No. 3 USC women’s basketball is heading to Greenville, South Carolina, to take on the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks in the battle of “The Real SC” on Sunday.
The Trojans look to continue their undefeated start after coming off a dominant 105-44 victory over the College of Charleston on Tuesday. The victory was led by the trio of guards – freshman Saniyah Hall and sophomore Jazzy Davidson, both with 24 points, followed by senior JuJu Watkins with 20 points. It marked the Trojans’ third consecutive game scoring 100 or more points.
Although USC has displayed a strong offensive production, it will be tested early in the season against the bigger, scrappier Gamecocks. South Carolina, led by head coach Dawn Staley, has reached six consecutive NCAA Final Fours. Staley’s team is coming off a 65-44 win over Clemson on Nov. 12th, with senior guard Tessa Johnson leading the team with 13 points, followed by senior forward Chloe Kitts with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
“There’s a lot of reasons to schedule a game like this,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “But one of them is it forces you to raise your standard and your confidence and be able to go sooner. You can’t come in soft against the Gamecocks, so we’ll make sure that part of our identity is being tough or else we can’t expect to win a game.”
Sunday’s game also gives the Trojans a chance for redemption and to change the recent history of matchups against South Carolina. These two programs have met a total of four times and have faced each other twice in the last year, with South Carolina winning all four matchups.
The Gamecocks defeated USC 69-52 back in November of 2025, then knocked the Trojans out in the second round of last season’s NCAA tournament, 101-61.
One significant difference this time around is that USC will have Watkins back on the court, as she missed last season’s matchups while recovering from an ACL injury. Since her return, she has been a huge contributor, averaging 24.3 points and playing a key role on both ends of the court.
But that’s not the only player South Carolina will need to watch out for, as Hall is already making a name for herself. She’s averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebounds and has scored 20 or more points in all three games.
South Carolina will also have some returning contributors, including Kitts, who also missed last season due to an ACL injury. Kitts tabbed her second straight double-double against Clemson, which has provided another offensive spark for the Gamecocks. Another key returner is junior forward Joyce Edwards, who is the team’s leading scorer with 19 points per game.
This weekend will be a highly anticipated non-conference matchup that pits two top-10 undefeated teams against each other. A win for USC not only gives them their first win against South Carolina but could potentially put them as the No.1 team in the nation.
“I feel like this whole team, including myself, lives for competition,” junior guard Kennedy Smith said. “Us playing teams early with that high-caliber level of competition is something that helps us throughout the whole season.”
Tip-off is set for Sunday, Nov.15th at 10:00 a.m. PST at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Edited by Brooke Lordino and Adriana Brady