USC Women's Basketball: Lindsay Gottlieb Theorizes Why Galen Center Attendance Is On Rise

USC women's basketball is attracting more fans as of late.

USC women's basketball has seen a rise in attendance at their home games this season. The Galen Center, where the Trojans play, set a new record a week ago when USC hosted UCLA, with 10,657 fans coming to watch the game.

The fans were treated to a showdown between two of the top women's college basketball teams in the country, with the Trojans ultimately defeating their rival Bruins 73-65. 

After the game, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb shouted out her team in front of the record crowd.

“They used to tell us that no one came to watch women’s basketball at USC,” Gottlieb said. “These young women here, they heard that. They believed that if we put this product on the floor and we did this, y’all would come, and look at you now.”

via Thomas Johnson of the Daily Trojan.

Of course, it helped the Trojans' attendance that both UCLA and USC ranked in the top seven heading into the game. When teams are winning, more fans will come, which is exactly what happened during this rivalry game.

“[Los Angeles] likes winners,” Gottlieb said. “They like a show, they show up when you’re good. It’s magical, and I think both [USC and UCLA’s] programs have a lot to do with that.”

via the Daily Trojan.

It also helps that USC has a star in freshman Juju Watkins. Watkins has captured national attention during her freshman year since she has already become one of the best players in college basketball while setting school records.

 She was once again outstanding during the Trojans' win over UCLA, scoring 32 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Overall, she's second in women's college hoops averaging 26.1 points per game.

By Watkins and her team putting up such a standout performance in a huge game, fans should be encouraged to come to watch more Trojans games. While attendance might not peak again the way it did for the USC-UCLA rivalry, it's trending in the right direction overall.