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No. 4 USC women's basketball delivered a dominating performance Sunday night, defeating Rutgers 92-42 and handing the Scarlet Knights their worst home loss in school history. Despite the lopsided victory, USC’s star freshman JuJu Watkins expressed disappointment over not facing Rutgers’ standout guard Kiyomi McMiller.
“She’s a good player,” Watkins said, as reported by Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press. “Always excited to play against good players. A little disappointed she wasn’t on the floor.”
McMiller, who averages 19.9 points per game and has emerged as one of the most talented young players in women’s college basketball, was absent from the game. Rutgers head coach Coquese Washington declined to elaborate on the reasons behind McMiller’s absence, stating that the matter would remain internal.
“I’m not going into specifics of it,” Washington said. “Things happen in programs, and you have to make decisions and live with the consequences. Coaching is about more than just game day—it’s about impacting young women from all aspects of their lives.”
McMiller addressed her absence on social media earlier in the day, apologizing to her fans and thanking them for their support. She was not present at the arena, nor did she sit on the bench during the game.
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Without McMiller, Rutgers struggled to generate offense. The Scarlet Knights missed their first eight shots and trailed 22-8 after the first quarter. By halftime, USC had built a 37-14 lead. The Trojans dominated in transition, outscoring Rutgers 37-6 on fast breaks, and opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.
JuJu Watkins leads USC in game
Watkins led the Trojans with 23 points and 14 rebounds before exiting the game with 3:50 left and USC ahead by 49 points. The game provided USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb an opportunity to utilize her team’s depth, giving reserve players valuable minutes.
The defeat marked a new low for Rutgers, surpassing their previous worst home loss — a 54-point defeat to Iowa in 2023. McMiller’s absence was clearly felt as the Scarlet Knights struggled to find rhythm or consistency against a dominant USC team.
USC, now 14-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten, will face a much tougher challenge on Wednesday when they travel to take on undefeated No. 8 Maryland. Meanwhile, Rutgers, sitting at 8-7 and winless in the Big Ten, will look to rebound as they head to Minnesota in search of their first conference victory.
