All systems go for a titanic match on Saturday evening. We have JuJu Watkins vs. Paige Bueckers, #4 vs. #7, East vs. West action. This will be one of the most watched games of the season.
How to watch No. 7 USC at No. 4 UConn
Location: XL Center – Hartford, Conn.
Time: 8:00 PM ET Saturday
TV: FOX
Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
The nation saw these two matches in April. The Huskies defeated the Trojans in the Elite Eight, with Bueckers going intergalactic (28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 0 seconds off the bench).
This repeat of UConn is 10-1 despite losing Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl from last year’s starting lineup. In an attempt for the first national title since 2016, Geno Auriemma’s team scores 81 times per game and is therefore the leader in the number of field goals. Bueckers shines again, with four outbursts of 25 or more points and the best effective shooting rate in the Big East. But the breakout star is freshman Sarah Strong, who is averaging 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Azzi Fudd’s status for Saturday remains uncertain. She sprained her knee earlier this month after recovering from an ACL tear last year. Even without her, this is an absolutely formidable Huskies team. All ten wins were by double digits, and the only stumble was No. 3 Notre Dame.
USC is also 10-1, and its only loss was also to Notre Dame (note to self: buy all Hannah Hidalgo stock). The Trojans’ average margin of victory over their six-game winning streak is an absurd 38.2 points. Lindsay Gottlieb’s group has the third-best defensive rating in the country. And Watkins is – well, she’s JuJu Watkins. Last month, the rising Angeleno became the fastest Trojan to reach 1,000 career points since Cheryl Miller. As a sophomore, she increased both her offensive and defensive stocks per 40 wins by a whopping 50 percent, according to Her Hoop Stats.
Her flanking is an elite defender in Rayah Marshall, and a top scorer in Kiki Iriafen. Iriafen is averaging nearly 19 points per game despite having the lowest usage rate of her four NCAA seasons and is averaging 9.2 rebounds per game.
These two teams are ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the latest set of power rankings.
Sabreena Merchant on Rayah Marshall: As Kiki Iriafen adjusts to her offensive role at USC, her offensive partner Rayah Marshall has expanded her skill set. Marshall has always been a dominant defensive presence, and that hasn’t changed as a senior. Her block percentage is in the 99th percentile nationally and she deters even more shots. Opponents are shooting a ridiculous 23.9 percent with Marshall as the primary defender because she can defend the post and cover ground on the perimeter. USC’s defense is 16.7 points per 100 possessions better with Marshall on the court.
Memorable match: December 9, 2003 – Top-ranked UConn maintained its 72-game win streak (!) despite a 72-69 scare from the Trojans. Ebony Hoffman had 15 points for USC. Diana Taurasi hit two clutch three-pointers to seal a close one.
USC vs. UConn odds
More coverage for women’s hoops
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Paige Bueckers becomes the first NIL athlete to launch the Nike Player Edition sneaker
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
USC Trojans, Connecticut Huskies, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting
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