USC Trojans Women's Basketball Ranked In AP Top-25 Poll: Chasing UCLA, South Carolina

The AP top 25 poll for women's basketball was released on Monday, Jan. 20 and the USC Trojans remained at the No. 4 rank after defeating Indiana on the road. It's the fifth consecutive week where the Trojans sit as the No. 4 team in the country.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb has the Trojans ranked behind UCLA, South Carolina and Notre Dame, but will have multiple opportunities to potentially climb even higher in the rankings with two games vs. the Bruins on the horizon.

USC's Kiki Iriafen (44) during the Indiana versus University of Southern California women's basektball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Where USC lies in the poll leaves the Trojans in a tricky spot in terms of upward mobility. Standing in front of USC is the undisputed No. 1 team in the country in undefeated UCLA (18-0), a South Carolina team with a single loss to UCLA on the road at No. 2, and Notre Dame, who defeated the Trojans in a head-to-head matchup during the non-conference schedule at No. 3

In the final five games of the regular season for the Trojans, they will face off against UCLA two times. The first game being at the Galen Center on Feb. 13 and the second game at the Pauley Pavillon on Mar. 1 for the season finale.

Barring an unforseen loss, If USC has any hope of moving up in the rankings, they will need to take full advantage of their Crosstown Rivalry games vs. the Bruins. The Trojans cannot afford a slip-up and will still need to take on the middle portion of their conference schedule with trips to Iowa, Wisconsin, and Purdue sprinkled in.

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USC's JuJu Watkins (12) works against Indiana's Chloe Moore-McNeil (22) during the Indiana versus University of Southern California women's basektball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Women of Troy were led by their superstar guard, JuJu Watkins, in their win over the Hoosiers. Watkins had 22 points and six rebounds in the win. Remarkably, the sophomore phenom has finished with double-digit points in every game USC has played this season. By all indications, Watkins remains on track to become an All-American for the second consecutive season.

However, Watkins does not remain alone in that feat. USC forward Kiki Iriafen joins Watkins and had 14 points to continue her streak of scoring in double-digits figures to begin the season. She tacked on seven rebounds in the effort.

USC will only have one game before the Week 13 rankings come out next Monday, Jan. 27. The Trojans will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on Purdue on Tuesday, Jan. 22. USC enters the game with a 98.7 percent chance of winning the game according to ESPN's Matchup Predictor.

The game will be broadcast on Peacock and tipoff is set for 4 p.m.

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