Sun Mar 09 00:20:00 UTC 2025: ## USC Women’s Basketball Soars to No. 2 in AP Poll, Highest Ranking in 39 Years

**Indianapolis, IN** – The USC Women of Troy basketball team has reached its highest national ranking in nearly four decades, jumping to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Monday. This marks the program’s best ranking since the first poll of 1986.

The Trojans’ impressive climb follows their regular-season finale victory over UCLA, securing them the Pac-12 title. Sophomore guard JuJu Watkins led the charge with a remarkable 30-point performance, a game that solidified her status as a top contender for national player of the year. She already received the National Player of the Year honor from The Athletic on Monday.

Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb expressed her pride, stating the achievement reflects the team’s dedication to restoring the program’s historical prominence. USC received six of the 31 first-place votes, trailing only Texas, which secured the top spot.

The Trojans now head to the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis, where they will face the winner of Indiana and Oregon in the quarterfinals on Friday. USC defeated both teams convincingly earlier this season.

The top five of the AP poll includes Texas at No. 1, USC at No. 2, Connecticut at No. 3, UCLA at No. 4, and South Carolina at No. 5. Other notable teams in the top ten include Notre Dame, North Carolina State, TCU, LSU, and Oklahoma.

This week’s conference tournaments will be crucial in determining final NCAA tournament seeding. Selection Sunday is scheduled for March 16th on ESPN.

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