Usc Will Face Clemson In First Round Of Ncaa Women's Basketball Tournament

After an up-and-down play without its injured superstar, USC still managed to make it backmost to nan NCAA tournament. But its way won’t get immoderate smoother from here.

The Women of Troy punched their summons to nan Big Dance for nan 4th consecutive play connected Sunday. They’ll beryllium a No. 9 seed, group to look No. 8 seed Clemson successful Columbia, S.C. connected Saturday.

While nan Trojans will person to recreation crossed nan state to return connected Clemson, nan Tigers will only person a two-hour thrust from their campus.

A triumph successful that crippled would group up a rematch successful Columbia pinch No. 1 seed South Carolina, who hit nan Trojans handily erstwhile they met successful November.

History won’t beryllium connected nan Trojans’ broadside successful that matchup, either. Only doubly successful nan past 15 years has a No. 8 aliases No. 9 seed successful nan women’s tourney upset a No. 1.

Just a twelvemonth ago, USC entered March arsenic 1 of nan favorites to triumph nan nationalist title. But past JuJu Watkins injured her knee successful nan 2nd round. The wounded forced her to beryllium retired nan full season, throwing a superior wrench successful USC’s plans for nan 2025-26 season.

Instead, nan Trojans would person to trust connected different dazzling young talent, Jazzy Davidson, to transportation them. And Davidson would deliver, starring nan Trojans successful points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. She was moreover named Big Ten Freshman of nan Year.

USC opened nan play 10-3, pinch 2 of those losses coming against 2 No. 1 seeds, Connecticut and South Carolina. But nan remainder of nan Big Ten play would beryllium to beryllium a frustrating affair. The Trojans mislaid six of seven, earlier bouncing backmost to triumph six straight. They yet ended nan regular play connected a four-game losing streak, stumbling their measurement to a one-and-done decorativeness successful nan Big Ten tournament.

But that winding way nary longer mattered arsenic of Sunday. USC made nan NCAA tournament, successful spite of everything moving against it.