How to Watch USC Trojans vs. Northwestern Women's Basketball: Preview, Prediction

The USC Trojans women's basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats has been postponed. USC stars JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen have become a dynamic duo. Preview and prediction for the matchup at Galen Center.
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb talks to guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the second 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 talks to guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The No. 4 USC Trojans women’s basketball team is 16-1, 6-0 in Big Ten conference play. USC is coming off a big win against Penn State. The USC Trojans were set to face the Northwestern Wildcats on Wednesday, Nov. 15, but the game has since been postponed.

How to Watch:

There has not yet been a date announced for when the game will take place. The matchup was originally slated to be broadcast on Peacock.

USC Trojans Lindsay Gottlieb and JuJu Watkins
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb talks to guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

USC vs. Northwestern preview:

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and the Trojans are on a 12-game win streak. This is the first time since the 1983-84 and 1984-84 seasons that the Trojans have gone back-to-back seasons with 10 or more straight wins. USC has scored 100-plus points in two games this season, which is the most since two in the 1993-94 season. The Women of Troy are undefeated at Galen Center. 

USC forward Kiki Iriafen and guard JuJu Watkins have become a dynamic duo. Both have scored double digits in each game this season and are just the second duo from USC to score 30-plus points in a game. It was last done by Lisa Leslie and Tammy Story in 1990.

“I think one, playing with JuJu, she’s like very infectious with the way she plays so when she’s going hard, when she’s like, you know amped up, it kind of like flows with the rest of the team,” Iriafen said when talking about how it has been playing with Watkins.

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Iriafen has scored 20-plus points in six games this season. She averages 18.6 points per game. Watkins leads the team with 25.5 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. The star USC guard is coming off a perfect first half against Penn State. In the half, Watkins scored 23 points with a perfect 8-8 shooting. She also had eight rebounds and three blocks. 

USC center Rayah Marshall leads the team with 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. The Trojans have been a consistently dominant team this season.

The Northwestern Wildcats are 7-9 this season, and 0-5 in Big Ten conference play. They are coming off a 68-64 loss against Indiana. The Wildcats have not won since Dec. 21, defeating the Howard Bison 68-66.

Northwestern is led by senior forward Caileigh Walsh, who leads the team averaging 11.3 points and 0.8 blocks. Junior guard Caroline Lau leads the team with 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals. Senior forward Taylor Williams has also done well, averaging 9.3 rebounds.

Kiki iriafen and JuJu Watkins
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen (left) and guard JuJu Watkins (12) hug during the closing minutes of the Trojans win over the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Wildcats will also have to reschedule their game against the UCLA Bruins. The Big Ten will announce the game times at a later date.

The USC Trojans and Northwestern Wildcats women’s basketball teams have only faced off once in history. The two last played in 1990 when the Wildcats won 70-63. The game was held at a neutral site. This matchup will mark the first time the Northwestern women’s basketball team plays at Galen Center.

USC vs. Northwestern prediction:

The USC Trojans will defeat the Northwestern Wildcats, 89-62.

The next scheduled matchup for USC will be against the Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 19 at 9 a.m. PT. The game will be held in Bloomington, Indiana. The game broadcast will be on NBC.

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Angela Miele
ANGELA MIELE

Angela Miele is a writer covering the USC Trojans on Sports Illustrated. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Master’s in Communication and Media in 2024. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2022 from Rowan University. She graduated with a B.A. in English with minors in Writing Arts and Sports Communication and Media. Since graduating from Rowan University, she has been a contributor on various websites, most recently covering the NFL and college football for The Forkball.