I tried to warn everyone. All the way back on Nov. 3, I attempted to prepare Trojan fans, yet USC women’s basketball was still being slept on. But after Sunday, they’re finally getting the flowers they deserve.

In case you missed it (shame on you), No. 6 USC (13-1, 3-1 Pac-12) took on its always-fierce crosstown rival UCLA (14-1, 3-1). The Bruins were one of just two undefeated teams heading into the game and were ranked as the second-best team in the entire country. On top of that, UCLA had taken down the Trojans just two weeks prior at Pauley Pavilion; USC was out with something to prove this time around.

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The Trojans and freshman guard JuJu Watkins did not disappoint the sold-out Galen Center crowd. USC took their first lead with just under three minutes left in the first quarter and never relinquished it the rest of the contest. Watkins led the way with a smooth 32 points and 10 rebounds. Nothing new for her, as it’s already her sixth 30-point game this season.

But what stole the show was another stellar defensive masterclass that Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb orchestrated. Her defense was suffocating from the gate, and USC went into the half with a 15-point lead. Coming into this game, the Bruins had never failed to score at least 30 points in a half this season. USC held them to a meager 19 points in that first half: unreal coaching and stout defensive play.

UCLA finished shooting just above 18% from behind the arc and turned the ball 22 times. USC did not come to play around, and they showed that to the national stage. They are playing at a top-tier level and play unafraid. As I saw before the season even began, this Trojan team is special. This team is unlike any that USC fans have seen since the 1990s.

But you may think, “Well, this is just one win so early in the season, this could easily be an outlier.” And you could be right; there’s still plenty of basketball to be played. In fairness, they did the exact same thing last season. They defeated then-No. 2 Stanford at home and proceeded to lose in the first round of the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament and NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championships. 

But trust me, this is no fluke. Sunday only proved what those who have been watching this whole time have seen: USC women’s basketball is Final Four-level good. 

Remember, this team put up one of their best performances of the season without objectively its best defensive player, junior forward Rayah Marshall. She was on the All-Pac-12 defensive team a season ago and is currently in the top 20 in the nation in blocks (2.36) and rebounds (10.5) per game.

The Trojans were forcing UCLA — top 10 in Division I in points per game this season (84.8) — into season-worsts in countless offensive categories. Add in Marshall, and it’s clear to see the dominance this unit can continue to have.

But UCLA was just the first test. This week, it will only get tougher. The Trojans take on No. 20 Utah (12-5, 2-3) Friday on the road. And before they even have a chance to breathe, they travel to take on the lone undefeated team in Pac-12 play: No. 3 Colorado (15-1, 5-0).

This will be their toughest stretch until late February and could break a weaker team. But this team has grit and toughness. It’s two tough away games against two of the best teams in the country, but if anyone can beat them, it’s Watkins and the Trojans.

Watkins is already a bona fide superstar and making her mark this season. She may be just a freshman, but she’s second in the country with 26.5 points per game. She’s a different level of tough. Even when she was cramping up at the end of the UCLA game, she found a way to power through and take USC to the finish line. She had trainers work on her when the final whistle blew, but she still had to show her cardinal and gold by screaming “Fight On” from the ground as she celebrated the win with her teammates. 

They have the resume. They have the star player. They have the elite defense. They have the experienced coach. And most importantly of all, they have the belief that they’re the best. Now, we just get to sit back and enjoy as they put all the remaining pieces together.

Stefano Fendrich is a junior writing about his opinions on some of USC sports’ biggest debates in his column, “The Great Debate,” which runs every other Wednesday.