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No. 1 USC Trojans vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro: NCAA Tournament Betting Odds

The No. 1 seed USC Trojans women's basketball team will face the No. 16 UNC Greensboro Spartans in the NCAA Women's Tournament. The Trojans had a big season but lost in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game. The matchup will be on Saturday at the Galen Center.

Angela Miele

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) guards UCLA Bruins guard Londynn Jones (3) during the first half of the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament final game on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA defeated USC 72-67.
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) guards UCLA Bruins guard Londynn Jones (3) during the first half of the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament final game on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA defeated USC 72-67. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The USC Trojans women’s basketball team had a stellar regular season and a strong push in the Big Ten Tournament. The Trojans lost in the conference championship against the UCLA Bruins, but it is time for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The USC Trojans are the No. 1 seed of their region in the NCAA Tournament. They will face the No. 16 UNC Greensboro Spartans. The matchup will take place on Saturday, March 22, at Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.

The Trojans have +700 odds to win the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship on FanDuel Sportsbook. 

USC Trojans JuJu Watkins
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) guards UCLA Bruins guard Londynn Jones (3) during the first half of the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament final game on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. UCLA defeated USC 72-67. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Women of Troy finished the regular season with a 17-1 record in Big Ten conference play. Their lone conference loss was against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins twice in the regular season but could not get the best of them a third time.

After the Big Ten Championship game, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb spoke to the media about the loss against UCLA.

“Want to congratulate UCLA. This was a really great atmosphere. I thought it was a tough basketball game, and I thought whoever won this game should probably be the overall number one seed in the NCAA tournament,” Gottlieb said. 

“We’ve done a lot of celebrating this year, and so when it’s not our turn and someone else has the confetti or what have you, we’re always going to do it the right way and take our pain and our disappointment and channel that into getting better," continued Gottlieb.

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The USC Trojans have averaged 81.5 points per game this season, led by star guard JuJu Watkins with 24.6 points. USC forward KiKi Iriafen is not far behind her, averaging 18.2 points. The two have become a dynamic duo and will look to extend the chemistry into the tournament.

Watkins also leads the team with 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals, and Iriafen leads the team, averaging 8.3 rebounds. USC center Rayah Marshall has also been a big player, averaging 1.9 blocks.

The UNC Greensboro Spartans are 25-6, 13-1 in Southern Conference play. The Spartans are coming off an overtime win agaisnt the Chattanooga Mocs, 64-57.

USC Trojans Kiki Iriafen
Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen (44) handles the ball against UCLA Bruins forward Timea Gardiner (30) during the second half for the Big Ten Conference Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images / Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

The Spartans are averaging 61.0 points per game, led by guard Caia Elisaldez, who is averaging 13.9 points per game. Forward Gianna Corbitt is not far behind Elisaldez, averaging 10.6 points per game. Elisaldez also leads the team, averaging 4.7 assists, and Corbitt leads, averaging 7.2 rebounds.

The other big players for UNC Greensboro are guard Sigrun Olafsdottir, who is averaging 2.4 steals, and forward Karsen Murphy, who is leading the Spartans with 0.9 blocks. The Spartans have had a big season and will be facing a tough USC team looking to bounce back from its conference tournament loss.

In the 2024 Women’s Tournament, the USC Trojans were defeated in the Elite 8 by the UConn Huskies. The Huskies were seeded at No. 2 in the same region, and an Elite 8 rematch is likely to occur again.

The UConn Huskies are 31-3, 18-0 in Big East conference play. The Trojans defeated the Huskies 72-70 on Dec. 21, when Watkins scored 25 points.

Some other big schools in the region are the Iowa Hawkeyes, who did defeat the Trojans in the regular season, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The USC Trojans women's basketball will look to learn from last year's Elite 8 loss and make it further in the tournament.

  • Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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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.

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