No. 1 seed USC enters women's NCAA tournament with championship expectations
But a year later, standing atop the tournament field for a second straight season, no one is looking at the top-seeded Trojans as a charming upstart any longer.
USC once again earned a No. 1 seed, this time in the Spokane regional, and will host No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro (25-6) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. If the Trojans win, they will face the winner of No. 8 Cal (25-8) vs. No. 9 Mississippi State (21-11) on Monday.
Where USC entered March last season as a program on the rise, just hoping to crash the party featuring the sport's more established powerhouses, the Trojans now enter this tournament with not just Final Four aspirations, but expectations.
Read more: Plaschke: JuJu Watkins is best player in America … and USC might be the best team
USC hasn't made a Final Four since 1986, when Cheryl Miller and Co. lost to Texas in the national title game.
The Trojans have had little trouble delivering on towering expectations so far this season, led by sophomore superstar and Big Ten Player of the Year JuJu Watkins. They lost just two games in the regular season — once in November, the other in February — to teams now seeded among the top two in their respective regions.
USC enters this tournament coming off a loss after falling to UCLA in the Big Ten tournament final last weekend. But the Trojans had already beaten their crosstown rivals twice before that to secure a Big Ten regular season title, the first in their new conference.
Last March, as a No. 1 seed for the first time since that 1985-86 season, USC rolled into the Elite Eight, only to run into a buzzsaw in Connecticut, a program that had been to the Final Four in 14 of the previous 15 years.
But USC has even more firepower at its disposal in this tournament, having added an All-Big Ten forward in Kiki Iriafen, as well as the nation's top recruiting class, to join with Watkins.
Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
15 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
2 Indiana football players named to preseason USA Today Sports All-America teams
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football's preseason honors list lengthened Wednesday, when two Hoosiers, linebacker Aiden Fisher and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, were selected as second-team USA Today All-Americans. Their inclusion continues a trend — both Fisher and Ponds were selected to multiple postseason All-America teams following the 2024 season, and they are among the Hoosiers' most decorated players heading into the coming campaign. Fisher stands as the Big Ten's leading returning tackler, having posted 118 last fall. He finished 2024 with five games of double-digit tackles, and he boasts nine for his career. Ponds finished last season with 55 tackles, 12 passes defensed and three interceptions. He returned one of those for a touchdown against Washington. Ponds also blocked a kick on special teams. Offense QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR Ryan Williams, Alabama TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt OT Spencer Fano, Utah OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State OG Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M C Jake Slaughter, Florida Defense DE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina DT Peter Woods, Clemson DT Zane Durant, Penn State DE T.J. Parker, Clemson LB Anthony Hill, Texas LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh LB Whit Weeks, LSU CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame S Caleb Downs, Ohio State S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon Specialists K Dominic Zvada, Michigan P Brett Thorson, Georgia RET Keelan Marion, Miami (Fla.) AP Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh Offense QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU RB Makhi Hughes, Oregon RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR Antonio Williams, Clemson OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.) OT Jordan Seaton, Colorado OG Kayden Green, Missouri OG Keyland Rutledge, Georgia Tech C Logan Jones, Iowa Defense DE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon DT Christen Miller, Georgia DT Tim Keenan, Alabama DE Colin Simmons, Texas LB CJ Allen, Georgia LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson S Michael Taaffe, Texas S Koi Perich, Minnesota Specialists K Will Ferrin, Brigham Young P Palmer Williams, Baylor RET Barrion Brown, LSU AP Isaac Brown, Louisville Breakthrough coming? USA TODAY Sports Network's Big Ten football preseason rankings tabs Penn State as best Big Ten picks: USA TODAY Sports Network 2025 preseason All-Big Ten college football team, awards Offense QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame RB Makhi Hughes, Oregon WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR Ryan Williams, Alabama TE Max Klare, Ohio State T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama T Spencer Fano, Utah C Logan Jones, Iowa G Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech G Vega Ioane, Penn State Defense DE Mikail Kamara, Indiana DE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina DT Peter Woods, Clemson DT Christen Miller, Georgia LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State LB Anthony Hill, Texas LB Austin Romaine, Kansas State CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame S Michael Taaffe, Texas S Caleb Downs, Ohio State Specialists K Dominic Zvada, Michigan P Brett Thorson, Georgia Returner Barion Brown, LSU All-Purpose Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Clemson, Penn State stars headline USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America Team
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore earn first-team honors on the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America team honoring the best players in college football. There was no bigger no-brainer than Smith, who dominated the Big Ten as a true freshman in helping lead the Buckeyes to the national championship. He's one of two Ohio State standouts to land on the first team, along with safety Caleb Downs, that were unanimous selections. Clemson and Penn State tied for the most first-team selections with three. Eight teams had three or more players earn first- or second-team honors: Clemson with five, Penn State with four and Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Ohio State and Texas with three. PATH TO PLAYOFF: Sign up for our college football newsletter Voting for the preseason All-America teams was conducted by 27 members of the USA TODAY Sports Network. The biggest debate might've come at running back. Penn State alone has two backs with first-team résumés in Nicholas Singleton and Katron Allen. Voters placed Singleton on the first team, joining Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, while Allen and Oregon's Makhi Hughes landed on the second team. Overall, 19 teams in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll had at least one selection. First team Offense QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson After taking the leap as a second-year starter in 2024 (36 touchdowns), Klubnik is expected to make a serious run at the Heisman Trophy as Clemson chases the third national championship under Dabo Swinney. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State Love (1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024) is a big-play threat who could find even more running room should Notre Dame strike an even firmer run-pass balance behind a new starting quarterback. Singleton (1,099 yards and 12 scores) got the nod over Allen, but the two combine to make the Nittany Lions' running game a physical force. WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR Ryan Williams, Alabama TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt Smith (1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns) is simply a generational talent. Williams tailed off down the stretch last season (48 catches for 865 yards) and will need to be more consistent to help Ty Simpson ease into the starting role. A former quarterback, Stowers (49 catches for 638 yards) has been a key part behind Vanderbilt's recent surge. OT Spencer Fano, Utah OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State OG Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M C Jake Slaughter, Florida Fano was a day-one starter for Utah and is a virtual lock for All-America honors on either side of the line. Proctor (6-foot-7, 360 pounds) is poised to fulfill his five-star potential thanks to a unique combination of size, power and agility. Ioane is the face of a vastly improved Penn State front as he enters his second year as a starter. Reed-Adams is a former Kansas transfer who helped the Aggies rank second in the SEC in rushing yards per game in 2024. Slaughter is odds-on favorite to capture the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center. Defense DE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina DT Peter Woods, Clemson DT Zane Durant, Penn State DE T.J. Parker, Clemson Stewart (10½ tackles for loss) is one of the elite young players in the SEC. Woods (8½ tackles for loss) and Parker (11 sacks) are two reasons why Clemson is the unquestioned favorite in the ACC. Durant (11 tackles for loss) is among the most disruptive interior linemen in the Power Four. LB Anthony Hill, Texas LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh LB Whit Weeks, LSU After monster 2024 (113 tackles and 16½ stops for loss), Hill will be asked to take on an even bigger role for the Longhorns' reworked defense. Louis (15½ tackles for loss, four interceptions) might be the most well-rounded linebacker in the Bowl Subdivision. LSU's defense made only slight gains last season and will need continued excellence from Weeks (125 stops) to contend for the top of the SEC. CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame S Caleb Downs, Ohio State S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon McCoy (team-best 13 passes defended) is a true stopper on the outside who was outstanding in his first year in the SEC. Moore (two interceptions) made quarterbacks look the other way as a freshman and may be the most promising young defender in the FBS. Downs (82 tackles) has an obscenely broad skill set and impacts games in a variety of ways, including the return game. A transfer from Purdue, Thieneman (104 tackles) will be one of the most important new additions in the Power Four. Specialists K Dominic Zvada, Michigan P Brett Thorson, Georgia Zvada made 21 of 22 field goals in 2024, including a remarkable seven of seven from 50 or more yards. Thorson averaged 47.6 yards per punt last season and the Bulldogs allowed opponents to average just 5.2 yards per return. RET Keelan Marion, Miami (Fla.) AP Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh Marion (26.2 yards per kickoff return with two scores) was a game-changing return man for Brigham Young in 2024 and will be expected to do the same for the Hurricanes. Reid just does it all: run (966 yards), catch (52 grabs for 579) and return (12.2 yards per punt with one touchdown). Second team Offense QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU RB Makhi Hughes, Oregon RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR Antonio Williams, Clemson OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.) OT Jordan Seaton, Colorado OG Kayden Green, Missouri OG Keyland Rutledge, Georgia Tech C Logan Jones, Iowa Defense DE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon DT Christen Miller, Georgia DT Tim Keenan, Alabama DE Colin Simmons, Texas LB CJ Allen, Georgia LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson S Michael Taaffe, Texas S Koi Perich, Minnesota Specialists K Will Ferrin, Brigham Young P Palmer Williams, Baylor RET Barrion Brown, LSU AP Isaac Brown, Louisville This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football preseason All-America team led by Clemson, Penn State
USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
These 5 NBA offseason moves weren't splashy. They may help win 2026 title.
Think of the trade for Alex Caruso and what that did for the Thunder. Caruso, a defensive stopper, assimilated instantly into Oklahoma City's scheme and drew massive assignments — such as guarding Nuggets center Nikola Jokić — during the team's NBA Finals run. Think of the Bucks adding backup center Bobby Portis in free agency the offseason before they beat the Suns in six games to win their first NBA Finals in 50 seasons. Often, it's the overlooked moves that carry massive implications for a team's playoff hopes, and this offseason was no different. Here are five under-the-radar moves that may have gone unnoticed but may prove to be key to championship contention in 2025-26: Bruce Brown rejoins Nuggets Trading for Cameron Johnson boosts Denver's offense in a serious way. Signing veteran guard Bruce Brown — who was a member of the Nuggets' 2023 championship squad but had since moved on to the Pacers, Raptors and Pelicans — is all about leadership and defense. In his lone season in Denver, 2022-23, Brown averaged career-bests in points (11.5), assists (3.4) and minutes (28.5). Brown is an asset because he can switch on pick-and-rolls and helps facilitate on offense. He understands the culture and what's needed to win it all. Dorian Finney-Smith signs with Rockets This move was overshadowed by the trade to land Kevin Durant, but signing Dorian Finney-Smith feels like a move that was done in response to the rise of the Thunder. The Rockets, with Finney-Smith, suddenly have elite length and defensive athleticism at the wing, which should align with clamping Oklahoma City players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Finney-Smith can also hit 3s — he shot a career-best 41.1% from beyond the arc last season — so he also helps spread the floor for Houston. Another move worthy of consideration here is re-signing center Steven Adams, who allows the Rockets to play a two-big lineup, matching up with the Thunder duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Jordan Clarkson signs with Knicks They already had a set starting lineup with continuity and a pair of All-Stars who can ignite. What the Knicks didn't have was a reliable scoring option off the bench (and a coach who isn't afraid to call on reserves). Mike Brown, who isn't shy about extending the rotation, fixes the latter issue, but signing proven scorer Jordan Clarkson to a veteran minimum deal shores up the offense off the bench. Clarkson, 33, agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, making him available. The 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year, Clarkson has scored 8,045 points off the bench, which ranks 11th all-time and leads all active players. Jaylin Williams re-signs with Thunder They already won a championship with Jaylin Williams, or Jay Will — not to be confused with All-Star Jalen Williams (J-Dub). But in re-signing Jaylin Williams, OKC gets added flexibility with the 23-year-old backup forward. Williams averaged 5.9 points and 5.6 boards per game, though he played just 16.7 minutes per contest. But he recorded three triple-doubles in nine starts last season, averaging 14.7 points, 10.7 assists and 13 rebounds across those three games. Put a different way: when the Thunder need him to step up, he is more than capable. He may go on to be a key piece if the Thunder become the first repeat champs since 2018, or if they're hit by the injury bug. Sam Merrill re-signs with Cavaliers He re-signed on a four-year deal that basically went overlooked, but this move is all about replacing Ty Jerome, the Sixth Man of the Year finalist who signed with the Grizzlies. Merrill appeared in 71 regular-season games — a career high — and started three playoff games. He averaged just 7.2 points per game, but his 137 made 3-pointers ranked 12th among NBA reserves. He also posted a plus-minus of +330 off the bench, third best in the league. With more minutes at his disposal, Merrill, a member of the 2021 Bucks team that won the NBA Finals, should see a big jump in production.
