USC Trojans vs. UConn Huskies Women's Basketball Preview, Prediction, TV Channel, Odds

The No. 7 USC Trojans women's basketball team will face the No. 4 UConn Huskies on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. PT. The TV broadcast for the game is Fox. Preview, prediction, and odds for the matchup at XL Center. JuJu Watkins and Paige Buekers will face off in a rematch of the Elite Eight.

Dec 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) and guard Avery Howell (23) celebrate in the fourth quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Galen Center. USC defeated Fresno State 89-40. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 7 USC Trojans women’s basketball team is 10-1 this season and 1-0 in Big Ten conference play. The Women of Troy are on a six-game win streak and set to face one of their toughest opponents this year. The Trojans will face the No. 4 UConn Huskies on Dec. 21.

How to Watch

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team will open against the UConn Huskies at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The game broadcast will be on Fox.

Dec 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) and guard Avery Howell (23) celebrate in the fourth quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Galen Center. USC defeated Fresno State 89-40. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC vs. UConn Preview

Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her team are coming off a win against the Elon Phoenix, 88-30. In the blowout win, true freshman guard Kayleigh Heckel stepped up. She ended the game against Elon going 7-8 on field goals while playing 24 minutes. Following the game, Heckel talked about the team’s chemistry improving, and how the win against Elon prepares the team for UConn.

“Overall, our team chemistry is really showing up now,” Heckel said. “This was a really good game as preparation for us. They have some really good, crafty, speedy guards and UConn also has a lot of good guards on their team, so I think it was a really good preparation game for us.”

With almost a week of rest and coming off a win, the Trojans will come ready to play against the Huskies. UConn and USC are among the nation's top women’s basketball teams. This will be a rematch of the 2024 Elite Eight matchup between USC and UConn.

The Huskies got the best of the Trojans, winning 80-73, knocking USC out of the tournament. The three teams do not have a long history, only facing each other three times. The UConn Huskies are 3-0 against USC, and the Trojans will be looking to snap that losing streak.

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The two most notable players of the game will be USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins and UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers. The two are among the biggest faces of women’s college basketball. Watkins has yet to beat Buekers but will try to do so during Saturday’s matchup. 

It will take everyone on the team to defeat UConn, not just Watkins. This season, Watkins leads the team with 24.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.5 steaks per game. Forward Kiki Iriafen leads the team in rebounds. Center Rayah Marshall will be a crucial player to watch on the defensive side to stop the Huskies. Marshall leads the team with 2.2 blocks per game. 

While Bueckers leads the Huskies with 20.6 points per game, she is not the only player the Trojans need to worry about. Forward Sarah Strong leads the team with 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 steaks, and 1.5 blocks per game. Guard Kaitlyn Chenn leads the team in rebounds, averaging 8.3.

This will be a battle between two 10-1 teams who could easily meet again in the postseason. 

Apr 1, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket during the second half against UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

USC vs. UConn Prediction 

The USC Trojans are 7.5-point underdogs against the UConn Huskies. It will be a close matchup, and the Huskies will defeat the Trojans, 82-79

After USC’s game against UConn, the Trojans will face the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 29 at Galen Center.

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