Seven minutes was all that separated the USC women’s basketball from Final Four this past season.
The Trojans were led there by women’s basketball’s newest sensation: freshman guard JuJu Watkins. She’d broken the national freshman scoring record with 920 points and was second in the nation in scoring with 27.1 points per game.
Through sold out gyms, a massive season opening win over Ohio State and the final season of Pac-12 women’s basketball as we knew it, Watkins led the Trojans to an Elite Eight berth to face a No. 3 seed.
But it wasn’t just any 3-seed. It was UConn.
Last season’s Elite Eight was billed as a clash of titans. A title game rematch between Iowa and LSU captured much of the attention, but UConn and USC drew its own fair share with a viewership of 6.7 million.
On one side were the upstart Trojans and Watkins. On the other was UConn, as blue as blood gets, led by their own star lead guard in Paige Bueckers. The sport’s future up against an icon of the past and present.
But all that experience mattered in the end when the Huskies took those seven minutes to seize and expand on a lead that got them over the finish line. It’s a moment that sticks out for USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who got to work preparing for the next season as soon as she could.
“As much gratitude as you have for that season and the things we did, immediately you turn the page and say the bar has been raised,” Gottlieb said. “The standard has been raised.”
The Trojans have talent, they got to the Elite Eight after all. JuJu Watkins’ ability speaks for itself, but players like Rayah Marshall would be coming back. But with second leading scorer McKenzie Forbes out of eligibility and off to the WNBA, there were holes to fill.
To that end, USC’s staff turned to the transfer portal. Not as a rebuilding tool, as some teams have used it, but to supplement the talent on the roster. In stepped Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen.
Iriafen’s resume speaks for itself, having been on a Stanford team that won the Pac-12 three times, being named an AP All-American honorable mention and winning the Katrina McClain Award as the best power forward in the NCAA.
“She’s gonna be a top three pick in the WNBA Draft,” Gottlieb said. “She’s that good.”
Something that matters to Iriafen is honoring the legends of women’s basketball who came before her. She’s felt the impact of that history. When she committed to USC out of the portal, she received a congratulatory message from Trojan alum Lisa Leslie and regularly sees program legend Cheryl Miller at practices.
“You don’t really get that anywhere else,” Iriafen said. “I think that’s such a blessing to have all those great people and legends in our corner.”
The Trojans’ other transfer, von Oelhoffen, came from a successful Oregon State program with a strong basketball IQ, positional versatility and a strong defensive reputation.
“She’s very savvy, can play any position,” Gottlieb said. “She’s got a mind that just helps the younger players, make it all fit together.”
Part of what drew Gottlieb to each player was tournament experience. Iriafen had just reached the Sweet Sixteen with Stanford and von Oelhoffen’s Oregon State team was right there in the Elite Eight with USC.
It’s not just the transfers either. USC is welcoming seven freshman into the program this season with multiple being rated as among ESPN’s top players in the class of 2024. Gottlieb said she expects immediate contributions as well.
She praised three different incoming freshmen who will join the squad this season. Kennedy Smith’s defensive prowess and ability to play on that end right away at the college level, Kayleigh Heckel’s quickness at point guard and said said Avery Howell could end up being the Trojans’ best three point shooter.
“All the freshmen really have a priority impact for us but I think you’ll see a couple of them really, really get major minutes,” Gottlieb said.
Between Watkins, other returning stars, an experienced transfer class and a platoon of talented freshmen, USC will look to build on last year’s success and reach even higher.
