Monday is going to be an incredible day for women's college basketball. Along with an LSU vs. Iowa rematch of last year's national title game, we're getting an Elite Eight duel between 11-time national champion UConn and the up-and-coming USC program.
The Trojans are playing in their first Elite Eight since 1994, but their Final Four drought is even longer as USC hasn't competed in the final weekend since 1986, when they won their second national title. That was just a year after Geno Auriemma took over as UConn's head coach.
Auriemma turned the Huskies into a powerhouse, and even though they haven't won a title since 2016, their recent resume is still incredible. They just played in their 30th consecutive Sweet 16 and have made 22 Final Fours under Auriemma.
Auriemma noted during press availability on Sunday that while his rotation of players is thin -- the Huskies used just six players in their win against Duke in the Sweet 16 -- he believes they are up to the task.
"I wish there was another way, but there isn't," Auriemma said. "Sometimes you find a lot of strength that you didn't think you had when you're forced into a situation. We tried to slow the game down [against Duke] and that backfired. I think we just gotta keep our foot on the gas pedal for as long as we can and hope it's enough."
Let's take a closer look at how you can watch the action in Portland on Monday before getting to a key storyline to follow below.
How to watch (1) USC vs. (3) UConn
Date: Monday, April 1 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Moda Center -- Portland, Oregon
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
USC vs. UConn: Key storyline
JuJu Watkins vs. Paige Bueckers
While winning will take significant effort from multiple players, there is no escaping the fact that we are getting a matchup between two of the best players in college basketball.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb is only in her third season with the Trojans, but she is already building something special in Los Angeles. The Trojans picked up momentum last season, but the addition of freshman JuJu Watkins has leveled up the program. She is the second-leading scorer in the nation with 27 points per game, while also giving her team 7.2 rebounds per contest and total of 77 steals.
Earlier this month, Watkins was announced as one of four Naismith Trophy finalists, along with Iowa's Caitlin Clark, Stanford's Cameron Brink, and UConn's Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers won 11 major awards in 2021, Naismith Trophy included, after a head-turning freshman season. Injuries have since taken a toll, as she missed all of last season with torn ACL while the Huskies struggled to make it past the Sweet 16. However, Bueckers looks elite again and is carrying a UConn team that's dealing with several major injuries across the roster.
Auriemma's squad has been relying on mostly a seven-player rotation this season because of injuries and inexperience. But that goes to show how powerful Bueckers can be. The redshirt junior is averaging 21.9 points and 5.1 boards per contest while also grabbing 83 steals. UConn will go as far as its superstar goes, and Bueckers has a big test ahead in Watkins and USC.
