![[Original size] DJ's Sports Show.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/75856f_7f4ffe7f83c14d209a701ef21c02c17d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_120,h_120,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BOriginal%20size%5D%20DJ's%20Sports%20Show.png)
The rise of women's college basketball has been beautiful to watch over the last few years. Saturday's Elite Eight rematch highlighted the continued rise with a top 10 matchup between two of the preeminent stars in the country: UConn Huskies star guard Paige Bueckers and USC Trojans phenomenon Juju Watkins. As well as they are known off the court, their dynamic games make both Bueckers and Watkins truly special and pillars of the future of women's basketball. Would the highly anticipated matchup live up to the billing?
It didn't disappoint.
Watkins scored 25 points to help propel the No.7 USC Trojans to a 72-70 victory over No.4 UConn in front of a sold-out crowd to avoid blowing an 18-point lead. The Trojans shot 9-of-16 (56%) from three against the Huskies after combining for a putrid 2-of-24 in their other two matchups against ranked opponents this season. Watkins and Bueckers gave the crowd what they paid to see, guarding each other on the defensive end for most of the game and attacking each other offensively.
Watkins finished with 25-6-5 to pair with a steal and three blocks, one of them coming on a Bueckers jumper where she took it coast to coast, dribbled between her legs, spun, and finished a tough layup through traffic. Meanwhile, Bueckers finished with 22-3-2 and a steal but shot just 9-of-22 from the field and 2-of-8 from beyond the arc as the Trojans made it tough for her to get into a rhythm.
Bueckers and Watkins weren't the only ones to put on a show as their counterparts stepped up to the limelight, from UConn freshman Sarah Strong to USC senior Kiki Iriafen. Strong displayed why she was the top recruit in the country, recording 22-13-5 with four steals and a block, while Iriafen had a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double with six assists and a steal and was the secondary go-to option outside of Watkins.
The Trojans dominated the first half, having a commanding 18-point lead early in the third quarter until the Huskies started rallying, getting the game back into single digits before tying it at 67. With the Huskies hitting on all cylinders, the Trojans needed an answer. Watkins stepped up, finding Rayah Marshall for a layup to go back up with 1:21 to stop the bleeding.
Watkins would hit critical free throws in crunchtime to put the Trojans up 72-69 with 19.5 seconds left. Strong, who had an impressive performance, was fouled on a three-point attempt by Watkins, who had a chance to tie the game at the line. Strong made the first free throw but missed the second before intentionally missing the third. The freshman got the rebound out at 3-point territory before one last desperation heave that ultimately fell short as the Trojans survived.
This marked the first marquee win for the Trojans this season. It was Watkins 11th game of 20+ points as she became the first player in the last 15 seasons to record a 25-5-5-3 stat line against an Associated Press top-five opponent on the road. Watkins also had her fourth career 25-point game versus an AP top-five team, the most of any player over the past two seasons.
"I think Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] said it best," Iriafen said. "A lot of the things she does are super hard, but she makes it look so easy."
The USC program has revived since Watkins arrival. It is now paired with an ultra-talented freshman recruiting class alongside Iriafen as they look to return to their glory days of the 1980s when they won back-to-back national championships in 1983 and 1984.
This marks the Trojans' seventh straight win, improving them to 10-1, while the Huskies fall to 10-2. Both teams will return to conference play on Dec. 29. The Trojans will host the Michigan Wolverines in their next matchup, while the Huskies will return to conference play against Providence.
If this is an appetizer of what may come in the NCAA tournament, we are in for a treat.