Women’s Basketball | September 19, 2024

The USC women’s basketball team has set its 2024-25 Big Ten Conference schedule, as the conference released the full schedule today (Sept. 19).

The Women of Troy plan to host a competitive lineup of Big Ten teams at Galen Center and will challenge their remaining opponents on the road. USC also has a home-and-away series against crosstown rival UCLA on the schedule. The Trojans will face two programs for the first time — Illinois and Wisconsin — while other matchups will provide the first visits to Galen Center for various Big Ten opponents, as well as the Trojans’ first trips to various road games.

Now entering the Big Ten Conference, USC is coming off its first NCAA Elite Eight run since 1994 and its second Pac-12 Tournament championship. Kiki Iriafen and Talia Von Oelhoffen join other All-Pac-12 honorees Raya Marshall And JuJu Watkins for a 2024-25 Trojan team that also has the nation’s highest-ranked freshman class in Rian Forest Ranger, Kayleigh Heckel, Avery Although, Vivian Iwuchukwu, Brooklyn Shamblin, Kennedy Smith And Laura WilliamsLast season, USC posted victories over future Big Ten opponents Ohio State and Penn State in the Trojans’ historic 29-6 season, which saw head coach Lindsay Gottlieb was nominated for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award and Watkins selected a Naismith finalist and the winner of the National Freshman of the Year Award.

USC’s Big Ten schedule gets off to an early start with a matchup against a familiar opponent, traveling to Eugene on December 7 to take on Oregon. Former Pac-12 Conference teams, this will be the first matchup between the Trojans and Ducks as members of the Big Ten.

The first-ever Big Ten women’s basketball clash at Galen Center will feature a Dec. 29 matchup against Michigan, followed by a meeting with Nebraska on New Year’s Day. USC then takes its first-ever Big Ten road trip, visiting Rutgers and Maryland in an East Coast swing with games on Jan. 5-8.

USC returns to Galen Center for a clash with Penn State, which the Trojans defeated in a heated battle in the Bahamas last season. The Nittany Lions, now Big Ten Conference allies, will play in Galen Center for the first time when they meet Jan. 12 at USC. And on Jan. 15, another Big Ten opponent makes its Galen Center debut when Nebraska comes to town, marking the first clash of the 21st century between the Trojans and Huskers.

The Trojans play their next two conference opponents in the state of Indiana. This will be the first time USC will face both Indiana and Purdue on their home fields, with games scheduled for January 19 and 22, respectively.

Big Ten Conference play returns to the Galen Center for a one-game series against Minnesota on Jan. 30. From there, USC travels back to the Midwest for its first-ever game at Iowa and Wisconsin the first week of February.

USC’s next Big Ten home game brings two other 2024 NCAA Tournament teams to town in February. Ohio State is set to head to Galen Center for the first time on Feb. 8, and then rival UCLA makes its familiar trek through town for a Crosstown Showdown on Feb. 13.

USC then makes a quick trip up the coast to take on Washington on Feb. 19, before returning to the Galen Center for the Trojans’ final Big Ten home games against Michigan State (Feb. 19) and Illinois (Feb. 23).

The regular season concludes with USC visiting Pauley Pavilion for the highly anticipated second game against the Bruins on March 1.

The playoffs in Indianapolis begin when USC makes its debut in the Big Ten Tournament. The conference tournament runs March 5-9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The television selections and tip times have yet to be announced and will be posted on the USC women’s basketball schedule page once they are finalized.

REMARKABLE:
– As USC enters the Big Ten, it has an all-time record of 27-23 against current Big Ten teams (record does not include new members Oregon, UCLA and Washington)
– USC will play both Illinois and Wisconsin for the first time in program history.
– The 2024-2025 meetings will feature first-time visits to the Galen Center for Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State and Penn State.
– USC will play away games for the first time in Indiana, Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin.

2024-25 BIG TEN OPPONENTS (series record)

AT HOME
^Illinois (0-0)
Michigan (1-1)
^Michigan State (2-1)
^Minnesota (1-1)
Nebraska (3-5)
^Northwest (2-1)
^Ohio State (4-4)
^Penn State (4-1)
^ — first meeting in Galen Center

ROAD
#Indiana (1-0)
#Iowa (1-4)
Maryland (5-0)
Oregon (48-30)
#Purdue (1-0)
Rutgers (2-5)
Washington (37-38)
#Wisconsin (0-0)
# — USC’s first visit to opponent

HOME & OUT
UCLA (52-57)