Juju Watkins, Lindsay Gottlieb, Kiki Iriafen: USC women's basketball postgame (UConn) - 12/21/24

USC women's basketball's Juju Watkins, Lindsay Gottlieb and Kiki Iriafen talk with the media after beating UConn, 72-70 on the road..

[@Criminal.Lawyer.2024]

During the last 5 minutes of the game, I think the player on most people's mind was Juju Watkins. USC fans were thinking "get the ball to Juju", and Uconn fans were thinking "we have to stop Juju".

[@BLACKRULERSHIP]

she took ball to the paint 3 players and still scored on all three f them and then got a free throw this girl is special

[@Criminal.Lawyer.2024]

@@BLACKRULERSHIP 🏆

[@Benzy-d3u]

Notre Dame has already beaten both USC and UConn. Hannah Hidalgo is the player of the year.

[@jbreezy6784]

@@Benzy-d3u smh

[@Criminal.Lawyer.2024]

Ta'Niya Latson is player of the year.

[@Benzy-d3u]

Latson has put up numbers against weak teams with the exception of Tennessee. You can't compare Florida State's quality of wins to Notre Dame's. Florida State will play better teams coming up, including Notre Dame, so we're going to see how good Latson really is.

[@Criminal.Lawyer.2024]

@@Benzy-d3u You can also say the vast majority of points scored by Caitlyn Clark were against weak teams. You can also knock Hidalgo for losing to TCU and Utah. All I'm saying is that there is a ways to go before we can crown anyone POTY.

[@Benzy-d3u]

I was looking at Notre Dame's wins against USC, UConn, and Texas. All of those were top 5 teams. Hidalgo was great against all of them. Latson and Florida State hasn't played anybody close to that level yet, that's why Hidalgo has the edge for player of the year.

[@ehansbrough593]

JuJu and USC WBB looked and played like the Best team in the nation during the 1st half. They dominated UConn. USC Coach LG did a great job getting her team ready to play. But she needs to play the Fab 3 Freshmen More, esp Avery and K9. They are simply Better than some of the veteran players. Clarice also would make the rotation much better - she needs more PT as well. Great W - Fight On Ladies!!

[@nostpoonk]

The USC coach is impressive and her kudos to UConn’s program were genuine. Both USC players exuded confidence and thoughtfulness at the podium and are (like UConn’s) great for the future of the game. I hope they meet again in March.

[@Benzy-d3u]

@nostpoonk The USC coach is from New York, so she's very familiar with what UConn and Geno have done. Both of these teams are capable of winning the NCAA championship. Hopefully, they play again in the tournament.

[@alanlee3236]

This is what all comments should look like IMO💯

[@conlanding]

Southern California head coach Lindsay Gottlieb got her team "ready" to play against Connecticut. She doesn't get enough credit for that, especially after USC was embarrassed at home in November against Notre Dame.

[@ehansbrough593]

How was USC "embarrassed" at home? We have 7 new players in our lineup. ND caught USC while they were still learning each other and developing team chemistry. If USC WBB meets ND in March, ND is going to get their feelings hurt and sent packing...

[@alanlee3236]

@@ehansbrough593 I think you're being a bit thin-skinned. That wasn't meant as an insult but as a matter of fact. Ask any player anywhere whether being beaten at home by a lower ranked team is embarrassing and I'll bet 95% will say yeah. Obviously that loss helped them. They seemed so well prepared.

[@JustJewelsInNY5]

HUGE Congratulations ladies! USC sealed it! But in all the comments, don’t forget about Hannah Hilgado

[@lessonica4619]

@@JustJewelsInNY5 Hidalgo*

[@kaptainh5538]

Class Coach

[@2smoulder]

USC snuck a win that should have been comfortable so well done taking it to Uconn and handing yet another lesson to Geno. The USC coach needs a lesson in game analysis since she was way to complimentary to Geno.

[@hellootherepeople]

You think? She’s in Connecticut with their reporters and it is an iconic program. To me she seemed classy and like a winner.

[@tyronedelk5702]

A win is a win!!!! So congratulations

[@Benzy-d3u]

@2smoulder The USC coach is from New York, so she's very familiar with Geno and UConn. I don't think she was extra complimentary to Geno. She's just very professional with her speech. She knows her team is good.

[@GeneralRock114]

It’s not that teams have caught up with UCONN, it’s the injuries for whatever reasons have kept their players from playing over the years. Right now they have about four contributing players that aren’t able to play. Luckily for USC, Azzi wasn’t ready.

[@Michael-of6zf]

When injuries have become a problem that is a trainer and coach problem. Is it their traners no good or is the coach working them too hard.

[@GeneralRock114]

USC made a mistake by not finding a shooting and PG in the portal. The player from Oregon State isn’t as good as the freshman and shouldn’t even be starting. That’s there problem, no decent guards. Plus Marshall looks lost on offense. She has regressed from last year. They were lucky to have Kennedy back and Azzi still being out.

[@MonieMusic]

I don't understand why they don't utilize Akunwafo more as an interchange with Marshall. I mean she's not a huge scorer, but neither is Marshall. Akunwafo had a great game against Kansas in the playoffs: 5 pts; 9 Rebs; 1 Asst; 3 Stls: 6 Blks... all within 19 minutes. I was excited when Talia Von Oelhoffen transferred to USC because I saw a few games where she was exceptional, especially with her win against UCLA last year, and she also played well against Stanford. But I'm seeing now that she isn't consistent. Heckel is more efficient than her. Hopefully, during regular season, she'll either up her game, or maybe Heckel will get more time than her?

[@haroldchairs4434]

@@GeneralRock114 Azzi did play, The game should have been a blow out. USC really is a lot better than them. Their defense rattled some of USC ‘s young guards but they got a lot better. USC is still gelling and still won. If it wasn’t for turnovers they would have beat them by 10 at least. USC starters vs UConn.

[@GeneralRock114]

@ She was out there on the floor but not able to be aggressive and asserted. It was meaningless minutes and more risky than rewarding.

[@tyronedelk5702]

@@GeneralRock114 yes they did!!!

[@Michael-of6zf]

If JuJu is better than CC like everyone says, JuJu does not need a shooting guard or a pg from the portal. JuJu can score so can everyone else, difference is JuJu does not make the people around her better and that is the difference. My theory is that JuJu will do an Angel Reese and go to the portal next year to be on a championship contending team. USC is not and for the unforeseen future going to make it to the final 4 with their roster. I hope she dont do that, as that will be bad for her image.

[@RobertDeffley-l4r]

They lucked out. Refs helped!

[@johnwebster5740]

@@RobertDeffley-l4r every game is the refs fault when teams lose lmao. . Uconn left several opportunities on the court. People ignore that.

[@justplaintiredofitall]

USC had about 17 turnovers that's not good...

Juju humiliated uconn in they own backyard

[@celinebeanie]

🤭

[@johnklein6040]

No she didn't. She wasn't anything extraordinary.

[@cbrend22]

Yeah, totally shut down in second half by PB, she scored one bucket on a heave in the lane, and had a very early three over Brady, that’s it. UConn and PB stormed back and erased and 18 pt lead that was a function of lucky shooting, unprecedented lucky shooting. Kennedy and JuJu are avg or below avg from 3, and it’ll never happen again. JuJu made one bucket in the second half on PB ( with Chen) in the lane, that’s it until a late heave in the lane on which she traveled and then committed an offensive foul, but was rewarded with and “and one”. A few late FTs when UConn had to foul and that was it. PB shut her down and outscored 15-2 in the second half when they went head to head. If UConn hadn’t wanted to test SS in the clutch at the end, PB would have ended it.

@@cbrend22 Cope harder

[@justplaintiredofitall]

what happened to that 18 point lead? looks like USC just fell apart...

[@RubenDarioCanariofana-du5il]

Dose

[@RubenDarioCanariofana-du5il]

Guao ay

[@Michael-of6zf]

Both teams wont make it past sweet 16. The game was awful.

[@JimPrater-ou6ro]

That’s silly.. who going to be in the sweet 16? After .. UCLA. South Carolina and Texas..and maybe TCU Who are the other 11 Teams if not one or both of this?

[@ehansbrough593]

​@@JimPrater-ou6roThis guy doesn't know Anything about WBB. He is best ignored...

[@stevederr4927]

Just a Troll!

[@RubenDarioCanariofana-du5il]

Bacxa

[@nancyjackson2710]

You all smiles now cause you all won by two points but can't take a loss like a young its comin back some how some way laugh now. Gonna cry later bet

[@reneemills-mistretta790]

This game was both hilarious and atrocious! 😂 Is it possible to be both?