University Southern California Trojans
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
ANOTHER DANCE: USC Women’s Basketball Earns No. 1 Seed Once Again For NCAA Action
March 16, 2025 | Women's Basketball
The Trojans will host the NCAA First and Second Rounds at Galen Center.
LOS ANGELES — The USC women's basketball team has been selected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, setting the No. 4-ranked Trojans up as hosts of the NCAA First and Second Rounds in the coming week at Galen Center. Joining top-seeded USC (28-3) for NCAA competition in Los Angeles are No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro (25-6), [8] California (25-8) and [9] Mississippi State (21-11). On Saturday (March 22) at 12 p.m., the Trojans and the Spartans face off in their first-round matchup, followed by a 2:30 p.m. first-round clash between the Bears and the Bulldogs. Winners move on to the NCAA Second Round on Monday (March 24), with that tip time TBD
Under the direction of head coach Lindsay Gottlieb for the fourth season, the 2024-25 Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season championship and have posted a 9-2 record against ranked opponents as they now make USC's third consecutive and 19th overall NCAA appearance. Gottlieb and her Trojans are looking to improve on last year's Elite Eight run, and USC's powerful performance so far suggests that this team has the potential to vie for the program's first NCAA title since 1984. All-Big Ten First Team honorees USC sophomore JuJu Watkins and senior Kiki Iriafen are both in line to repeat as winners of the national Shooting Guard and Power Forward of the year awards, while Watkins has already been named the National Player of the Year by The Athletic. With 9.5 points per game, Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree Kennedy Smith is USC's third leading scorer behind Watkins (24.6 ppg) and Iriafen (18.2 ppg).
Earlier this season, Iriafen, Watkins as well as Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen were all named as members of Naismith Starting Five Watch Lists. As a group, USC's talented Trojans have combined forces to rank as the No. 2 team in the nation in blocks per game No. 9 in scoring offense and free throws made, and ranks in the top-20 nationally in assists per game, field goal percentage defense and rebounds per game. USC's five wins over top-10 opponents so far this season have featured two over UCLA — while the Bruins were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation — along road wins over then-No. 4 UConn and then-No. 8 Maryland.
NCAA NOTES
• USC is 32-16 in the NCAA Tournament, with two NCAA title victories (1983 and 1984).
• This is the Trojans' 19th trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• USC's No. 1 seed in 2024 is its sixth top seed all-time; USC was also a No. 1 seed in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 2024.
• This is the first time since 1982-84 that USC has earned consecutive NCAA No. 1 seeds.
• USC is making a third consecutive NCAA appearance for the first time since a five-year run from 1991-95.
• An automatic qualifier as Pac-12 Tournament champion last season, USC was a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA tourney for the first time since 1986, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 and falling to UConn.
• Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament — UC Santa Barbara (2009), California (seven appearances in eight seasons) and USC (2023, 2024 & 2025).
• USC has played 14 other teams in the 68-team field of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, posting a 13-4 record against those opponents this season [No. 1 seed UCLA (2-1), No. 2 seed UConn (1-0), No. 3 seed Notre Dame (0-1), No. 4 seed Maryland (1-0), No. 4 seed Ohio State (1-0), No. 6 seed Iowa (0-1), No. 6 seed Michigan (2-0), No. 7 seed Michigan State (1-0), No. 8 seed Illinois (1-0), No. 9 seed Indiana (2-0), No. 10 seed Nebraska (1-0), No. 10 seed Oregon (1-0) and No. 11 Washington.
• USC is one of 12 Big Ten teams in this year's NCAA bracket.
Under the direction of head coach Lindsay Gottlieb for the fourth season, the 2024-25 Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season championship and have posted a 9-2 record against ranked opponents as they now make USC's third consecutive and 19th overall NCAA appearance. Gottlieb and her Trojans are looking to improve on last year's Elite Eight run, and USC's powerful performance so far suggests that this team has the potential to vie for the program's first NCAA title since 1984. All-Big Ten First Team honorees USC sophomore JuJu Watkins and senior Kiki Iriafen are both in line to repeat as winners of the national Shooting Guard and Power Forward of the year awards, while Watkins has already been named the National Player of the Year by The Athletic. With 9.5 points per game, Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree Kennedy Smith is USC's third leading scorer behind Watkins (24.6 ppg) and Iriafen (18.2 ppg).
Earlier this season, Iriafen, Watkins as well as Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen were all named as members of Naismith Starting Five Watch Lists. As a group, USC's talented Trojans have combined forces to rank as the No. 2 team in the nation in blocks per game No. 9 in scoring offense and free throws made, and ranks in the top-20 nationally in assists per game, field goal percentage defense and rebounds per game. USC's five wins over top-10 opponents so far this season have featured two over UCLA — while the Bruins were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation — along road wins over then-No. 4 UConn and then-No. 8 Maryland.
NCAA NOTES
• USC is 32-16 in the NCAA Tournament, with two NCAA title victories (1983 and 1984).
• This is the Trojans' 19th trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• USC's No. 1 seed in 2024 is its sixth top seed all-time; USC was also a No. 1 seed in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 2024.
• This is the first time since 1982-84 that USC has earned consecutive NCAA No. 1 seeds.
• USC is making a third consecutive NCAA appearance for the first time since a five-year run from 1991-95.
• An automatic qualifier as Pac-12 Tournament champion last season, USC was a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA tourney for the first time since 1986, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 and falling to UConn.
• Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament — UC Santa Barbara (2009), California (seven appearances in eight seasons) and USC (2023, 2024 & 2025).
• USC has played 14 other teams in the 68-team field of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, posting a 13-4 record against those opponents this season [No. 1 seed UCLA (2-1), No. 2 seed UConn (1-0), No. 3 seed Notre Dame (0-1), No. 4 seed Maryland (1-0), No. 4 seed Ohio State (1-0), No. 6 seed Iowa (0-1), No. 6 seed Michigan (2-0), No. 7 seed Michigan State (1-0), No. 8 seed Illinois (1-0), No. 9 seed Indiana (2-0), No. 10 seed Nebraska (1-0), No. 10 seed Oregon (1-0) and No. 11 Washington.
• USC is one of 12 Big Ten teams in this year's NCAA bracket.
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