JuJu Watkins Addresses Potential USC vs UConn Rematch in NCAA Tournament
The NCAA women's basketball tournament Selection Sunday took place a few hours ago, which means all of the seedings and potential matchups that could occur during this year's March Madness have been revealed.
There's no doubt that the most compelling potential showdown in the Elite Eight would be between the USC Trojans and the UConn Huskies, as these two teams are slotted in the same region as its top two seeds (USC is No. 1 while UConn is No. 2).
Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb was not pleased how her team's bracket shook out, which she conveyed by saying, "I can't speak for [the players]. For me, I never thought I'd be a one seed and feel disrespected".
Gottlieb also had no interest in talking about this potential rematch against UConn, who USC beat 72-70 on December 21, 2024. However, when USC Trojans superstar JuJu Watkins spoke with the media on Sunday, she had no issues discussing a potential meeting between these two women's basketball juggernauts.
"That's really cool," Watkins said of USC being in the same bracket as UConn in the NCAA Tournament, per the USCAthletics YouTube account.
"We love competition. We got to match earlier in the season, so it will be an even better matchup this time," she added. "We're better, they're better, so yeah. It will just be a great game," she added.
Watkins finished that December 21 game against UConn with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. It's also worth noting that UConn and USC faced off in the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, which UConn won.
So Watkins and her Trojans squad could get a chance to avenge that loss this year.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.