Everything You Need to Know About Women’s Basketball at USC

photo credit: USC Athletics

by Kayla Bowens ‘25

If there is one thing that USC is known for, it’s sports. We hear a lot about the football team, but let’s not forget about basketball. With the multitude of talent on our sports teams over the years, Trojans have a rich sports history that dates back to the early 1900s. 

Unlike men’s sports, women did not get much sports media coverage when the teams started and still often don’t get the same attention to this day. Known as the Women of Troy, the USC Women’s basketball team started in 1976. Making their first appearance at the Final Four in 1981, they went on to win national championships in 1983 and 1984, against Louisiana Tech and University of Tennessee. Cheryl Miller, Paula McGee, and Cynthia Cooper set the stage of Women’s Basketball for USC. Miller, particularly, made a name for herself and the team as the first in women’s basketball to execute a break-away dunk, and she won several awards for her athleticism. She eventually came back to her home team as a coach in 1993. 

Since 1986, USC has not appeared in a National Championship but has won PAC-10 in 1987 and 1994, in addition to making the playoffs in 2005. In 2006, The Galen Center became the new home to the Women of Troy and began selling out games making history for women’s college basketball. Today, our women’s basketball team is honoring the legacy of the famed 1976 team. For the first time since 1986, USC won the Sweet 16, which is the regional semifinal round of the NCAA March Madness tournament, advancing our team to the Elite Eight again for the first time in 30 years. 

Freshman number 12, JuJu Watkins, has become the sixth USC player to ever be named a First Team All American player, which is a title of honor for exceptional U.S. athletes within a particular sport, following in the footsteps of Cheryl Miller. Watkin set the record for most points scored for males or females in basketball at the Galen Center this season. Additionally, Junior number 13, Rayah Marshall, is an all time blocks leader taking over for 1976 All-American player Paula McGee. Lastly, head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, is the first ever coach to lead two different PAC 12 programs, USC and Cal, to the title game. 

Overall, this season, USC’s Women’s Basketball is on fire setting records for USC and collegiate-level basketball for women in general. If you haven't already, I would highly recommend attending a USC basketball game. There is a lot of good music, dance performances, interactive audience games, celebrity appearances, and more. The best part is that tickets are free for all USC students!

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