After an up-and-down season without its injured superstar, USC still managed to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Trojans punched their ticket to the Big Dance for the fourth straight season on Sunday, earning a No. 9 seed. They are set to face No. 8 seed Clemson in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday.
While USC will have to travel across the country to take on Clemson, the Tigers enjoy the advantage of only a two-hour drive from their campus. A victory in that game would set up a rematch in Columbia with No. 1 seed South Carolina, who defeated the Trojans handily when they met in November.
History, however, won’t be on USC’s side in that potential matchup. In the last 15 years, only twice has a No. 8 or No. 9 seed in the women’s tournament upset a No. 1 seed. Despite the odds, the Trojans remain determined to make a deep run.
Just a year ago, USC entered March as one of the favorites to win the national title. That hope was dashed when JuJu Watkins injured her knee in the second round, forcing her to sit out the entire 2025-26 season. Her absence threw a serious wrench in USC’s plans.
Instead, the Trojans relied on another dazzling young talent, Jazzy Davidson, to carry the load. Davidson delivered impressively, leading USC in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. Her outstanding performance earned her the title of Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
USC opened the season with a 10-3 record, with two of those losses coming against No. 1 seeds Connecticut and South Carolina. However, the rest of the Big Ten season proved frustrating. The Trojans lost six of seven games before bouncing back with a six-game winning streak.
Unfortunately, they ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak and stumbled to a one-and-done finish in the Big Ten tournament. Despite these challenges, none of that mattered as of Sunday—USC made the NCAA tournament, overcoming everything working against them.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but the Trojans are ready to fight their way forward.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/story/2026-03-15/usc-will-face-clemson-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament
