JuJu Watkins and the USC women's basketball team opened up their 2024-25 season with an intriguing matchup on Monday. The Trojans took a trip across the pond to open their season against #20 Ole Miss as the two teams went to battle in Paris, France. The game came down to the wire as things were decided on the final play, and USC hung on for a 68-66 win. Watkins finished the game with 27 points.
This was a terrific back and forth game that was exciting for all 40 minutes. Both of these teams are expected to have good years, but the USC women's basketball team especially has high expectations as they are starting the season ranked #3 in the country. Ole Miss came into this game ranked #20, and they almost pulled off a huge upset.
The first quarter was very even as both teams traded blows, and Ole Miss did a good job of not letting USC pull away. There were a couple times where the Trojans got the lead up around five points, but the Rebels closed the gap and took the lead heading into the second quarter.
After Ole Miss went up 18-15, USC began to take over. The Trojans went on a run to end the half, and JuJu Watkins was very active during it. USC outscored Ole Miss 22-10 in the second quarter and they took a 37-26 lead into the break. It looked like the Trojans might cruise to a victory to start the year, but Ole Miss wasn't done fighting.
The USC women's basketball team led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but Ole Miss did a great job closing the gap towards the end of the quarter to as they trimmed the deficit down to seven to start the fourth.
Ole Miss played well in the fourth quarter as well and they put themselves in a great position to win the game as they led 64-60 with under three minutes to play. Then, USC closed the game on an 8-2 run to pickup a 68-66 victory.
JuJu Watkins started off the season strong on Monday as she finished with 27 points in the win. Watkins played all 40 minutes in the game, and she finished 8/19 from the floor and 1/4 from deep. The Trojans struggled mightily as a team from three as Watkins was the only player to make a shot from beyond the arc.
Watkins added 10 rebounds on the day as well to cap off a double-double, and she also added four assists. Watkins is one of the best players in college basketball, and on Monday in Paris, she looked the part.
Last season, there were numerous superstars across the women's college basketball that played a huge role in the recent growth that the game has seen. JuJu Watkins is one of those players, and she is one that returned for another season this year. We saw her go up against Paige Bueckers in the NCAA Tournament, and Bueckers is also back this season as she plays at UConn. Those two are once again two of the biggest names in the sport, and it would be a treat to see them go up against each other again.
Women's college basketball preview
College basketball is back! The season started on Monday and USC and Ole Miss got us started off with a treat. JuJu Watkins led her team to a huge victory. The Trojans and Rebels should both go on to have good seasons, and let's take a look at some of the other top teams access women's college hoops this year.
Starting in the ACC, there are six ranked teams to start the year from the conference. Duke (#11), Florida State (#19), North Carolina (#15), Notre Dame (#6), NC State (#9) and Louisville (#17) are expected to be the top teams this year.
The Big 12 has a good amount of talent as well as they have four ranked teams. Iowa State (#8), Kansas State (#13), Baylor (#12) and West Virginia (#16) are supposed to be the top teams in the conference this season.
In the Big East, there are just two teams in the preseason top-25. UConn (#2) is the heavy favorite in the conference, and Creighton (#21) should be good as well.
The Big Ten is starting the season with six ranked teams. Indiana (#25), Maryland (#18), Nebraska (#23), USC (#3), UCLA (#5) and Ohio State (#14) are all ranked, but the Los Angeles schools are expected to be the best of the best.
Lastly, the SEC has seven ranked teams, and it starts with the top team in the country, South Carolina. Alabama (#24), Kentucky (#22), Oklahoma (#10), LSU (#7), Texas (#4) and Ole Miss (#20) are also in the preseason top-25.
This should be another good season of college hoops, and it all got started on Monday night!
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