As autumn approaches and USC athletics come into full swing, women’s basketball announced its conference schedule, hoping to usher in the dawn of another dominant Big Ten season. 

Last season was pristine for the Trojans, who went 31-4 overall and 16-1 in Big Ten play, good for first in the conference. They also made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, falling to the eventual champion University of Connecticut in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. 

The Trojans are projected to be one of the best teams in college basketball, and although they are going to be without star guard JuJu Watkins for a sizeable chunk of time — who is “doing great” in recovery, according to Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb — they are still seen as a championship contender.

With a little over a month to go before USC steps onto the Jim Sterkel Court and takes its first shot of the 2025-26 season, here’s a look at some noteworthy conference games.

Jan. 15: Maryland

A Thursday matchup in the middle of January will be a first for the Trojans: They play the Maryland Terrapins, who will travel to Galen Center for the first time. USC pulled off a 12-point swing in the final minutes of last year’s contest to steal a 79-74 victory from the jaws of defeat, ending then-No. 8 Maryland’s 14-game win streak to start its season.

The Terrapins had a great 2024-25 season, ending 25-8 overall and 13-5 in conference play — their 21st winning season in a row — along with a third-place Big Ten finish, behind only USC and UCLA. The Trojans maintain a 6-1 all-time record against Maryland and expect to be the favorite come January, but the novelty of the matchup should attract Trojan fans nonetheless.

Jan. 29: Iowa

USC’s 2024-25 season was stellar, but it wasn’t perfect. The Trojans’ matchup against Iowa broke a 15-game win streak and marked their only regular-season conference loss, notably because of the Hawkeyes stifling Watkins’ usual offense. The Trojans have a grudge match on their hands and with Watkins’ return timetable still unknown, it is one they cannot afford to lose.

The Hawkeyes became a national powerhouse under the explosive play of Caitlin Clark and leadership of former Head Coach Lisa Bluder, but Clark has since graduated to the WNBA, and Bluder retired in 2024. With first-year Head Coach and longtime assistant coach Jan Jensen at the helm, the Hawkeyes came back down to earth, going 23-11 overall and 10-8 in conference play, good for eighth in the Big Ten.

Historically, the Trojans are 1-5 all-time against Iowa. However, the Hawkeyes will be without guards Lucy Olsen and Sydney Affolter, both integral pieces to Iowa’s offense who graduated last season, which bodes well for USC’s odds. 

March 1: UCLA

UCLA marks a fitting end to USC’s regular season. The crosstown rivals sat atop the Big Ten standings last year, and although the Trojans maintained the best record in the conference, the Bruins upset them in the Big Ten Tournament final.

Last year was one of the best in UCLA history, with the Bruins going 34-3 overall and 15-2 in Big Ten play. Both of their regular-season losses came against the Trojans, with their season ending in the Final Four where they fell to UConn. 

The Bruins’ dominance was highlighted by the performances of then-junior center Lauren Betts and then-junior guard Kiki Rice: Betts was named a first-team All-American, along with leading the Big Ten in blocks per game, and Rice led the entire conference in assists. 

Senior guard Londynn Jones, who made the most 3-pointers for the Bruins last season, also transferred to USC in the offseason, making this a revenge game in more ways than one.

USC is 54-58 all-time against UCLA, and if there’s any regular-season game that Trojan fans should attend, it’s this one — especially considering it’s a rematch at Galen Center, following the first matchup at UCLA on Jan. 3.

USC’s first conference game is at home against Washington on Dec. 7, while its full conference schedule kicks off against Nebraska on Dec. 29 in Lincoln.