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USC Trojans Coach Lindsay Gottlieb 'Frustrated' By NCAA Tournament Seeding

The USC Trojans were awarded a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, but coach Lindsay Gottlieb was frustrated with her squad earning the fourth one. USC is on a collision course with a rematch against the UConn Huskies in the Elite Eight.

Kendell Hollowell

Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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The USC Trojans women’s basketball team earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. However, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb was quite frustrated when she spoke with the media after seeing her team named the fourth No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday. 

“For me I never thought I’d be a one seed and feel disrespected,” Gottlieb said. “I thought there would be very little chance we would be the No. 4 overall one. We got a big game here on Saturday against UNCG and we’ll handle it accordingly, but you tell me if you think that bracket that we got should have been the one that it was. I can’t speak for the players, I think that they’re excited to play."

“This was not on my bingo card to be a little bit frustrated after being a one seed. It’s not an arrogance of any kind. I think there’s a lot of really good teams and you’ve got to play the first game in front of you and earn your way from there and that’s what we’ll do. Sometimes I don’t understand people who make decisions in women’s basketball and why they do what they do and certainly with this committee I would love to ask them questions," Gottlieb continued.

Lindsay Gottlieb
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

USC is the No. 1 seed in the Spokane Regional which sets up a potential rematch in the Elite Eight against UConn. The Huskies defeated the Trojans 80-73 in the Elite Eight last season behind a 28-point performance from superstar guard Paige Bueckers, the likely No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft. 

They squared off again on Dec. 21 and it was USC who came out on top 72-70 in Hartford, Connecticut, and the two schools are on a collision course for a third matchup in the coming weeks. Another potential matchup between Bueckers and Trojans superstar guard JuJu Watkins would certainly draw a ton of interest, but seeing the two championship contenders square off before the Final Four is certainty a disappointment. 

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UConn has been a juggernaut during Geno Auriemma's tenure, reaching the the Final Four in three of the last four seasons and in 15 of the last 16 NCAA Tournaments. The Huskies are seeking their 24th Final Four under Auriemma as they have their eyes set on winning the school’s 12th national championship and first since 2016. 

The selection committee awarded the No. 1 overall seed to the Trojans crosstown rival UCLA. A team USC defeated twice by double-digits in the regular season before falling to them in the Big Ten Tournament championship. The Bruins did also defeat fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina handily in the regular season. Texas is the final No. 1 seed, joining UCLA, South Carolina, and USC.

Regardless of who stands in front of them, USC is focused on reaching their first Final Four since 1986 and could use what happened on Sunday night for motivation. If the Trojans are able to accomplish this goal, it would setup a fourth “Battle of Los Angeles” matchup this season. 

JuJu Watkins
Feb 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) reacts after scoring in the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Gottlieb wasn’t the only No. 1 seed very frustrated with their seeding. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley spoke out up being the No. 2 overall seed. 

“I mean we’re going to play it,” Staley said. “You know obviously it’s disappointing, it really is. I’d like to get some feedback on how they came to that conclusion because we put together and manufactured a schedule that if done right, it should produce a No. 1 overall seed."

"I will say this. We're gonna make adjustments to our schedule in the future if the standard is the standard. If that's the standard, then we can play any schedule and get a No. 1 seed," continued Staley.

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Kendell Hollowell
KENDELL HOLLOWELL

Kendell Hollowell, a Southern California native has been been covering collegiate athletics since 2020 via radio and digital journalism. His experience includes covering programs such as the USC Trojans, Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide. Kendell He also works in TV production for the NFL Network. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kendell was a collegiate athlete on the University of Wyoming and Adams State football team. He is committed to bringing in-depth insight and analysis for USC athletics.

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