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2024–25 USC Trojans women's basketball team

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2024–25 USC Trojans women's basketball
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 4
Record16–1 (6–0 Big Ten)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Beth Burns (3rd season)
  • Wendale Farrow (4th season)
  • Willnett Crockett (2nd season)
  • Courtney Jaco (2nd season)
Home arenaGalen Center
Seasons← 2023–242025–26 →
2024–25 Big Ten women's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 9 Ohio State 6 – 0   1.000 17 – 0   1.000
No. 1 UCLA 6 – 0   1.000 17 – 0   1.000
No. 4 USC 6 – 0   1.000 16 – 1   .941
No. 8 Maryland 6 – 1   .857 16 – 1   .941
Nebraska 5 – 2   .714 14 – 4   .778
No. 24т Minnesota 4 – 2   .667 16 – 2   .889
No. 22 Michigan State 4 – 2   .667 14 – 3   .824
Indiana 4 – 2   .667 12 – 5   .706
Oregon 4 – 3   .571 13 – 5   .722
Michigan 4 – 3   .571 13 – 5   .722
Washington 4 – 3   .571 13 – 6   .684
Illinois 3 – 3   .500 13 – 4   .765
Iowa 2 – 5   .286 12 – 6   .667
Wisconsin 1 – 6   .143 10 – 8   .556
Northwestern 0 – 5   .000 7 – 9   .438
Purdue 0 – 7   .000 7 – 11   .389
Penn State 0 – 7   .000 9 – 9   .500
Rutgers 0 – 8   .000 8 – 11   .421
† 2025 Big Ten tournament winner
As of January 18, 2025
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2024–25 USC Trojans women's basketball team represents the University of Southern California during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Trojans are led by fourth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, and play their home games at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. This marks the program's first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

USC enters their first season in the Big Ten ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll.

Previous season

The Women of Troy finished the Pac-12 regular season tied for second with UCLA. USC held the tiebreaker over UCLA, earning then the 2-seed in the 2024 Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament, where they won.

The squad earned their second straight bid for the NCAA women's basketball tournament, earning a No. 1 seed in the Portland region. They went on to beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the First Round, Kansas in the Second Round, and Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen, but lost to Connecticut in the Elite Eight.

They started the season ranked No. 21 and finished the season with a No. 5 AP ranking and a No. 6 ranking in the Coaches' poll.

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Taylor Bigby 1 G 6'1" Jr Las Vegas, NV Transferred to TCU.
India Otto 2 G 5'9" GS Los Angeles, CA Joined staff as Coordinator of Player Engagement. Graduated.
Kayla Williams 4 G 5'7" Sr Los Angeles, CA Transferred to UC Berkeley. Graduated.
Kaitlyn Davis 24 G/F 6'0" GS Norwalk, CT Drafted in the 3rd Round (35th Overall) in the 2024 WNBA draft by the New York Liberty. Graduated.
McKenzie Forbes 25 G 6'0" GS Folsom, CA Drafted in the 3rd Round (28th Overall) in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Graduated.
Roxane Makolo 30 G 5'10" GS Quebec, CA Transferred to Georgia.
Kayla Padilla 45 G 5'9" GS Torrance, CA Graduated

Incoming transfers

Name Num Pos. Height Year Hometown Previous School
Kiki Iriafen 44 F 6'3" GS Los Angeles, CA Stanford
Talia von Oelhoffen 55 G 5'11" GS Tri-Cities, WA Oregon State

2024 recruiting class

Source:

Name Overall Rank Position Hometown High School Height ESPN Stars ESPN Grade
Vivian Iwuchukwu 47 F Imo State, Nigeria Montverde Academy 6'3" 4 94
Rian Forester 53 G Helotes, TX Brandeis 5'11" 4 94
Laura Williams 89 F Tampa, FL St. Paul VI Catholic 6'1" 4 91
Kayleigh Heckel 28 G Port Chester, NY Long Island Lutheran 5'9" 5 97
Kennedy Smith 6 G Chino, CA Etiwanda 6'1" 5 98
Avery Howell 23 G Boise, ID Boise 6'0" 5 97
Brooklyn Shamblin G Carpinteria, CA Oaks Christian 5'9" 3

Roster

2024–25 USC Trojans women's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown
F 0 Vivian Iwuchukwu 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Fr Montverde Academy Imo State, Nigeria
G 3 Aaliyah Gayles 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) RS So Spring Valley Las Vegas, NV
G 4 Rian Forestier 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Fr Brandeis Helotes, TX
F 6 Laura Williams 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Fr St. Paul VI Catholic Tampa, FL
G 9 Kayleigh Heckel 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Fr Long Island Lutheran Port Chester, NY
G 10 Malia Samuels 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) So Garfield Seattle, WA
G 11 Kennedy Smith 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Fr Etiwanda Chino, CA
G 12 JuJu Watkins 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) So Sierra Canyon Los Angeles, CA
F/C 13 Rayah Marshall 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Sr Lynwood Los Angeles, CA
G 21 Dominique Darius 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) RS Jr Blair Academy Jacksonville, FL
G 23 Avery Howell 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Fr Boise Boise, ID
G 24 Brooklyn Shamblin 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Fr Oaks Christian Carpinteria, CA
C 34 Clarice Akunwafo 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Sr Rolling Hills Prep Anambra State, Nigeria
F 44 Kiki Iriafen 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) GS Harvard-Westlake
Stanford 		Los Angeles, CA
G 55 Talia von Oelhoffen 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) GS Chiawana
Oregon State 		Tri-Cities, WA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 24, 2024

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank Opponent Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site
city, state
Regular season
November 4, 2024*
9:00 a.m., ESPN 		No. 3 vs. No. 20 Ole Miss
Aflac Oui-Play Game 		W 68–66  1–0
  27 – Watkins   13 – Iriafen   4 – Watkins  Adidas Arena 
Paris, France
November 9, 2024*
2:00 p.m., B1G+ 		No. 3 Cal Poly W 90–35  2–0
  16 – Watkins   7 – Tied   7 – von Oelhoffen  Galen Center (5,215)
Los Angeles, California
November 12, 2024*
7:00 p.m., B1G+ 		No. 3 Cal State Northridge W 124–39  3–0
  21 – Watkins   9 – Marshall   9 – Watkins  Galen Center (3,064)
Los Angeles, California
November 15, 2024*
12:00 p.m., B1G+ 		No. 3 Santa Clara W 81–50  4–0
  22 – Watkins   7 – Iriafen   6 – Von Oelhoffen  Galen Center (3,594)
Los Angeles, California
November 23, 2024*
1:00 p.m., NBC 		No. 3 No. 6 Notre Dame L 61–74  4–1
  15 – Iriafen   9 – Tied   5 – Watkins  Galen Center (7,894)
Los Angeles, California
November 27, 2024*
4:00 p.m., TruTV 		No. 6 vs. Seton Hall
Acrisure Holiday Invitational 		W 84–51  5–1
  20 – Watkins   11 – Marshall   6 – Marshall  Acrisure Arena 
Palm Springs, California
November 29, 2024*
4:00 p.m., TruTV 		No. 6 vs. Saint Louis
Acrisure Holiday Invitational 		W 104–65  6–1
  34 – Watkins   12 – Iriafen   4 – Tied  Acrisure Arena (2,725)
Palm Springs, California
December 3, 2024*
6:30 p.m., BTN 		No. 6 California Baptist W 94–52  7–1
  40 – Watkins   10 – Tied   6 – von Oelhoffen  Galen Center (2,489)
Los Angeles, California
December 7, 2024
1:00 p.m., BTN 		No. 6 at Oregon W 66–53  8–1
(1–0) 		 21 – Watkins   12 – Iriafen   4 – Tied  Matthew Knight Arena (7,246)
Eugene, Oregon
December 10, 2024*
6:00 p.m., BTN 		No. 5 Fresno State W 89–40  9–1
  24 – Iriafen   13 – Marshall   5 – Watkins  Galen Center (3,081)
Los Angeles, California
December 15, 2024*
12:00 p.m., B1G+ 		No. 5 Elon W 88–30  10–1
  26 – Watkins   14 – Marshall   5 – Watkins  Galen Center (4,818)
Los Angeles, California
December 21, 2024*
5:00 p.m., FOX 		No. 7 at No. 4 UConn W 72–70  11–1
  25 – Watkins   11 – Iriafen   6 – Iriafen  XL Center (15,684)
Hartford, CT
December 29, 2024
7:00 p.m., BTN 		No. 4 No. 23 Michigan W 78–58  12–1
(2–0) 		 31 – Watkins   9 – Iriafen   7 – Watkins  Galen Center (8,043)
Los Angeles, California
January 1, 2025
12:00 p.m., BTN 		No. 4 Nebraska W 75–55  13–1
(3–0) 		 26 – Watkins   9 – Marshall   4 – Watkins  Galen Center (5,662)
Los Angeles, California
January 5, 2025
5:00 p.m., BTN 		No. 4 at Rutgers W 92–42  14–1
(4–0) 		 23 – Watkins   14 – Watkins   6 – von Oelhoffen  Jersey Mike's Arena (7,356)
Piscataway, New Jersey
January 8, 2025
5:30 p.m., FS1 		No. 4 at No. 8 Maryland W 79–74  15–1
(5–0) 		 21 – Tied   15 – Marshall   4 – Heckel  XFINITY Center (14,735)
College Park, Maryland
January 12, 2025
5:00 p.m., BTN 		No. 4 Penn State W 95–73  16–1
(6–0) 		 35 – Watkins   11 – Watkins   4 – Tied  Galen Center (5,881)
Los Angeles, California
January 15, 2025
7:00 p.m., Peacock 		No. 4 Northwestern Postponed Galen Center 
Los Angeles, California
January 19, 2025
9:00 a.m., NBC 		No. 4 at Indiana       Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall 
Bloomington, Indiana
January 22, 2025
4:00 p.m., Peacock 		at Purdue       Mackey Arena 
West Lafayette, Indiana
January 30, 2025
7:00 p.m., Peacock 		Minnesota       Galen Center 
Los Angeles, California
February 2, 2025
10:30 a.m., FOX 		at Iowa       Carver-Hawkeye Arena 
Iowa City, Iowa
February 5, 2025
4:30 p.m., Peacock 		at Wisconsin       Kohl Center 
Madison, Wisconsin
February 8, 2025
6:00 p.m., FOX 		Ohio State       Galen Center 
Los Angeles, California
February 13, 2025
7:00 p.m., Peacock 		UCLA
Rivalry 		      Galen Center 
Los Angeles, California
February 16, 2025
4:00 p.m., BTN 		at Washington       Alaska Airlines Arena 
Seattle, Washington
February 19, 2025
6:30 p.m., Peacock 		Michigan State       Galen Center 
Los Angeles, California
February 23, 2025
1:00 p.m., FS1 		Illinois
Senior Day 		      Galen Center 
Los Angeles, California
March 1, 2025
6:00 p.m., FOX 		at UCLA
Rivalry 		      Pauley Pavilion 
Los Angeles, California
Big Ten Women's Tournament
March 5th - March 9th, 2025
--:-- p.m. 		vs. TBD       Gainbridge Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, Indiana
*Non-conference game. Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific Time.

Source: USCTrojans.com

Game summaries

This section will be filled in as the season progresses.

Source:

No. 20 Ole Miss (Aflac Oui-Play Game)

ESPN
November 4th, 2024
9:00 a.m. PST
Recap
No. 20 Ole Miss Rebles 66, No. 3 USC Trojans 68
Scoring by quarter: 16-15, 10-22, 19-15, 21-16
Pts: Deans Kristen - 19
Rebs: Tied - 9
Asts: Madison Scott - 5		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 27
Rebs: Kiki Iriafen - 13
Asts: Juju Watkins - 4
Adidas Arena • Paris, France
Referees: Infini Robinson, Tiffany Bird, Joe Vaszily

vs. Cal Poly

B1G+
November 9th, 2024
2:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Cal Poly Mustangs 35, No. 3 USC Trojans 90
Scoring by quarter: 6-40, 11-17, 10-16, 8-17
Pts: Sydney Bourland - 12
Rebs: Sydney Bourland - 6
Asts: Alana Goosby - 3		 Pts: Tied - 16
Rebs: Tied - 7
Asts: Talia von Oelhoffen - 7
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 5,215
Referees: Jamie Broderick, Lisa Jones, Michael McConnell

vs. Cal State Northridge

BTN+
November 12th, 2024
7:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Cal State Northridge Matadors 39, No. 3 USC Trojans 124
Scoring by quarter: 6-30, 7-30, 7-37, 19-27
Pts: Laini Dahlin - 11
Rebs: Erika Aspajo - 4
Asts: Erika Aspajo - 4		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 21
Rebs: Rayaj Marshall - 9
Asts: JuJu Watkins - 9
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 3,064
Referees: Kim Hobbs, Michael Price, Melissa Barlow

vs. Santa Clara

BTN+
November 15th, 2024
12:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Santa Clara Broncos 50, No. 3 USC Trojans 81
Scoring by quarter: 13-25, 13-14, 12-22, 12-20
Pts: Kaya Ingram - 13
Rebs: Hannah Rapp - 8
Asts: Madison Naro - 3		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 22
Rebs: Kiki Iriafen - 7
Asts: Talia von Oelhoffen - 6
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 3,594
Referees: In'Fini Robinson, Kyle Bacon, Roy Gulbeyan

vs. No. 6 Notre Dame

NBC
November 23rd, 2024
1:00 p.m. PST
Recap
No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 74, No. 3 USC Trojans 61
Scoring by quarter: 20-10, 15-18, 17-17, 22-16
Pts: Hannah Hidalgo - 24
Rebs: Liatu King - 11
Asts: Hannah Hidalgo - 8		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 24
Rebs: Tied - 9
Asts: JuJu Watkins - 5
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 7,894
Referees: Chuck Gonzalez, Mai Forsberg, Branda Pantoja

Seton Hall (Acrisure Holiday Invitational)

TruTV
November 27th, 2024
4:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Seton Hall Pirates 51, No. 6 USC Trojans 84
Scoring by quarter: 13-27, 13-15, 16-20, 9-20
Pts: Faith Masonius - 25
Rebs: Ja'Kahla Craft - 7
Asts: Amari Wright - 5		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 20
Rebs: Rayah Marshall - 11
Asts: Rayah Marshall - 6
Acrisure Arena • Palm Springs, California
Referees: Chaka Wade, Deon Lewis, Robert Scofield

Saint Louis (Acrisure Holiday Invitational)

TruTV
November 29th, 2024
4:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Saint Louis Billikens 65, No. 6 USC Trojans 104
Scoring by quarter: 15-24, 22-18, 8-37, 20-25
Pts: Mia Bergstrom - 19
Rebs: Tierra Simon - 11
Asts: Tied - 3		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 34
Rebs: Kiki Iriafen - 12
Asts: Tied - 4
Acrisure Arena • Palm Springs, California
Attendance: 2,725
Referees: Chaka Wade, Deon Lewis, Robert Scofield

vs. California Baptist

BTN
December 3rd, 2024
6:30 p.m. PST
Recap
California Baptist Lancers 52, No. 6 USC Trojans 94
Scoring by quarter: 11-29, 9-21, 16-28, 16-16
Pts: Grace Schmidt - 12
Rebs: Grace Schmidt - 7
Asts: Claudia Fiel - 3		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 40
Rebs: Tied - 10
Asts: Talia von Oelhoffen - 6
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 2,489
Referees: Sydney Mott, Nadi Carey, Nykesha Thompson

at. Oregon

BTN
December 7th, 2024
1:00 p.m. PST
Recap
No. 6 USC Trojans 66, Oregon Ducks 53
Scoring by quarter: 12-13, 28-6, 15-22, 11-12
Pts: JuJu Watkins - 21
Rebs: Kiki Iriafen - 12
Asts: Tied - 4		 Pts: Deja Kelly - 16
Rebs: Phillipina Kyei - 7
Asts: Tied - 2
Matthew Knight Arena • Eugene, Oregon
Attendance: 7,246
Referees: Chuck Gonzalez, Michol Murray, Lisa Jones

vs. Fresno State

BTN
December 10th, 2024
6:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Fresno State Bulldogs 40, No. 5 USC Trojans 89
Scoring by quarter: 12-22, 8-24, 6-24, 14-19
Pts: Tied - 11
Rebs: Tied - 4
Asts: Tied - 3		 Pts: Kiki Iriafen - 24
Rebs: Rayah Marshall - 13
Asts: JuJu Watkins = 5
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 3,081
Referees: Brian Woods, Nicole Leon, Roy Gulbeyan

vs. Elon

BTN+
December 15th, 2024
12:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Elon Phoenix 30, No. 5 USC Trojans' 88
Scoring by quarter: 6-23, 6-17, 11-29, 7-19
Pts: Hannah Dereje - 10
Rebs: Hannah Dereje - 7
Asts: Maraja Pass - 4		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 26
Rebs: Rayah Marshall - 14
Asts: JuJu Watkins - 5
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 4,818
Referees: Genesis Perrymound, Cameron Inouye, Michael Price

at. No. 4 UConn

FOX
December 21st, 2024
5:00 p.m. PST
Recap
No. 7 USC Trojans 72, No. 4 UConn Huskies 70
Scoring by quarter: 24-15, 18-14, 13-20, 17-21
Pts: JuJu Watkins - 25
Rebs: Kiki Iriafen - 11
Asts: Kiki Iriafen - 6		 Pts: Tied - 22
Rebs: Sara Strong - 13
Asts: Sara Strong - 5
XL Center • Hartford, Connecticut
Attendance: 15,684
Referees: Jeffrey Smith, Katie Lukanich, Karen Preato

vs. No. 23 Michigan

BTN
December 29th, 2024
7:00 p.m. PST
Report
No. 23 Michigan Wolverines 58, No. 4 USC Trojans 78
Scoring by quarter: 11-17, 20-17, 16-23, 11-21
Pts: Jordan Hobbs - 19
Rebs: Brooke Daniels - 7
Asts: Mila Holloway - 5		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 31
Rebs: Kiki Iriafen - 9
Asts: JuJu Watkins - 7
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 8,043
Referees: Nicole Leon, Doug Knight, Michol Murray

vs. Nebraska

BTN
January 1st, 2025
12:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Nebraska Cornhuskers 55, No. 4 USC Trojans 75
Scoring by quarter: 12-16, 22-23, 11-20, 10-16
Pts: Logan Nissley - 14
Rebs: Alexis Markowski - 9
Asts: Britt Prince - 4		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 26
Rebs: Rayah Marshall - 9
Asts: JuJu Watkins - 4
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 5,662
Referees: Kim Hobbs, In'Fini Robinson, Michael Price

at. Rutgers

BTN
January 5th, 2025
5:00 p.m. PST
Recap
No. 4 USC Trojans 92, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 42
Scoring by quarter: 22-8, 15-6, 32-10, 23-18
Pts: JuJu Watkins - 23
Rebs: JuJu Watkins - 14
Asts: Talia von Oelhoffen - 6		 Pts: JoJo Lacey - 14
Rebs: Destiny Adams - 10
Asts: Destiny Adams - 3
Jersey Mike's Arena • Piscataway, New Jersey
Attendance: 7,356
Referees: Ken Nash, Angie Enlund, Julie Krommenhoek

at. No. 8 Maryland

FS1
January 8th, 2025
5:30 p.m. PST
Recap
No. 4 USC Trojans 79, No. 8 Maryland Terrapins 74
Scoring by quarter: 18-20, 17-14, 23-24, 21-16
Pts: Tied - 21
Rebs: Rayah Marshall - 15
Asts: Kayleigh Heckel - 4		 Pts: Shyanne Sellers - 26
Rebs: Saylor Poffenbarger - 17
Asts: Tied - 2
XFINTIY Center • College Park, Maryland
Attendance: 14,735
Referees: Natasha Camy, Michol Murray, Michael McConnell

vs. Penn State

BTN
January 12th, 2025
5:00 p.m. PST
Recap
Penn State Lady Lions 73, No. 4 USC Trojans 95
Scoring by quarter: 18-27, 13-29, 21-20, 21-19
Pts: Talayah Walker - 18
Rebs: Grace Hall - 9
Asts: Tied - 4		 Pts: JuJu Watkins - 35
Rebs: JuJu Watkins - 11
Asts: Tied - 4
Galen Center • Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 5,881
Referees: Cameron Inouye, Brenda Pantoja, Felicia Grinter

vs. Northwestern

at. Indiana

NBC
January 19th, 2025
9:00 a.m. PST
No. 4 USC Trojans vs. Indiana Hoosiers
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall • Bloomington, Indiana

Rankings

Main article: 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP3 (1)3366574444
Coaches3 (1)3 (1)3 (1)66575555

See also

References

  1. "2024 High School Girls' Basketball Recruits - USC - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  2. "2024-2025 USC Women's Basketball Schedule". USCTrojans.com. Retrieved November 8, 2023.

External links

USC Trojans women's basketball
Venues
Rivalries
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Seasons
NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics
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2024–25 USC Trojans women's basketball team Add topic