Danely Olmos has been a diehard USC women’s basketball fan since her freshman year. Now a senior, she remembers when there were only a handful of students in the stands.
“Fifty of us, maybe,” she said. “Now I’m lining up two hours early just to get a seat.”
This season was different. USC wasn’t just good, they were great. Led by sophomore star guard JuJu Watkins, the Trojans were ranked No. 1 heading into the NCAA tournament, also known as March Madness.
“She’s a generational player,” Olmos said. “We watched the team grow with her.”
But everything changed during the second round of March Madness. Watkins went down with a torn ACL. But USC went on to a blowout win against Mississippi State. Olmos was sitting in the front row when it happened.
“I cried,” she said. “Not because we were going to lose the tournament, but because she’s worked at this her whole life. Something can go wrong in a split second, and it did.”
The injury cast a shadow over what had been a historic season. Watkins had been USC’s heartbeat, averaging 27 points a game. She brought energy, swagger and national attention to a program long overlooked.
“She reminds me of Kobe,” said fellow Trojan Landon Das. “[She] takes a lot of shots, but always puts on a show.”
Without her, the Trojans still fought. Freshmen guards Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel, along with freshman forward Kennedy Smith stepped up, helping USC advance to the Elite Eight. They faced the powerhouse University of Connecticut (UConn)’s women’s basketball team and their superstar, redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers, and battled back from a 19-point deficit — but it wasn’t enough.
“We didn’t have that game,” Olmos admitted. “But I didn’t think we’d keep it that close. They showed a lot of heart.”
On campus, the mood shifted. “There was so much hype before,” said senior journalism student and Annenberg Media photo desk editor Drake Lee. “After the injury, it felt like a funeral. We all kind of knew the dream was over.”
Still, the season wasn’t a loss. For Olmos, who has watched this team grow for four years, it was something special. “I’m so proud of them,” she said. “They put everything into every game.”
And hope is already building for next year. With top recruit Jazzy Davidson on the way and a talented freshman core returning, fans are excited — including Olmos.
“Even though I’m graduating, I’m just so happy to see the culture changing,” she said. “It used to be empty. Now it’s packed.”
UConn’s star, Bueckers, tore her ACL in August 2022, causing her to miss the entire 2022-2023 season — what would have been her junior year. Bueckers returned to the court for the 2023-2024 season and led her team to the Final Four of last year’s March Madness.
As for Watkins, no one’s counting her out. “She’ll bounce back,” Olmos said confidently. “Just like Paige Bueckers did. This isn’t the end, not for her, not for USC.”