No matter how many times she’s heard her team’s name on the NCAA tournament selection program, Lindsay Gottlieb still gets nervous.
The USC head coach anxiously cradled her 5-month-old daughter Reese in her arms as the names ticked across the screen at a bar near the USC campus. Their players stared at the TV with phones recording the show waiting for their moment.
When USC was classified as no. 8 Seed in the Seattle I area was announced, ending a nine-year NCAA tournament drought for the Trojans. Gottlieb threw up her hands and USC players screamed and danced. USC (21-9) will play No. 9 South Dakota State in Blacksburg, Va., on Friday, where No. 1 ranked Virginia Tech will host.
The Trojans were ranked ninth in the Pac-12 poll for the season, but are advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.
“We are trying to build something special for USC,” forward Kadi Sissoko said. “It’s been a minute since they won anything or went to March Madness, so it’s really exciting and we’re all trying to get together and prove something.”
USC wasn’t the only team to exceed preseason expectations. UCLA entered the season unranked and with a no. 4 seeds host Sacramento State in the first round at Saturday’s Greenville I Regional. NO. No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 12 Portland round out the four teams playing at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins are making their sixth appearance in the last seven NCAA tournaments. Since 2015, when the NCAA began using the top 4 seeds as sites for the two rounds, UCLA has hosted three, advancing to the Sweet 16 each time.
“You still have to execute your game plan,” said UCLA coach Cori Close, “but if you look at history, it turns out that being able to play at home is a pretty big advantage.”
As the Bruins return to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus, the road back to the postseason has been much longer for the Trojans. USC received an overall bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, overcoming the first major hurdle in rebuilding the program in Gottlieb’s second year at the helm.
The team celebrated this with a viewing party near the campus. Athletic director Mike Bohn, donors, cheerleaders and bandmates filled a reception room at Rock and Reilly’s Irish Pub with players and coaches. This marks the first time since 1997 that USC has sent its men’s and women’s teams to the NCAA Tournament in the same year.
“We end up with much bigger and bigger goals, Final Fours and National Championships, but you have to take steps,” Gottlieb said. “And going from where we were at this time last year to where we are now is a very special achievement.”
Gottlieb noted that the team only had six players in the summer after the players left. The Trojans reloaded with seven inbound transfers, led by Sissoko (Minnesota) and Destiny Littleton (South Carolina). They became All-Pac-12 players, along with returnee Rayah Marshall, who became the only player in the Pac-12 to hit a double-double, averaging 12.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
Led by senior Charisma Osborne (15.5 points, 5.6 rebounds) and freshman Kiki Rice (11.7 points), the Bruins defeated Arizona and Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament en route to the championship game where they faced the state of Washington.
Ranked No. 1 in the nation’s freshman league, Close received enthusiastic feedback from WNBA and US basketball officials earlier this year that the Bruins “would be just as good next year.” But they haven’t settled for next season yet.
“It was like we were never going to get to where we are today,” said Close. “It was really rewarding to get the chance to play at home and watch these youngsters grow amidst so many new faces and new players.”
After a disappointing first-round elimination of the Pac-12 tournament, USC rebounded for on-campus training last week. The Trojans got into the March Madness mood by watching the HBO documentary Women of Troy, which chronicles USC’s rise to power when they were led by Cheryl Miller from 1982-1986. The movie gave Marshall goosebumps, the LA student said.
“It put a chip on our shoulders, if they can come out and compete, we wanted to go out and do the same thing,” said Marshall. “We wanted to represent them. If they can do what they can, at least we can go there and give them everything.”
Here is a recap of the games for the first four and first round of the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament:
Source: LA Times
Robert Happel is an author and sports journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep passion for sports and a talent for analyzing the latest developments in the world of athletics. With a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge on the subject, Robert has become a respected voice in the field of sports journalism.
