JuJu Watkins' USC Coach Claims Team Was 'Disrespected' by NCAA Tournament Seeding
Selection Sunday for the 2025 NCAA Tournament has taken place, which means the women's college basketball world knows all of the seedings and matchups ahead of March Madness.
The most intriguing potential Elite Eight matchup is undoubtedly between the No. 1 seeded USC Trojans and the No. 2 seeded UConn Huskies, who found themselves in the same region of the bracket.
These two teams faced off on December 21 in what was the most viewed NCAA women's basketball regular season game of the season. And the Trojans ended up earning a 72-70 win.
USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb spoke with the media after Sunday's bracket reveal and expressed frustration with them being the fourth No. 1 seed, which set them up for this UConn rematch.
"I can't speak for [the players]. For me, I never thought I'd be a one seed and feel disrespected, but I feel the committee... I thought there would be very little chance that we'd be the No. 4 overall No. 1," Gottlieb said, per the USCAthletics YouTube account.
"You tell me if you think that bracket that we got should have been the one that it was," she added. "This was not on my bingo card to be a little bit frustrated after being a one seed, and it's not an arrogance of any kind... but sometimes I don't understand people who make decisions in women's basketball, and why they do what they do. And certainly with this committee, I would love to ask some questions."
It sounds like Gottlieb will be carrying a chip on her shoulder into this year's March Madness.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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