By the conclusion of her USC career, Leslie had become a three-time All-American and the 1994 Naismith Trophy winner.
Leslie led USC to the 1994 conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA regional final. The Women of Troy finished 26-4 under head coach Cheryl Miller, who returned to USC in 1993 to lead the program she had helped elevate as a player.
Miller guided the Women of Troy to a 44-14 record, one conference championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances in two seasons as head coach.
In 1994, Tina Thompson began her Trojan career. Thompson developed into a first-team All-American before becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the inaugural WNBA Draft in 1997. She went on to win four WNBA championships, earn two Olympic gold medals and become one of the league's all-time leading scorers.
Leslie and Thompson were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and 2018, respectively, joining Miller and Cooper among USC's all-time greats enshrined in Springfield.
1997-2006: A NEW CENTURY
Fred Williams led the Women of Troy for two seasons, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997, before former USC player Chris Gobrecht took over the program.
Gobrecht coached the Women of Troy for seven seasons and guided USC to a pair of WNIT appearances. Her tenure also included the emergence of Ebony Hoffman, who became a three-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection and earned All-America recognition during her Trojan career.
In 2003, a $35 million gift from Louis and Helene Galen helped begin construction of a new on-campus events center. The Galen Center officially opened in October 2006 and has served as the home of USC women's basketball ever since, giving the program a permanent stage in the heart of campus.
Shay Murphy represented the cardinal and gold from 2003-07, becoming the 20th Trojan to surpass 1,000 career points. A two-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection and All-American, Murphy went on to enjoy a lengthy professional career.
USC returned to the NCAA Tournament in each of Mark Trakh's first two seasons as head coach. The Women of Troy won 20 games and reached the NCAA second round in 2005, ending a seven-year absence from the tournament, before advancing to the second round again in 2006.
2007-16: THE ROAD BACK
USC returned to a conference championship game in 2009, when the sixth-seeded Women of Troy upset No. 16 Arizona State and No. 2 California to reach the Pac-10 Tournament final for the first time.
Former Los Angeles Lakers standout and Sparks head coach Michael Cooper took over the program in 2009-10. In his second season, the Women of Troy won 24 games and advanced to the 2011 WNIT championship game, reaching a postseason tournament final for the first time since USC played for the NCAA championship in 1986.
That season, Briana Gilbreath and Ashley Corral both surpassed 1,000 career points. Gilbreath also became USC's first AP All-American since 1997.
Another Trojan legend returned to lead the program in 2013 when Cynthia Cooper-Dyke was named head coach.
In her first season, Cooper-Dyke guided the Women of Troy to four wins in four days at the Pac-12 Tournament. USC entered as the No. 5 seed and emerged with the first conference tournament championship in program history, earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006.
Cooper-Dyke compiled a 70-57 record across four seasons, becoming another link between USC's championship past and the generations that followed.
2017-26: A NEW GENERATION
After initially leading USC from 2004-09, Trakh returned in 2017 for a second stint as head coach. In his first season back, the Women of Troy set program records for fewest turnovers and highest free-throw percentage.
Following Trakh's retirement, USC turned to Lindsay Gottlieb in 2021. A former NCAA Final Four coach at California and assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gottlieb arrived with a vision of returning the Women of Troy to national prominence.
The turnaround began to take shape in 2022-23, when USC won 21 games and earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014.
One year later, the resurgence became undeniable.
Led by freshman phenom JuJu Watkins, USC won 29 games, captured the Pac-12 Tournament championship and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years. The Trojans climbed to No. 3 in the national rankings, marking their highest position since 1986, and earned the opportunity to host NCAA Tournament games at the Galen Center.
Watkins delivered one of the most celebrated freshman seasons in college basketball history. Her year included a USC-record 51-point performance at Stanford, consensus first-team All-America honors and multiple national freshman of the year awards.
In 2024-25, USC elevated the program even further.
Competing in the Big Ten for the first time, the Women of Troy posted a 17-1 conference mark and captured the regular-season championship. USC finished 31-4, its highest win total since 1986, climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings (best ranking since 1984) and returned to the Elite Eight.
Watkins became USC's third Naismith Trophy winner, joining Miller and Leslie, and earned national player of the year honors from the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Gottlieb was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Kiki Iriafen joined Watkins as a first-team All-American.
USC made its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025-26, extending the program's longest run of tournament berths since five straight appearances from 1991-95.
Freshman Jazzy Davidson added her name to USC's growing list of national honorees. Davidson earned USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year recognition, becoming the second Trojan in three seasons to receive both awards. She was also selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big Ten and conference all-defensive honors.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
With 50 years of USC women's basketball now behind it, the program turns toward one of the most anticipated seasons in its history.
Watkins and Davidson headline a talented 2026-27 roster that also features returning All-Big Ten defensive selection Kennedy Smith. USC welcomes another No. 1 recruit in Saniyah Hall, along with international standouts Sitaya Fagan and Sara Okeke and transfers Pania Davis and Ryan Bennett.
The names and generations have changed over the past five decades, but the standard established by those who built the program remains.
It is a standard carried from Cantrell and Sharp to Gottlieb. From Miller, Cooper and the McGee sisters to Leslie, Thompson, Watkins and Davidson. From the program's first season to national championships, Hall of Fame careers and a return to the sport's biggest stage.
USC enters its 51st season celebrating 50 years of history, ready to add to it.
Since taking the court for the first time in 1976, the Women of Troy have become one of the defining programs in women's college basketball. USC has won two NCAA championships, reached three NCAA Final Fours and made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, all while producing seven first-team All-Americans and three different Naismith Trophy winners.
From Cheryl Miller, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson to Linda Sharp and Lindsay Gottlieb, USC's history has been shaped by some of the most accomplished players and coaches the game has known.
Now, as the program celebrates 50 years of Women of Troy basketball, USC looks back on five decades of historic achievements and ahead to the next chapter of its storied legacy.
1976-86: THE BEGINNING OF A DYNASTY
USC women's basketball began competition in 1976-77 under head coach Marci Cantrell, becoming the first Division I women's basketball program to award athletic scholarships.
One year later, the arrival of head coach Linda Sharp marked the beginning of one of the most successful eras in the sport's history. Across 12 seasons, Sharp guided the Women of Troy to a 271-99 record, two NCAA championships and 10 postseason appearances.
USC reached the national stage for the first time in 1981, advancing to the AIAW Final Four before finishing fourth nationally. The following season, Pam McGee, Paula McGee and Cynthia Cooper helped the Women of Troy reach an NCAA regional final in the first NCAA-sponsored women's basketball tournament.
Then came Cheryl Miller.
Miller arrived at USC in 1982 and joined Cooper and the McGee sisters to form the foundation of a team that would change the trajectory of the program and women's basketball.
The Women of Troy finished Miller's freshman season with a 31-2 record and defeated Louisiana Tech 69-67 in Norfolk, Va., to capture the 1983 NCAA championship. A year later, USC became the first program to win consecutive NCAA women's basketball titles, defeating Tennessee 72-61 on April 1, 1984, in Westwood, just miles from the USC campus.
The Women of Troy returned to the national championship game in 1986, finishing as NCAA runners-up after a 31-win season. In a four-year span, USC reached three Final Fours, played in three national championship games and won two titles.
Miller's individual accomplishments were just as historic. She earned three consecutive Naismith Trophies from 1984-86 and finished her career as USC's all-time leader in scoring and rebounding. Four decades later, she still owns both records with 3,018 points and 1,534 rebounds.
The stars of USC's championship teams continued to shape the sport long after leaving campus.
Cooper became a two-time Olympic medalist and one of the defining players of the WNBA's early years, winning four consecutive league championships and two WNBA MVP awards with the Houston Comets.
Miller entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, while Cooper joined her in 2010. Miller, Cooper and Sharp have also been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
1987-96: CARRYING THE TORCH
USC's success continued beyond its championship era.
Guard Rhonda Windham received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 1987 as the nation's top player under 5-foot-6. That season, the Women of Troy earned their fourth conference crown in five years and advanced to the NCAA regional round.
Marianne Stanley took over as head coach in 1989 and led USC to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1991-93. The Women of Troy compiled a 71-46 record during Stanley's four seasons, highlighted by a 23-win campaign in 1991-92. Stanley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
The beginning of the decade also brought the arrival of another transcendent Trojan.
Lisa Leslie made an immediate impact in 1990-91, earning national and conference freshman of the year honors. By the conclusion of her USC career, Leslie had become a three-time All-American and the 1994 Naismith Trophy winner.
Leslie led USC to the 1994 conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA regional final. The Women of Troy finished 26-4 under head coach Cheryl Miller, who returned to USC in 1993 to lead the program she had helped elevate as a player.
Miller guided the Women of Troy to a 44-14 record, one conference championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances in two seasons as head coach.
In 1994, Tina Thompson began her Trojan career. Thompson developed into a first-team All-American before becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the inaugural WNBA Draft in 1997. She went on to win four WNBA championships, earn two Olympic gold medals and become one of the league's all-time leading scorers.
Leslie and Thompson were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and 2018, respectively, joining Miller and Cooper among USC's all-time greats enshrined in Springfield.
1997-2006: A NEW CENTURY
Fred Williams led the Women of Troy for two seasons, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997, before former USC player Chris Gobrecht took over the program.
Gobrecht coached the Women of Troy for seven seasons and guided USC to a pair of WNIT appearances. Her tenure also included the emergence of Ebony Hoffman, who became a three-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection and earned All-America recognition during her Trojan career.
In 2003, a $35 million gift from Louis and Helene Galen helped begin construction of a new on-campus events center. The Galen Center officially opened in October 2006 and has served as the home of USC women's basketball ever since, giving the program a permanent stage in the heart of campus.
Shay Murphy represented the cardinal and gold from 2003-07, becoming the 20th Trojan to surpass 1,000 career points. A two-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection and All-American, Murphy went on to enjoy a lengthy professional career.
USC returned to the NCAA Tournament in each of Mark Trakh's first two seasons as head coach. The Women of Troy won 20 games and reached the NCAA second round in 2005, ending a seven-year absence from the tournament, before advancing to the second round again in 2006.
2007-16: THE ROAD BACK
USC returned to a conference championship game in 2009, when the sixth-seeded Women of Troy upset No. 16 Arizona State and No. 2 California to reach the Pac-10 Tournament final for the first time.
Former Los Angeles Lakers standout and Sparks head coach Michael Cooper took over the program in 2009-10. In his second season, the Women of Troy won 24 games and advanced to the 2011 WNIT championship game, reaching a postseason tournament final for the first time since USC played for the NCAA championship in 1986.
That season, Briana Gilbreath and Ashley Corral both surpassed 1,000 career points. Gilbreath also became USC's first AP All-American since 1997.
Another Trojan legend returned to lead the program in 2013 when Cynthia Cooper-Dyke was named head coach.
In her first season, Cooper-Dyke guided the Women of Troy to four wins in four days at the Pac-12 Tournament. USC entered as the No. 5 seed and emerged with the first conference tournament championship in program history, earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006.
Cooper-Dyke compiled a 70-57 record across four seasons, becoming another link between USC's championship past and the generations that followed.
2017-26: A NEW GENERATION
After initially leading USC from 2004-09, Trakh returned in 2017 for a second stint as head coach. In his first season back, the Women of Troy set program records for fewest turnovers and highest free-throw percentage.
Following Trakh's retirement, USC turned to Lindsay Gottlieb in 2021. A former NCAA Final Four coach at California and assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Gottlieb arrived with a vision of returning the Women of Troy to national prominence.
The turnaround began to take shape in 2022-23, when USC won 21 games and earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014.
One year later, the resurgence became undeniable.
Led by freshman phenom JuJu Watkins, USC won 29 games, captured the Pac-12 Tournament championship and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years. The Trojans climbed to No. 3 in the national rankings, marking their highest position since 1986, and earned the opportunity to host NCAA Tournament games at the Galen Center.
Watkins delivered one of the most celebrated freshman seasons in college basketball history. Her year included a USC-record 51-point performance at Stanford, consensus first-team All-America honors and multiple national freshman of the year awards.
In 2024-25, USC elevated the program even further.
Competing in the Big Ten for the first time, the Women of Troy posted a 17-1 conference mark and captured the regular-season championship. USC finished 31-4, its highest win total since 1986, climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings (best ranking since 1984) and returned to the Elite Eight.
Watkins became USC's third Naismith Trophy winner, joining Miller and Leslie, and earned national player of the year honors from the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Gottlieb was selected as the Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Kiki Iriafen joined Watkins as a first-team All-American.
USC made its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025-26, extending the program's longest run of tournament berths since five straight appearances from 1991-95.
Freshman Jazzy Davidson added her name to USC's growing list of national honorees. Davidson earned USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year recognition, becoming the second Trojan in three seasons to receive both awards. She was also selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big Ten and conference all-defensive honors.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
With 50 years of USC women's basketball now behind it, the program turns toward one of the most anticipated seasons in its history.
Watkins and Davidson headline a talented 2026-27 roster that also features returning All-Big Ten defensive selection Kennedy Smith. USC welcomes another No. 1 recruit in Saniyah Hall, along with international standouts Sitaya Fagan and Sara Okeke and transfers Pania Davis and Ryan Bennett.
The names and generations have changed over the past five decades, but the standard established by those who built the program remains.
It is a standard carried from Cantrell and Sharp to Gottlieb. From Miller, Cooper and the McGee sisters to Leslie, Thompson, Watkins and Davidson. From the program's first season to national championships, Hall of Fame careers and a return to the sport's biggest stage.
USC enters its 51st season celebrating 50 years of history, ready to add to it.
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