LOS ANGELES — Rayah Marshall fondly recalls her freshman year at Southern California, where she and her teammates achieved significant victories against highly-ranked Arizona and Stanford despite finishing the season below .500. Her coach Lindsay Gottlieb inspired her with the sentiment, “One day this is going to be us.” Now, four years later, that day has arrived.
This weekend, focus shifts towards the West Coast in women’s college basketball, as two prominent matchups take center stage. On Saturday, No. 3 USC, featuring star JuJu Watkins, will face off against sixth-ranked Notre Dame led by Hannah Hidalgo, both teams boasting undefeated records. This exciting matchup will be broadcast on NBC, right before the Army-Notre Dame football game.
Marshall expressed the surging interest in the game, sharing that her phone has been buzzing with requests for tickets. “Everyone wants a piece of the success,” she said, highlighting the excitement and anticipation surrounding their team’s rise.
On Sunday, the action continues as top-ranked South Carolina, with a 5-0 record, travels to face No. 5 UCLA (4-0) at Pauley Pavilion. “It feels like a Final Four-type weekend,” Gottlieb remarked on the back-to-back high-stakes games. With hundreds of fans expected to fill the arenas, WNBA scouts are likely to swarm the venues to witness this showcase of talent.
“We must start fast, especially on defense,” urged Te-Hina Paopao from South Carolina, a fifth-year guard who is anticipating a return to her homeland, hosting around 100 friends and family for the game. The Notre Dame vs. USC matchup will also see the premiere of “On the Rise: JuJu Watkins,” a unique documentary series that follows Watkins’ path from high school to becoming a collegiate star. It is the first time a women’s college athlete has both starred in and executive produced her own series, with the first two episodes airing on Saturday, followed by the remaining episodes on Peacock.
Gottlieb praised the milestone, sharing an anecdote of attending a Dodgers event with Watkins last summer. “She has become as recognizable as any Dodgers player; she truly represents LA culture right now,” Gottlieb stated.
Fans can also expect to see a formidable collaboration between Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, who has returned to her hometown after three years at Stanford. Watkins is presently averaging an impressive 21.5 points, alongside 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.8 steals per game. Meanwhile, Iriafen contributes 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.
I had the opportunity to see Hidalgo shine during her freshman season, where she has also gotten off to a great start this year, averaging 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists early in the season.
When it comes to UCLA, the spotlight will undoubtedly be on Lauren Betts, who stands at 6-foot-7 and is consistently targeted by opposing defenses. She boasts impressive stats of 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. Bruins coach Cori Close highlighted the challenges Betts faces, noting that her resilience in the face of aggressive defense is commendable.
Both the USC and UCLA teams kicked off their seasons in Paris, achieving victories against ranked opponents and now have another opportunity to showcase their skills at the national level. Close adopted a grounded mindset for her team, reminiscent of her late mentor John Wooden, emphasizing that the current situation is just a step toward cultivating championship habits.
“While it’s an exciting opportunity, we must treat it as another chance to build toughness and grit,” Close remarked.
As the defending national champion Gamecocks, currently riding a program-record 43-game winning streak, prepare to take the court, coach Dawn Staley affirmed her team’s confidence. “We’re going to approach it like we do every game,” she said.
This weekend promises to be a significant milestone in women’s college basketball, with fans eagerly awaiting the action from both venues.
