USC Women’s Basketball Faces Defining Five-Game Big Ten Test

As the USC Trojans look to recover from their three-game losing streak, they now enter a season-defining Big Ten guantlet as they are set to face four ranked opponents in their next five games.

Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb reacts to a foul called against her player while playing the women’s Michigan Wolverines for the Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images | Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

For USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and the Trojans, the margin for error is gone. Starting Thursday, USC Trojans women’s basketball enters the most punishing stretch of its Big Ten schedule, a five-game run that may ultimately define its postseason outlook.

Four of USC’s next five opponents are ranked in the AP Top 25. The sequence is unforgiving:

- No.12 Maryland Terrapins
- Purdue Boilermakers
- No.15 Michigan State Spartans
- No.8 Michigan Wolverines
- No.11 Iowa Hawkeyes

USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb reacts to the action Saturday, March 8, 2025, in a semifinals game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC enters the stretch on a three-game losing streak, most recently a gutting 63-62 road loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Trojans are 2-3 in Big Ten play, 2-4 against ranked opponents, and just 1-3 on the road. The numbers frame the urgency. The upcoming games determine whether USC stabilizes or slips further behind the league’s elite.

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Scoring Disparity Creates an Uphill Climb

The challenge is not subtle. USC ranks third-worst in the Big Ten in scoring at 68.5 points per game. Three upcoming opponents, Michigan, Michigan State, and Maryland, all rank inside the conference’s top five offensively.

Michigan guard Olivia Olson (1) grabs a rebound during the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament between Michigan and Iowa State at Purcell Pavilion on Friday, March 21, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The warning sign already exists. When USC faced its first top-five scoring team, UCLA Bruins women’s basketball, the Trojans were overwhelmed 80-46 in a lopsided rivalry loss.

Maryland brings immediate pressure. The Terps feature junior guard Oluchi Okananwa, one of the Big Ten’s most productive scorers, and senior sniper Yarden Garzon, who is shooting 41.1 percent from three on a league-high 7.2 attempts per game. Michigan adds another problem in sophomore guard Olivia Olson, ninth in the league at 17.9 points per game. USC will not outgun these teams by accident. Offensive efficiency must improve.

Home Court Is Non-Negotiable

If USC has a foothold, it is the Galen Center. The Trojans are 7-1 at home this season and will host Maryland, Purdue, and Iowa during the stretch.

That matters. USC’s two most impressive wins came against ranked opponents, No. 9 NC State Wolfpack and No. 20 Nebraska Cornhuskers, with one of them coming on the road. The capacity to rise to the moment exists. Sustaining it at home is mandatory if the Trojans want a chance at a positive record across these five games.

Londynn Jones and Jazzy Davidson Hold the Key

USC also needs more from Londynn Jones. The senior transfer averages 11.6 points on solid efficiency overall, but she has scored single digits in four of seven games against ranked opponents. She posted zero points against Notre Dame and followed with six points on 1-of-9 shooting against UCLA. The Trojans need the NC State version of Jones, the one who scored 19, not the version they’ve seen recently.

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Jazzy Davidson (9) dribbles the ball against the NC State Wolfpack during the third quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Then there is Jazzy Davidson. She leads USC in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. She is also the least efficient regular in the rotation, shooting 38.1 percent from the field. Davidson takes the third-most shots per game in the Big Ten at 16.5, yet owns the worst shooting percentage among the league’s top-20 scorers.

Some inefficiency is expected from a freshman carrying this much responsibility. But nine sub-40 percent shooting nights, including against New Mexico State and Cal Poly, underscore the need for sharper shot selection and finishing.

USC is facing the conference head-on. The deck is stacked, but not sealed. If the Trojans defend their home floor, get steadier production from Jones, and unlock even modest efficiency gains from Davidson, this stretch can become a turning point rather than a breaking point. Survive it, and USC remains a dangerous sleeper when March arrives.