USC women’s basketball has returned to the top of its game. 

The Trojans (16-4, 6-4 Pac-12) went up to the Bay Area over the weekend, where they faced stiff competition from No. 4 Stanford (20-3, 9-2) and UC Berkeley (13-10, 3-8). 

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After a major win at Maples Pavilion against the Cardinal Friday night, the Trojans were able to follow up their success with a consecutive road triumph over the Golden Bears. USC came back from a 13-point deficit, displaying extreme mental discipline after such an emotionally charged night.

Cal was off to a strong start in the first quarter, shooting a 60% 3-point percentage. Its defense contained USC to just 15 points, hard hedging on screens from past the arc and moving as a connected team.

But the Trojans were unphased. They persistently applied defensive pressure and guarded the Golden Bears beyond the half-court line, sometimes fully pressing.

Following up her record-setting 51 piece against Stanford, freshman guard JuJu Watkins dazzled at Haas Pavilion. Watkins racked up 29 points, shooting 44% from the field, putting five assists and four steals under her belt. Beyond the numbers, Watkins demonstrates a basketball IQ mature for her age.

Watkins not only created shots for herself but also found her open teammates after drawing defenders in like moths to a flame. A little less than halfway into the third quarter, Watkins engaged three defenders on a fast break play, dishing it out to graduate guard Kayla Padilla, who buried the rock. This gave the Trojans the first lead (47-46) of the entire game and propelled USC’s momentum all the way to the last buzzer.

It’s impossible to stop Watkins; the Bears could only attempt to slow her down.

The game came down to the wire with the Golden Bears and the Trojans trading bucket for bucket, but USC was determined to keep its composure.

In the last few minutes of the game, junior forward Rayah Marshall had a few crucial offensive rebounds, preventing Cal from catching up in a two-possession game.

The Trojans sealed the deal with a final score of 79-69.

From this game and the entire season thus far, it seems as though Watkins’ performances are directly correlated to the team’s overall success. Watkins has a strong showing in every game, regardless of win or loss. During the rivalry game against the Bruins, Watkins dropped 32 points to win at Galen Center. But she also scored 27 points in USC’s first loss against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.

So, in their losses, what is the Trojans’ missing piece?

Rebounding. The then-No. 2 Bruins out-rebounded USC in their first loss 48-37. Being dominated on the boards may have also contributed to losses against Washington and No. 4 Colorado, as USC was out-rebounded 39-24 and 37-27, respectively.

Conversely, when the Trojans hit the boards, good things happen: They matched Stanford’s rebounds 39-39 and out-rebounded Cal 35-32. As a matter of fact, in 11 of their 16 wins, they have either equalized or exceeded their opponent’s rebounding.

USC is undoubtedly talented: It has experience, hustle, vitality, spirit, focus and dedication.

Consistent boards might be the last element for the Trojans to rise from the middle of the Pac-12 standings.

In their return to Galen Center Friday at 7 p.m., the Trojans look to take down the ASU Sun Devils (10-12, 2-8).