HARTFORD, Conn. — As USC’s bench empty onto the XL Middle ground, with the Incorrect. 7 Trojans having defeated the Incorrect. 4 UConn Huskies 72-70, JuJu Watkins’ arms shot to the sky. Basking in her 25-point efficiency that lifted USC era UConn for the primary week in class historical past, Watkins grew to become to the little category of supporters decked out in purple and yellow throughout the sold-out area and stated their assistance.
“It hit a little different knowing the history from last year and how they sent us home,” Watkins stated.
The stakes have been other this week. In April, within the Elite 8, the Huskies knocked the top-seeded Trojans out of the NCAA Event. However Saturday evening’s 2-point victory used to be significant however. No longer just for Watkins and USC senior switch Kiki Iriafen, however for his or her tutor, Lindsay Gottlieb, who has lengthy admired this system UConn tutor Geno Auriemma has constructed.
“This is a really significant win, and it’s a really significant win because of the stature of UConn’s program and what Geno Auriemma has done for our sport,” Gottlieb stated. “For my entire high school (career) on, this is what basketball excellence was. This is what we saw, and it’s challenged all of us to want to be better, to find players who want to be better and be that elite. And I don’t think that’s gone away.”
Gottlieb is in her fourth season with the Trojans, and he or she aspires to create a sustained program homogeneous to the Huskies. A season in the past, USC received its 2d Pac-12 match identify in program historical past and made consecutive NCAA Event appearances for the primary week in just about twenty years. Over her transient tenure, she has reminded onlookers now not best of USC’s historical past of good fortune — two nationwide titles and 3 Ultimate 4 appearances within the Nineteen Eighties, Corridor of Popularity gamers comparable to Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Cheryl Miller and Tina Thompson — however of what it may be within the provide. Watkins, ultimate moment’s nationwide freshman of the moment and a first-team All-American, is on the heart of the unedited bankruptcy. Victories like Saturday’s backup put together imposing aspirations really feel extra potential.
USC tutor Lindsay Gottlieb desires to emulate what Geno Auriemma has in-built Connecticut. (David Butler II / Imagn Photographs)
Gottlieb grew up simply outdoor Fresh York Town, however she wasn’t recruited by means of Auriemma in highschool. Nonetheless, when she used to be 15 or 16, she accompanied one among her pals to one among his camps. UConn used to be all the time the native draw, and following Saturday’s win, she recalled a shuttle she made throughout her senior moment at Brown College, in within reach Windfall, Rhode Island, when she and her father drove to Storrs to peer UConn tackle Tennessee.
“It was sold out,” Gottlieb stated, “and I was in that building and saw this atmosphere.”
Saturday used to be loud, too. And Watkins, USC’s superstar safeguard, stated it would had been the most important nation she has performed in entrance of. Just about 16,000 community packed inside of XL Middle, virtually all of whom wore army and white.
Nonetheless, Watkins added, “just to see my family here, all the SC fans, it meant the world.”
If any person wanted reminding, the Trojans’ victory strengthened their condition as one among this season’s nationwide identify contenders. At 11-1, their lone defeat got here at house to Notre Dame by means of 13 issues. It will had been simple, Gottlieb stated, for the ones throughout the program accountable each and every alternative upcoming that November loss — for the Trojans to crack.
“As long as we stick together, this can make us better,” she stated she informed them later on. “And (the loss) has in every way.”
Getting into Saturday’s victory, the Trojans sported the rustic’s third-best protection and Incorrect. 15 offense. They convert in transition (just about 20 % in their issues are available in transition) and stale yieldings (averaging 28.7 issues in line with sport), remarkable measurables that might grant them smartly going forward. Their victory over the Huskies strengthened that they may come at the highway, in one of the most most-anticipated video games of the season, and punch first. It proved they may give up a 13-point halftime top, path by means of some extent with slightly below 5 mins to play games and nonetheless recuperate.
“No one got off the treadmill,” Gottlieb stated.
In fact, having a transcendent superstar like Watkins is helping peace any nerves. No longer best did she top the sport in scoring, she added six rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks, together with one simply ahead of halftime on UConn superstar Paige Bueckers. Bueckers used to be prolific in the second one part and completed with 22 issues, however she additionally upheld Watkins because the USC superstar were given off to a quick get started within the first quarter.
“Every scouting report that you put together or every film that you watch, it’s very evident that one player can’t guard (Watkins),” Auriemma stated. “When she gets into a little bit of a rhythm, you have to hope she misses.”
With the rating inside one ownership with best 4:30 to play games, Watkins recorded 6 of USC’s 8 issues and assisted ahead Rayah Marshall at the lone basket she didn’t rating.
“A lot of the things she does is super hard, but she makes it look so easy,” Iriafen stated. “We all know she is a superstar, so playing with her definitely relieves pressure on everybody else.”
Any remnants of power dissipated even additional within the postgame bank room. Avid gamers doused Gottlieb with H2O as she entered. They leaped in combination in birthday party.
“For me now to bring a team here, to know we could do it, and then to actually do it is incredibly meaningful,” Gottlieb stated. “Really proud of the big win.”
(Govern picture of JuJu Watkins using between Paige Bueckers, left, and Kaitlyn Chen: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Photographs)
