Women’s basketball is on fire in Los Angeles; the undefeated Bruins have proven to be unstoppable so far, while the up-and-coming Trojans are reaching for championship heights they haven’t seen in 40 years. Sunday’s clash will also be historic, as it will be the first time two top-10 teams square off at Galen Center.

While then-No. 6 USC (12-1, 2-1 Pac-12) fell to No. 2 UCLA (14-0, 3-0 Pac-12) back in late December, the Trojans didn’t let the loss get them off track, as they won their next two games over Oregon State (12-2, 1-2 Pac-12) and Oregon (9-7, 0-3 Pac-12). With a second date with the Bruins on the horizon, USC looks to ride its momentum from its two consecutive conference wins to even the season series.

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While the Bruins are the second-highest scoring team in the Pac-12 and are an offensive juggernaut, the Trojans managed to hold them to just 71 points, 15 below their season average. UCLA only shot 35% from the field, and the Trojan defense forced 12 turnovers to limit the Bruins’ offensive attack in the prior matchup.

The Trojans must improve upon their offensive game to hand the Bruins their first loss. USC started cold against the Bruins, only hitting two shots from the field the entire first quarter. The Trojans also only had two players score in double figures but kept the game close because of a stout, 27-point double-double performance from freshman guard JuJu Watkins.

“It’s on me to get us more prepared and ready to go,” said Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “They were definitely the ones that punched first, and we have to be a little bit more ready and start stronger.”

Watkins was phenomenal in the first crosstown game on both ends of the floor and hasn’t slowed down since. The highly touted freshman posted 28 points in the Trojans’ most recent victory over Oregon State and has proven to be reliable even when facing the steepest of competition.

Watkins’ defense will be vital in the upcoming rivalry game. The Trojans were able to keep the first showdown close thanks to Watkins’ team-leading three blocks and two steals in the first matchup. She was also able to create scoring opportunities by getting to the free-throw line several times.

Watkins took home Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week honors for the eighth time this year and has led the Trojans in scoring in every single game she has appeared in thus far.

Graduate guard McKenzie Forbes was also phenomenal in the previous matchup with UCLA, scoring 23 points, and has excelled alongside Watkins right out of the gate, despite it being their first year as teammates.

When it comes to scoring, the Bruins differ from the Trojans. Instead of having a couple of players contribute to the majority  of the team’s points, they have five different players averaging double-digits. All of them play at different positions. Four of UCLA’s five starters reached double-digits against the Trojans, epitomizing the Bruins’ ability to score at all three levels.

“We have to defend better, we have to box out more and we have to rebound,” junior center Rayah Marshall said. “I mean, they killed us on the boards and they’re a really huge team so just going into this second game, we know what it’s like and how physical they are.”

While scoring has been spread out among many players, the Bruins have been led by sophomore center Lauren Betts, who has been a force in the paint. Betts has grabbed nine rebounds per game and is very hard to stop down low, at 6-foot-7. The Trojans must strategically defend Betts without fouling, as in the first matchup. They allowed her to get to the charity stripe for nine free throw attempts, making five of them.

“We really want to make an emphasis on having a really good start and a really good third quarter,” graduate guard Kayla Padilla said. “Those two were where we kind of put our foot off the gas a little bit.”

UCLA’s sophomore guard Londynn Jones was a deadeye from downtown against USC, hitting five threes. In addition to defending Betts in the key, the Trojans must adjust to the perimeter accordingly when Jones is on the floor.

The Trojans’ 16-game winning streak at home is at stake against one of the premier teams in the country. While the Bruins will be a difficult task, the Trojans’ recent win against the Beavers showed they can handle tough Pac-12 competition.

“We haven’t beat them in a really long time,” Marshall said. “And with that, I mean, they earn that respect, but at the end of the day, I feel like it’s time for a new champion to take over.”

See the highly anticipated rivalry matchup between the Trojans and Bruins 2 p.m. Sunday at Galen Center.