Stanford’s first encounter with mercurial USC star Juju Watkins didn’t go well. The Cardinal will need much better results against the freshman sensation if they hope to win the final women’s Pac-12 tournament title game Sunday.
Last month, Watkins erupted for a school-record 51 points to lead the Trojans to a 67-58 upset of Stanford at Maples Pavilion, prompting a stunned Tara VanDerveer to tell USC coach Lindsey Gottlieb, “She was really good.”
That victory helped spur Watkins-led USC (25-5) to 10 wins over its last 11 games and a No. 5 spot in The Associated Press’ latest poll. Watkins’ magic Friday night helped deliver USC to its first Pac-12 tournament championship game berth since 2014. Watkins had 33 points and 10 rebounds as USC beat No. 7 UCLA 80-70 in double overtime.
Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) reacts as time runs out in the team’s overtime win over UCLA in an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Pac-12 women’s tournament Friday, March 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Stanford (27-4) has had to overcome a pair of sluggish starts on its way to its 16th berth in the Pac-12 tournament title game. Like USC, the Cardinal relied on their star power — All-American Cameron Brink (two double-doubles) and Kiki Iriafen (28 points, 18 rebounds vs. Cal) — in Las Vegas. Stanford had to overcome a 16-point deficit to beat No. 13 Oregon State on Friday, after needing to rally from a halftime deficit Thursday against Cal.
The Cardinal will be shooting for a third conference tournament title in the past four seasons Sunday, and they’ll be doing it with a sense of sadness, given the fact it will be the final game in Pac-12 women’s basketball history.
“I think we’re all savoring this,” Brink said after Stanford’s 66-57 semifinal win over Oregon State. “It’s the last one ever. So, yeah, I think it’s really bittersweet, but it’s been really fun so far.”
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VanDerveer was conflicted when asked how she felt about Sunday’s game marking the end of the conference.
“Well, I think that I kind of have to compartmentalize a little bit. I’m really enjoying this team and being here and the great conference and the fans and all of you being here,” she told reporters. “And I’m absolutely heartbroken about what has happened to our great conference, especially where we’ve come from nowhere to where we are with women’s basketball.”