The Blacktop is a feature-based column that covers USC’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and the experiences that come with being a Division I athlete at a top-tier school.
The Michigan Wolverines and THE Ohio State Buckeyes. Army and Navy. The USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins. What do these three matchups have in common?
These collegiate programs really just don’t like each other.
Part of the reason we love sports so much is the inner competitor inside every one of us who wants to see our team win. Sure, every win is nice, but certain wins mean a whole lot more than others. And what I am talking about specifically is rivalry games.
Nothing is more exciting than turning on the television on a Saturday and seeing two teams that wear their colors on their chest battle it out against each other until the final horn, with the arena or stadium packed to the very top seats. These games, where two teams—whether from the same city or state or from another part of the country—who have created so much history together show how much they care about their team, are magical to see.
There is a reason that the most memorable moments in sports tend to be in big rivalry games — because they just mean more. Everyone remembers the kick six with Chris Davis in 2013 when we all heard the words, “Auburn is going to win the football game” against Alabama. Or, of course, any of the times that Duke has tipped off against North Carolina in the past 105 years they have played against each other in basketball. The history between the two schools just makes the games mean more.
But there is one particular rivalry in mind that means a large amount in Southern California. In fact, saying the two schools don’t like each other is quite an understatement. One wears their cardinal with the three gold letters “U-S-C” across their chest, while the other wears their powder blue with the four gold letters of “U-C-L-A” proudly displayed. The only thing the two can agree on is that no matter what sport they play, they will be competing to the absolute limit.
The rematch for what should be the No. 1 position in the country in women’s basketball will no doubt be the most intense game that we have seen all year, possibly in the history of women’s college basketball. While most understand the stakes of the rivalry, one person in particular for the Trojans has been involved in it for the past four years and has truly seen it evolve over time.
Senior center Rayah Marshall has lived through it all in the Lindsay Gottlieb era of USC basketball. Averaging 10.4 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game over her career as a Trojan, Marshall seemingly does everything for the team. Whether playing the role of a scorer, defensive asset or senior leader for the freshman and younger transfers, Marshall embodies what a true team player should be.
However, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows in the Galen Center for the Trojans women’s basketball team. In Marshall and Gottlieb’s initial season, the Trojans went 12-16 and were beaten by the Bruins three times — each by more than 10 points.
“My freshman year, we didn’t win,” Marshall said. “My goal is when these freshmen are here… I don’t want them to have the feeling of losing to [their] rivals. I want them to know what it’s like to be on top… to be the top dogs in L.A.”
In the 2022-23 season, the Trojans fell to the Bruins twice, but this time, it was close. One game was a three-point defensive battle, and the final game of the rivalry ended in a one-point barn burner at Pauley Pavilion.
Last year, with then-newcomer now-sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, the Trojans fell to the Bruins the first time; however, they came out with an eight-point win their second time against their No. 2 ranked rivals. They obviously would then go on later in the season to play UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament and win by 10 in double-overtime in one of the most memorable games ever. During that game, Marshall had 39 minutes, 11 rebounds, seven points to her name and four forced turnovers.
This year, the rivalry has only gotten more intense, with the Trojans and the Bruins consistently ranked among the top teams in the country. Last time out, USC filled the stands of Galen Center and showed what the rivalry means for students to support their team. Marshall touched on this as well, mentioning how cool the school spirit is, especially when playing UCLA.
“It’s awesome,” Marshall said. ”We don’t wear blue and white… On campus, all the athletes [are] wishing us good luck [and to] go beat the Bruins.”
The Trojans definitely came out to play with the fans on their side last time out, coming out hot initially before finishing off UCLA late in the game to secure the rivalry victory. It will undoubtedly be different this time, though, playing in enemy territory at Pauley Pavilion.
But while the two teams will battle it out for the last guaranteed time in Marshall’s career, she briefly looked back at the time she had at USC and what she hoped her lasting impact might be.
“[A] winning mentality. Bringing my voice every single day,” Marshall said. “I feel like I have helped [Coach Gottlieb] bring in a lot of these players that we have here today, and just setting a tone. Winning is the goal… great players excel in hostile environments. So when it gets hard, I feel like that’s when we turn into USC.”
It will truly be a hostile environment on Saturday night at 6 p.m. when the Trojans and the Bruins come together for one last dance to determine who will be crowned the Big Ten regular season champions.