It has been 572 days since the season ending injury of star player and senior guard JuJu Watkins.
On March 24th, 2025, she tore her ACL in her right knee during the second quarter of the Mississippi State game during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The team continued in her absence and advanced all the way to the Elite Eight that year. They ended up falling to UConn and were knocked out by the Huskies 78-64 for the second consecutive season. UConn eventually ended up winning the national championship that year.
That year was constructed with a solid roster with elite talent in Watkins, forwards Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall and five-star junior guard Kennedy Smith.
Watkins was the No.1 high school recruit in the country in 2023, according to ESPN. She went on to make a case as being one of the best college women’s basketball players during her freshman year.
She was second behind current Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark in leading all players in the NCAA, averaging 27.1 points per game. She broke the Division I single-season freshman scoring record with 920 points. They ended that year with a No.1 tournament seed but ultimately fell to UConn.
As a sophomore, she continued her individual success that year by averaging 23 points per game and winning some of the most prestigious awards in college women’s basketball. Her awards from that season include the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, AP National Player of the Year and more.
The team received a consecutive No.1 seed heading into the tournament. Watkins led them until she sustained her ACL tear.
She has been recovering over the past year and working in preparation for the first exhibition game back in the Galen Center on October 25, 2026 vs the University of California, Berkeley.
“Very emotional. I mean it’s been so long since I’ve been on the court in Galen, so just being able to feel all that and feel the environment,” Watkins said. “I think that’ll definitely bring a lot of emotions out of me.”
At USC Media Day, chemistry was a major theme. With six newcomers on the roster, the players emphasized the importance of building that sense of trust and relationship with one another.
For players like freshman forward Sitaya Fagan, the team bonding has helped her feel at home despite being nervous coming in at a young age.
“I came here when I was seventeen so I was very nervous but they’re just such a great group of people,” Fagan said. “I can bond with all of them off the court and I think that’s really special cause some teams you don’t get to do that…and on the court I’m really excited. Can’t wait.”
Fagan was a five star international recruit coming out of Melbourne, Australia. She is a 6-foot-4 forward who brings elite length and athleticism, according to head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. She competed in the FIBA U19 World Cup where she averaged 12 points and five rebounds.
Along with the other freshman additions, she can defend and use her length to alter shots. She won Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 competing in the NBL1 East for the Centre of Excellence school. She enrolled into USC in early January to get a head start.
Another international freshman addition is forward Sara Okeke. Arriving from Madrid, Spain, the 6-foot-4 star plays with a remarkably fluid and athletic style. Okeke is a great rim-runner who can finish around the basket.
Hailing from Lorain, Ohio, freshman guard Saniyah Hall entered as the nation’s No.1 overall recruit. Standing at 6-foot-1, the SPIRE Academy graduate brings a fearless mentality, and physical play all around.
Freshman guard Alesia Talkouskaya is the final addition from this historic class. The 6-foot Smorgon, Belarus native played professionally back home. She is a long and athletic player with defensive grit and is solid at rebounding, averaging six per game her senior year in high school.
This No.1 ranked freshmen class will bring elite size, athleticism, and the nation’s top recruit. That turns heads alone.
“We have an incredible freshman class,” Gottileb said. “I don’t often see the transfers we got in certain types of rankings but I know they were the best ones for us and I think they’re going to play really significant roles,” Gottlieb said.
USC’s coaching staff made an effort to acquire veteran transfers to help the team all around, and that’s exactly what they did with junior guard Ryann Bennett and senior center Pania Davis.
This team is loaded with talent. With this talented freshman group, two experienced transfers, returners and Watkins back in action, USC enters the season with national championship expectations, as many already view the Trojans as a high-caliber team.
“I think we’re super competitive but we also love each other so much and I think that’s so special to have on a team and I think we genuinely want the best for each other but we’re willing to do whatever to win,” junior guard Rian Forestier said.
With Watkins returning, new transfers joining the roster, and a No.1 freshman class arriving, USC enters the season with high expectations.
Edited by Adriana Brady and Brooke Lordino