No. 10 USC had a rough stretch to close out January, losing three of its last four games before heading into a battle with then-No. 4 Stanford to begin the final full month of regular-season play. Freshman guard JuJu Watkins’ historic 51-point masterpiece lifted the Trojans to a thrilling upset over the Cardinal, and she also added 29 points in Sunday’s victory against UC Berkeley.

In addition to breaking the program’s single-game scoring record, Watkins was named Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week, Pac-12 Player of the Week and ESPN’s Player of the Week. She was also named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the eleventh time. She trails just Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark for the most points per game in the nation and has been the catalyst in bringing national attention to the dominance brewing at USC (16-4, 6-4 Pac-12).

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“I have more confidence going into the rest of the season just coming off such a big win,” Watkins said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “Just to get that momentum back in the midst of the season, I think it means a lot to our team.” 

Watkins has been a perfect fit alongside her experienced teammates, who have fed her the ball when she’s had the hot hand. On top of her on-court achievements, SLAM Magazine revealed its 248th edition, which features the freshman star on the cover. For context, recent issues have donned the likes of professional superstars A’ja Wilson, Victor Wembanyama and Paul George; this is no small accomplishment. 

“I’m just really blessed just to be able to have that and be honored in that way,” Watkins said. “That was really like a dream come true.”

Graduate guard McKenzie Forbes also had a stout weekend, tallying 12 points in each of the two contests. Forbes has cemented herself as a reliable second option for the Trojans while also creating scoring opportunities, as displayed by her five assists against the Golden Bears (13-10, 3-8).

Graduate forward Kaitlyn Davis earned a spot back in the starting lineup and made her presence known on the boards, securing eight against California for her season high.

“To come off that high and beat Cal who’s very good at home … There just was a lot of mental toughness,” Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “There was a recommitment to what our team goals are.”

In a stacked Pac-12 Conference that currently has six ranked squads, wins aren’t easy to come by. The Trojans must continue to play their best brand of basketball to rise up the ranks. Their next task, Arizona State (10-12, 2-8), started out steady before dropping its first five games to commence conference play and hasn’t recovered since. However, the Sun Devils have taken steps in the right direction, finally taking two conference wins in their last four games.

ASU might not have the starpower of the Trojans, but they still have reliable talent. Sophomore guard Jalyn Brown has shown that regardless of the opponents’ prowess, she’ll still rack up a hefty amount of points. Brown tallied 21 against then-No. 15 Utah (17-6, 7-4), 35 against then-No. 5 Colorado (19-3, 9-2) and 34 against Washington (13-8, 3-7), three teams that defeated USC. The Trojans must find a way to slow her down, especially if she plays a full 40 minutes like she’s done in five of the last six games.

Sophomore guard Trayanna Crisp will be another Sun Devil to watch out for, as she’s scored in double figures in Arizona State’s last four contests, and has been a force on defense, most notably racking up four steals against Stanford (20-3, 9-2).

USC’s four losses are only a small scratch on what has been a remarkable, historic season. With a few more ranked matchups left on the calendar, Gottlieb might want to take advantage of lighter opponents like ASU to experiment with different lineups and schemes.

“Energy has been high, just trying to take it game by game,” graduate guard Kayla Padilla said. “The next opportunity is always the one in front of you and the one you’re going to take the most serious.”

The Trojans will host the Sun Devils Friday at 7 p.m. at Galen Center.