JuJu Watkins is back on the court for third-ranked Southern California, and with her return, the Trojans’ national championship aspirations are soaring.
asserted
aspirations → rank → return
The preseason Big Ten Player of the Year who missed last season while recovering from a torn ACL takes the helm of a stacked roster that includes preseason All-Big Ten selection Jazzy Davidson, the league’s Freshman of the Year who led the Trojans in every major statistical category during Watkins’ absence.
Add in five-star recruit Saniyah Hall, Sara Okeke and Sitaya Fagan, as well as returning defensive stopper Kennedy Smith, and the Trojans are poised for a breakout year.
asserted
Trojans → miss → year
“We have so much talent,” Watkins said.
asserted
Watkins → have → talent
Watkins has a lot to live up to on her own.
asserted
Watkins → have → own
She averaged 25.5 points while starting all 67 games during her first two seasons, set the NCAA Division I freshman scoring record and earned national player of the year honors.
asserted
She → average → honors
“Coming back, I haven’t lost my confidence, I haven’t lost my attention to detail,” she said.
asserted
she → come → detail
“Everything is the same, it’s just I’ve been out for a minute.”
asserted
I → ’ → minute
While she was gone from the national stage, crosstown rival UCLA stepped in, went 37-1 and won its first NCAA championship.
asserted
UCLA → go → championship
Now, the Bruins are pushing the reset button after losing a record six players, including
asserted
Bruins → push → players
Coach Cori Close turned — where else? — to the transfer portal for help.
asserted
Close → turn → help
She found double-digit scorers Addy Brown (Iowa State), Donovyn Hunter (TCU) and Bonnie Deas (Arkansas).
asserted
She → find → scorers
Elina Arnisalo, who helped the Bruins reach the Final Four as a freshman, is back after averaging 10 points a game last season at North Carolina.
asserted
Bruins → help → Carolina
Betts’ younger sister, Sienna, is fully healthy and eager to make a name for herself as a sophomore.
asserted
sister → make → sophomore
“We understand the standard.
asserted
We → understand → standard
The road map has sort of been set forth for us,” Close said.
asserted
Close → set → us
“The transfers, the freshmen, they have purposefully signed up because of the championship standard, because of a process that we have created that we really believe in.
asserted
we → sign → that
It’s just a matter of our commitment to that.”
asserted
It → ’ → that
The Big Ten’s talent isn’t limited to Los Angeles.
asserted
talent → limit → Angeles
The 18-team conference has nine teams in the Associated Press Top 25, the most ever for one league in the preseason poll.
asserted
conference → have → poll
The Southeastern Conference has seven, including four in the top 10.
asserted
Conference → have → top
Fans will want to circle Jan. 30 on their calendars.
asserted
Fans → want → calendars
That’s when Michigan visits USC in a matchup of two of the league’s most talented rosters.
asserted
Michigan → ’ → rosters
The Trojans clash with crosstown rival UCLA in a home-and-home matchup on Feb. 7 and Feb. 25 in what could be a preview of March Madness.
uncertain
what → clash → Madness
Other big games include Maryland at Ohio State on Jan. 2 featuring All-Big Ten first-teamers Oluchi Okananwa of Maryland and Jaloni Cambridge of Ohio State; and Iowa at Minnesota on Jan. 9, with the Hawkeyes’ Ava Heiden, Chit-Chat Wright and Georgia transfer Dani Carnegie against the Golden Gophers’ Grace Grocholski, Mara Braun and Penn State transfer Gracie Merkle.
asserted
games → include → Grocholski
New faces on the sideline
Three programs have new coaches this season.
asserted
programs → have → coaches
Carla Berube took over for retired Joe McKeown at Northwestern, while Tanisha Wright replaced fired Carolyn Kieger at Penn State and Gary Redus II succeeded fired Coquese Washington at Rutgers.
asserted
II → take → Rutgers
Champion crowned in Las Vegas
asserted
Champion → crown → Vegas
Las Vegas is hosting the conference tournament for the first time, with 15 teams advancing to Sin City from March 3-7 at T-Mobile Arena.
asserted
teams → host → Arena
UCLA is the two-time defending champion, having ended Iowa’s three-year title run during the Caitlin Clark era.
asserted
UCLA → defend → era
It’s only the fifth time since the tournament was first held in 1995 that it will be played outside of Indianapolis.
asserted
it → ’ → Indianapolis
In 2028, it moves to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.
asserted
it → move → Arena
The Aporia
