Two weeks ago, USC women’s basketball was at the lowest point it had been all season — if not the past several seasons. A narrow loss to No. 8 Michigan marked the Trojans’ sixth defeat in seven games, dropping them to a middling 11-9 record and dangerously close to the edge of the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Since then, however, USC (15-9, 7-6 Big Ten) has finally begun to look like the team it was expected to be: a team coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, and one that ranked as high as No. 8 early in the season before falling out of the top 25 entirely. After an upset victory over No. 10 Iowa (18-5, 9-3) and a blowout of Rutgers (9-15, 1-12), the Trojans entered this past weekend with as much momentum as they’ve had all year — and they didn’t waste it.

Led by dominant performances from its main offensive trio, USC took care of business during a two-game road trip to the Land of Lincoln, dispatching Northwestern (8-15, 2-10) on Thursday before taking down Illinois (16-8, 6-7) on Sunday. The Trojans find themselves on a four-game winning streak, tied for their longest of the season, and in prime position to lock down a tournament bid with just five games left on the regular-season schedule.

“Obviously, we had that last stretch of losses, but that doesn’t define us,” said sophomore guard Kennedy Smith in a postgame news conference Thursday. “The games matter the most in February [and] March, so we’re here to be better from here on out.”

Dominant first half lifts Trojans over Northwestern

After starting off slow in its previous game against Rutgers, USC wasted no time building a healthy lead over Northwestern in Thursday’s matchup. The Trojans exploded for 28 points in the first quarter and 25 in the second — their most points scored in a half all season — giving them a 53-28 lead heading into halftime.

While USC eased off the gas down the stretch, allowing the Wildcats a 7-point advantage in the second half, the damage was already done; the Trojans left Evanston, Illinois, with an 83-65 win in the first meeting between the two schools since USC’s move to the Big Ten in 2024.

“We executed the game plan really well, and then we moved the ball great in the first half and shot it really well,” Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in a postgame news conference. “We got a little sloppy [in the second half], but overall, to get a good win on the road is always a big thing.”

Gottlieb relied heavily on her starting five, who accounted for all but 9 of the Trojans’ points. Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson led the pack with 21 on 8-for-17 shooting, including two 3-pointers, while dishing out a team-high six assists.

Smith was close behind with 17 points on an efficient 7-for-11 clip, making 3-of-6 shots from beyond the arc to tie her season high. She also tacked on five assists and 11 rebounds, the latter of which gave Smith her second career double-double.

“Just getting on the boards,” said Smith when asked about the keys to her performance. “Tracking the ball and getting it — that’s something I took pride in this game, and I got it done.”

Though senior guard Kara Dunn has emerged as USC’s most consistent shooter, she struggled with efficiency Thursday, making just 5-of-13 shots from the field and failing to lead the team in scoring for the first time since Dec. 29, 2025. Nevertheless, Dunn still managed to grab 18 points for the ninth straight game, bolstered by a team-high 6-of-8 clip on free-throw attempts.

Dunn propelled the Trojans to an 85% mark from the line, their third-highest in a game this season and a welcome sight for a team that ranks 15th in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. USC also benefited from playing a relatively clean game, committing 13 turnovers and 14 fouls — both well below the squad’s season averages.

Career nights from Davidson, Smith propel win over Illini

Though a Sunday matchup with Illinois seemingly posed a greater challenge than the lowly Wildcats, the Trojans didn’t miss a beat, never trailing across all 40 minutes of a 70-62 victory over the Fighting Illini.

The big three of Davidson, Smith and Dunn continued to lead the way, combining for 61 of USC’s 70 points. Davidson stood out with one of the best performances of her young career, scoring a career-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists, flirting with a triple-double.

Smith enjoyed a career night of her own, logging 20 points in a game for the first time and dominating with six blocks; before Sunday, she had never blocked more than three shots in a single game.

Dunn put together another double-digit scoring performance, adding 14 to the Trojans’ total. However, she was uncharacteristically ineffective from deep, making just 1-of-6 shots — her worst clip in a game since missing all three of her 3-point attempts against No. 24 Washington (18-6, 8-5) on Dec. 7, 2025.

While Gottlieb has rotated between a plethora of forwards throughout the season to fill out her lineup, freshman forward Laura Williams appears to have earned the starting nod for the time being. Williams started both games during the road trip and played a career-high 32 minutes Sunday, bringing in a team-high 10 rebounds and coming up with a critical steal late to stifle a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Illini.

USC will return to Galen Center for a Thursday night bout against Indiana (14-11, 3-10) at 7 p.m.