USC women’s basketball has taken up its share of the spotlight all season long thus far, even with superstar guard JuJu Watkins sidelined. With four non-conference games against Top 25 opponents including multiple cross country trips and a game in Crypto.com Arena, USC’s non conference schedule has seen no shortage of national storylines and epic talent.
It’s awesome to see, as we witness the sport of women’s basketball continuing to grow.
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Taking on everyone
There’s really no way USC could have brought its non conference slate to a close other than an epic game in a world class arena against an intriguing rival opponent, in prime time the weekend before Christmas. That’s exactly what USC-Cal on Sunday represents.
Here are five things to watch as the No. 19 Trojans take on the Golden Bears on Sunday night:
How will attendance, fan engagement be?
As I mentioned, this is not just a game, but another showcase for women’s basketball. The Cal women’s basketball program may not be as nationally relevant as USC, but women’s basketball is certainly hugely popular in the Bay Area. The popularity of the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries is clear evidence of that.
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So, will those same people who are fans of the Valks and the sport as a whole pack the house? Will Cal fans traverse the Bay Area and show up? Will USC fans travel well? Will Bay Area celebrities come out to the game?
Star power
Will any members of the Golden State Warriors be in attendance? They are in the midst of a homestand, so they’ll be in town. Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski are two Dubs who have been avid supporters and attendees of women’s basketball games in the past.
It’s all relevant because it all factors into the national conversation about women’s basketball and its growing place in popular culture.
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Cal looks for revenge for 2024
Remember, Cal and USC used to be conference opponents. These teams have so much more history than normal non conference opponents — 79 all-time meetings of history, to be exact.
So, there’s still a little bit of bad blood between the former Pac-12 rivals. This Cal team probably wants revenge for its most recent defeat — a 79-69 loss to the Trojans on February 4, 2024. JuJu Watkins scored 29 points to lead USC to that win — but she will obviously be on the sidelines for this rematch.
Lulu Twidale, Cal’s leading scorer who was on that 2023-24 Cal roster, will not, though. There’s every reason to believe that the Golden Bears will be motivated to work their hardest for a potential upset.
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Lindsay Gottlieb returns to Bay Area to face old team
If the game wan’t intriguing enough already, it also represents a return to Lindsay Gottlieb’s former home. The former USC head coach was the head coach at Cal from 2011-2019.
Gottlieb is 2-2 against the Golden Bears since becoming the head coach at USC, including 1-1 in games that take place in the Bay Area. She hopes to improve both of those tallies Sunday, while the Golden Bears hope to spoil her return.
What will USC’s answer for Sakima Walker be?
Center Sakima Walker seems like the kind of player who could be the X-factor for the Golden Bears against the Trojans. The graduate student stands at an imposing 6’5” and also boasts a wealth of experience across the college basketball world. She spent two years at Rutgers and two years at South Carolina, winning a national title with the Gamecocks in 2023-24.
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She’s also Cal’s second leading scorer at 10.8 points per game.
USC’s forwards boast a lot of inexperience by comparison, and Walker is a size mismatch for every player in the front court as well.
Could the Golden Bears try to rely on Walker to lead them to victory? On paper, she’s definitely someone USC should have on its radar.
Will Londynn Jones keep hunting her shot?
Londynn Jones had an excellent game scoring the basketball against Cal Poly, scoring 28 points on 11-16 shooting. 28 points marks a new career high for Jones.
It seems like Jones was really hunting her own shot against the Mustangs. Her 16 shots were the second most on the team, but she had no assists. Jazzy Davidson, who took the most shots on the team with 21, had 4 assists.
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More than one night?
Was this just Jones feeling herself on one night, or does it represent a shift in offensive strategy/coaching by Jones and Gottlieb? We’ll see how Jones attacks the Golden Bears.
With all of these storylines in mind, watching USC-Cal would be a great way to kick off Christmas week with your family and friends.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC women’s basketball plays Cal on Sunday in San Francisco
