USC Women’s Basketball Faces Difficult Path in NCAA Tournament

USC women’s basketball earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. But a 17-13 regular season record landed the Trojans the No. 9 seed in the tournament, which means USC’s path to a national championship will not be easy.

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USC will kickoff the NCAA Tournament against No. 8 seed Clemson in the first round on March 21 at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

“I think it’s right for this group,” Gottlieb said of USC’s seed in the tournament, per the Los Angeles Times. “We understand that we have work to do to prove what we’re capable of. There’s no lack of belief in this room.”

The Trojans will be led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Jazzy Davidson. She suffered a shoulder injury during the Big Ten Tournament but the team announced on Wednesday she would be healthy to play.

USC Will Have to Play a No. 1 Seed If It Advances to the Second Round

If USC is able to defeat Clemson in the first round of the tournament, the Trojans will have to face No. 1 seed South Carolina in the second round. The Gamecocks have earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament for the past six seasons and have won three national championships since 2017.

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South Carolina’s most recent national championship win was in 2024 when it defeated Iowa in the title game. The Gamecocks made it to the national championship game again last season but ultimately lost to UConn.

South Carolina’s home court advantage and veteran experience making it far in the NCAA Tournament will be a challenge for USC to overcome.

USC is 0-3 against South Carolina throughout program history. The two teams played for the first time since the 2014-15 season on Nov. 15, 2025 in an inaugural “The Real SC” game. The Gamecocks defeated the Trojans 69-52 at Crypto.com Arena.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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