USC survived in its first game without JuJu Watkins on Saturday night in Spokane, though just barely.
But with the way Paige Bueckers is playing for UConn, the Trojans may be in some serious trouble come Monday night.
No. 1 USC snuck out a tight 67-61 win over No. 5 Kansas State at Spokane Arena on Saturday night to secure a second straight trip to the Elite Eight in the women’s NCAA tournament. That’s something the program hasn’t done since it won back-to-back national championships in the 1980s.
The win sets up a rematch with UConn, which beat the Trojans in the same round last season to make it into the Final Four.
Watkins tore her ACL in her right knee in the Trojans’ blowout win over Mississippi State in the second round of the tournament on Monday. The USC star crashed down to the court while trying to drive to the hoop, and had to be carried off the floor. The school quickly confirmed the season-ending injury that night after the win.
Watkins averaged 23.9 points and 6.8 rebounds this season for the Trojans while leading them to a top seed in the tournament for the second straight year. They’ve also won 30 games this season, which is the team’s best campaign since 1986.
Watkins remained home in Los Angeles, but she was with the team in spirit.
USC is keeping a Funko Pop of JuJu Watkins on the bench ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7G73D0E1za
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 30, 2025
Despite losing Watkins, the Trojans still reached the Sweet 16 behind a huge effort from forward Kiki Iriafen — who dropped a season-high 36 points in the 37-point blowout win over the Bulldogs. The senior has averaged 18.6 points, which is the best output on the team after Watkins, and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game.
While they looked very solid without her Thursday, it was a very different story on Saturday night. Both teams combined to shoot just 3-of-21 to start the game, and Kansas State ended up taking a two-point lead into the locker room at halftime. USC appeared as if it was going to take off in the third, thanks to ...
