SPOKANE, Wash. — The mindset could not have been clearer for USC heading into its Sweet 16 clash against Kansas State.
The Trojans, a woman down without superstar JuJu Watkins, still expected to live up to their billing as the top seed and come out with a win against No. 5 seed Kansas State. And when they did, their celebration — remarkably demure for advancing to the Elite Eight — reflected a team that still has a lot left to prove.
“This team is really focused on continuing our journey and achieving our goals even though the path looks a little different than it did just a few days ago,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “We’re capable of enormity when we do it together, and that’s been the message more than anything else.”
USC knew there would be an element of surprise Saturday because opponents spend so much time scouting Watkins. But even when the Wildcats were able to focus on the other players, the load was so evenly spread that it was impossible to stop all of them.
No one player could individually replicate the production of Watkins, not even All-American Kiki Iriafen. What USC needed to do was re-create Watkins in the aggregate by leaning into their remaining players’ individual strengths, which is exactly what transpired in a 67-61 win.
That started with bringing a piece of Watkins into the arena. The Trojans wore shirts with her face on them before the game and had Watkins’ Funko Pop doll with them on the bench.
.@Jujubballin is with @USCWBB in spirit
ESPN pic.twitter.com/jonFEXC4gm
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) March 30, 2025
“That was huge for our team. That was just a little appreciation for JuJu and letting her know we’re thinking of her, and we love her. And we’re grateful for where we are, and a lot of why we’re here is because of her,” senior Rayah Marshall said. “And the team looked good in the shirts.”
Reppin’ 12 on the way to the arena
We love you, Ju pic.twitter.com/hUo3htjkzN
— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) March 29, 2025
The next step was playing with Watkins’ competitive fire. Freshman Avery Howell, who entered the starting lineup for the second time this season (the first was when Marshall was unavailable during the opener of the Big Ten tournament), assumed Watkins’ roamer role on defense. Howell said Watkins has a way of appearing to be everywhere on the court defensively, and she wanted to mimic that effort, which she did to the tune of four steals and eight rebounds. Her first steal led to a transition 3-pointer for herself that punctuated a 16-9 first quarter.
Howell also filled in for some of Watkins’ shotmaking, scoring 18 points, draining four 3-pointers to nearly equal Kansas State’s total (five) on her own. Howell had a sense of the moment, with two of her triples directly following 3-point plays from the Wildcats, and the fourth coming after Kansas State cut the lead to one in the fourth quarter.
With Howell providing the scoring behind the arc, Kennedy Smith brought the attacks to the basket. Watkins’ rim pressure is among her best skills, especially in transition, and Smith took seven shots directly at the basket, earning six free throws in the process to score a team-high 19. Fellow freshman Kayleigh Heckel used her burst to get into the paint, as well, with all three of her makes coming in the restricted area.
Smith also kept USC’s defensive identity with her relentless pressure on Serena Sundell. Sundell got her points (22), but most of her success came when Smith was sitting with foul trouble. In Smith’s 36 minutes, the Trojans outscored the Wildcats by 19, which means they lost her four bench minutes by 13.
Without Watkins’ help defense in the paint, Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo were simply sturdy enough so that the guards could stay home on the 3-point shooters. Marshall said they practiced against their 6-foot-8 video coordinator to prepare for the physicality, and the duo limited Kansas State center Ayoka Lee to 6-of-13 shooting for 12 points despite playing a season-high 32 minutes.
Marshall also handled some playmaking out of the high post, leading USC in a rare trifecta of rebounds, blocks and assists.
Even with Iriafen limited in her scoring output and unable to get on the offensive glass — she averages 4.3 offensive boards but was held to one — the Trojans had enough.
“I always say we have talent one through 15, and nobody believes me when I say it. They think I’m just being nice, but I’m being so honest,” Iriafen said. “That’s really what’s going to help us as we move forward, is really just playing team basketball, and whoever’s the hot hand, giving them the ball.”
JuJu checked in on FaceTime pic.twitter.com/ODJi5YCVvo
— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) March 30, 2025
Iriafen had the momentum in the second round against Mississippi State, and the freshmen — the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for a reason — took the baton from her against Kansas State. A more collective effort will be required against second-seeded UConn in the Elite Eight, but USC is figuring out a new blueprint in real time. On the other side, the Huskies know better than anyone that one injury isn’t enough to count out a team.
The Trojans had belief in what they could do, and they had the fuel of the narrative around them shifting. Now they have proof of concept that the current iteration of the Trojans can beat elite opponents.
“We’ve had a lot of emotions, but none of them are doubt,” Gottlieb said. “The prevailing feeling is that we can still do something together, and that’s what JuJu wants us to do.”
(Photo of Kennedy Smith: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6241317/2025/03/30/juju-watkins-usc-elite-eight-inspiration/
