Nearly 19 months to the day since tearing her ACL in USC’s NCAA Tournament second-round matchup against Mississippi State, superstar JuJu Watkins made her long-awaited return to the court Sunday.
On the very floor where Watkins’ historic sophomore season came to an abrupt end, the now-senior guard played her first game in 580 days, leading USC as it rang in the new season with an exhibition against UC Berkeley at Galen Center.
Despite being an exhibition, the spirited atmosphere rivaled that of a regular-season game. In a sloppy, back-and-forth affair, in which neither team led by double digits the entire way, the Trojans carved out a small advantage in the third quarter and held off the Golden Bears in the closing minutes for a 78-76 win.
“There were some great things we did, and then some things that just didn’t feel like the us that we’ve been practicing. That’s what an opponent will do: expose you and in real time,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “There’s no question that both teams will get better from it, but I know our upward trajectory will be steep from this because I won’t let it any other way.”
Fittingly, it was Watkins who scored the first two points of the campaign on a push shot in the paint, getting on the scoreboard just 14 seconds into the game.
“Finding my feet was really important,” Watkins said. “I think this game allowed me to kind of experience that and feel what it feels like again to be in that game atmosphere.”
But Watkins’ return wasn’t the only major storyline. The exhibition marked the collegiate debuts for guard Saniyah Hall, forward Sara Okeke and forward Sitaya Fagan — a trio of freshmen who made up USC’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class.
Hall immediately endeared herself to the Trojans faithful and put on an all-around clinic in her first game, scoring a team-high 23 points, six rebounds and five steals. When USC needed a scoring boost down the stretch to put the Golden Bears away, Hall delivered, pouring in four points and hauling in a crucial rebound in the final minutes.
“I’ve always played like that, with confidence and voice,” Hall said. “We’re here at such a great program that there’s gonna be a lot of fans and noise, but you have to just cut that out and just focus on the game, focus on the details that our coaches say.”
Fagan and Okeke showed signs of nerves and struggled at times in their debuts, combining for six points on 2-of-9 shooting. After picking up two quick fouls early in the first quarter, Okeke couldn’t find a consistent rhythm in limited minutes.
“[The freshman] group is really incredibly special, and I hope they understand what they have with their own class, but also they get to play with these veterans who have just been through this before,” Gottlieb said. “We’re going to be our best when all of that combination of the veteran and the youth [comes] together. I think [it] can make us really different than other teams this year.”
The USC offense was a three-headed monster, with Hall, Watkins and sophomore guard Jazzy Davidson carrying the load. Watkins and Davidson each added 18, while no other Trojan had more than six points and three field goals.
After Davidson’s impressive freshman campaign a year ago and with Watkins back on the court, there is no shortage of excitement about what the two could accomplish together this season. With both in the fold, USC is now the fourth women’s college basketball program ever to include a Wooden Award recipient and a National Freshman of the Year.
Since Watkins drew a share of the defensive attention, Davidson showed off her playmaking, dishing out seven assists, none more important than a crisp pass to junior guard Kennedy Smith streaking to the basket with 17 seconds left to give USC a four-point lead.
Gottlieb and her coaching staff made a conscious effort to get out in transition, and Watkins and Davidson led the charge, repeatedly pushing the pace and aggressively attacking Cal inside.
Anchored by Smith, the Trojans were active defensively, deflecting passes and forcing early Cal turnovers. However, USC weren’t as prepared defending the three, giving up numerous quality looks. The Golden Bears attempted 26 shots from beyond the arc as USC collapsed the defense on drives to the bucket. Cal caught fire from deep in the second quarter, going 5-for-7, including four straight from distance to retake the lead.
The Golden Bears also dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 19 boards as the Trojans repeatedly failed to box out Cal freshman center Albina Syla.
Golden Bears senior guard Lulu Twidale took over offensively in the second half, scoring 18 of her 25 points in the final 20 minutes to lead all scorers. From the free-throw line, senior guard Shannon Dowell was a thorn in USC’s side all afternoon, while sophomore forward Taylor Barnes made the Trojans pay around the rim.
Gottlieb has her work cut out for her figuring out how her roster, packed to the brim with premier talent, can fit and gel to reach its ultimate potential as a national championship contender.
“I’ve waited for this moment, and I’m glad it was a great game,” Watkins said. “I think we didn’t play to the standard that we would like, but we’ll continue to get better and go back to the drawing board and figure some things out.”
Fortunately for USC, it has time to iron out the kinks before its next matchup on Monday, Nov. 2, against UNLV at the Hall of Fame Series, held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Edited by Brooke Lordino and Sydnie McClain