In a stunning upset, the No. 7 ranked USC women’s basketball team took down No. 4 UConn 72-70 on Saturday night in Hartford. The thrilling game was a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight matchup that the Huskies had won. But this time, led by sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins’ game-high 25 points, the Trojans emerged victorious in enemy territory.
The highly anticipated showdown featured a marquee individual matchup between USC’s Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers, two of the brightest young stars in the sport. The All-American duo went toe-to-toe for most of the night, with Bueckers finishing with an impressive 22 points of her own.
USC Builds Big Lead, Withstands UConn’s Furious Rally
The Trojans raced out to a commanding 51-33 advantage in the third quarter and appeared on their way to a convincing win. But the Huskies showed their championship mettle, storming back with a 19-2 run to get within one point late in the fourth.
With the game tied at 67-67 and just over a minute remaining, Watkins delivered the decisive blow. The 6-foot guard drove into the lane and threaded a beautiful pass to teammate Rayah Marshall for the go-ahead layup. An outstanding defensive play by Watkins then led to a critical stop on the other end.
“JuJu was simply phenomenal tonight,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game. “She took over when we needed her most and willed us to this win. To come into this environment against a program like UConn and perform the way she did, it just speaks to her competitiveness and talent.”
– USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb
Watkins Rises to the Occasion
Watkins, the reigning National Freshman of the Year, has firmly established herself as one of the most dynamic players in college basketball. Her combination of slick ball-handling, creative shot-making ability, and lockdown defensive prowess was on full display against the Huskies.
In addition to her scoring output, Watkins also contributed 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. She consistently made big plays on both ends, including a sensational chase-down block on Bueckers in transition that ignited the XL Center crowd.
“I live for these types of games and moments,” Watkins said in her postgame press conference. “To be able to compete against a player like Paige and a program like UConn, it brings out the best in me. I’m just glad we were able to get it done as a team.”
– USC guard JuJu Watkins
Statement Win for the Trojans
The victory improved USC’s record to 11-1 on the season and served notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with come March. The Trojans, who fell to the eventual champion LSU Tigers in last year’s Final Four, have national title aspirations in 2025.
For UConn, the loss dropped them to 10-2. It was a rare defeat on their home court and just their second loss to a non-conference opponent in the last five seasons. The proud Huskies program, winners of a record 11 national championships, is not accustomed to losing in this fashion.
“Give USC a ton of credit, they earned that win,” legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said afterward. “JuJu Watkins was spectacular and they made more plays than us down the stretch. We’ll learn from this and get better.”
– UConn head coach Geno Auriemma
Looking Ahead
Both teams will face challenging upcoming schedules as they aim to secure top seeds in the NCAA Tournament:
- USC’s next four games are against ranked opponents from the Big Ten, including No. 3 Maryland and No. 8 Indiana.
- UConn has key non-conference tests looming against No. 1 South Carolina and No. 6 Stanford.
If this early season instant classic was any indication, a Final Four rematch between the Trojans and Huskies isn’t out of the question. Led by transcendent talents Watkins and Bueckers, USC and UConn seem poised to be on a championship collision course come April in Charlotte.
