USC Trojans women's basketball

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USC Trojans Women's Basketball
2023–24 USC Trojans women's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Southern California
All-time record847–560 (.602)
Head coachLindsay Gottlieb (2nd season)
ConferencePac-12
LocationLos Angeles, California
ArenaGalen Center
(Capacity: 10,258)
NicknameTrojans
Women of Troy
ColorsCardinal and gold[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
Alternate jersey
Team colours
Alternate
NCAA tournament champions
1983, 1984
NCAA tournament runner-up
1986
NCAA tournament Final Four
1983, 1984, 1986
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1994, 2024
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2024
NCAA tournament second round
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2023, 2024
AIAW tournament Final Four
1981
AIAW tournament appearances
1980, 1981
Conference tournament champions
2014, 2024
Conference regular season champions
1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1994

The USC Trojans women's basketball team, or the Women of Troy, is the collegiate women's basketball team that represents the University of Southern California, in the Pac-12 Conference. The team rose to prominence in 1976, at which time scholarships became available to female basketball players. They were the first Division I team to give these scholarships.

History[edit]

The Women of Troy made their first appearance in the Final Four in the 1981 AIAW Tournament. Following the successful 1982 season, in which USC reached the Elite Eight of the first NCAA tournament, the Trojans went on to win national championships in 1983 and 1984. The 1983 championship team included three All-Americans, Paula McGee, Cheryl Miller, and Rhonda Windham. The 1983 team went 31–2 in the regular and post-season combined. The 1983 team bested their opponent, Louisiana Tech, by a mere 2 points. The final score was 69–67. The 1984 championship team went 29–4 in the regular and post season. The 1984 team faced University of Tennessee. The victory this year came by a healthy eleven points. The final score was 72–61. USC made the National Championship again in 1986 but did not prevail. They lost to University of Texas 97–81. They since have yet to appear in the National Championship.

In 1987 and 1994 the Trojans won the Pac-10 Championship. The Trojans had begun their longest playoff drought in 1998, which was broken when the team made it to the playoff bracket in 2005. Not until 2011 did the Trojans make it to the postseason again. In 2006 USC opened the Galen Center, which was the new home of the Women of Troy. It can seat over 10,000 fans, and it was sold out in 2007 for a game between the Trojans and the UCLA Bruins. It was the first time in history that an NCAA women's basketball game was sold out. Every year since 1986, at least one member of the Trojans team has been honored in the Pac-10 awards. To date, eleven players who played for USC have won Olympic medals.[2]

Given USC's early and iconic development of women's basketball, the legacy was featured in an HBO documentary entitled "Women of Troy," which premiered on March 10, 2020.[3]

Notable players[edit]

  • Michelle Campbell, played 1993–1997, then played for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA in 2000.[4]
  • Cynthia Cooper, played 1982–1986. Cooper helped lead the team to its only national championships (1983, 1984) and in 1988 won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. national basketball team in Seoul. She also played with the Houston Comets in the WNBA, where the team won titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Signed as head coach at Prairie View A&M University in 2005, then UNC Wilmington in 2010, followed by Texas Southern in 2012.[5] She became the USC head coach for the 2013–14 season.[6]
  • Jacki Gemelos, played 2009–2012. She played on various WNBA teams as well as the Greek women's national basketball team. She is currently an assistant coach for the New York Liberty.
  • Lisa Leslie, played 1990–1994. She set many records in points and rebounds, and in 1994, she was National Player of the Year. She got a contract with the WNBA in 1997, becoming one of the new league's first players, where she joined the Los Angeles Sparks. In 2001, she was the first WNBA player to win the regular season MVP, the All-Star Game MVP and the playoff MVP in the same season. Lisa also led the Los Angeles Sparks to two back-to-back WNBA Championships (2001, 2002). Lisa won 4 Olympic gold medals and was the first woman in the WNBA to make a slam-dunk during an official game. In 2009 she retired and is now a team owner of the Los Angeles Sparks.[7][8]
  • Nicky McCrimmon, played 1992–1994, then for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2000, and Houston Comets in 2005.[4]
  • Pamela McGee, played 1980–1984. She was a part of the NCAA championship team and earned an Olympic Gold for the United States in 1984. She also played in the WNBA.
  • Dr. Paula McGee, played 1980–1984. She was a part of the NCAA championship team and is currently an academic and a public theologian.
  • Cheryl Miller, played 1982–1986. She led the Women of Troy to two National Championships (1983, 1984) and won the NCAA tournament MVP both years. She also coached for the Women of Troy for 2 seasons (1993–1995). In her 2 seasons she had a combined 44–14 record and went to the NCAA tournament both seasons, making a Regional Final once. She then went on to coach in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury (1997–2000). She was inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.[9][10]
  • Shay Murphy, played 2003–2007. She was a member of the Phoenix Mercury in 2014, when the squad won the WNBA championship.
  • Tina Thompson, played 1993–1997. Thompson led USC to the NCAA tournament 3 times (1994, 1995, 1997) and to one Elite 8 (1994). In 1994 she was named Freshmen of the Year in the Pac-10 Conference and Freshmen All-America by Basketball Times. In 1997 she was the first overall draft pick in the WNBA by the Houston Comets, she became the first draftee in the history of the WNBA. She helped lead the Comets to 4 WNBA Championships in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.[11] Thompson played for Houston Comets from 1997 to 2008, the Los Angeles Sparks from 2009 to 2011, and the Seattle Storm from 2012 to 2013.[12]
  • Adrian Williams, played 1995–1999, then for the Minnesota Lynx, 2006–2007.[4]
  • JuJu Watkins, a rising sophomore for the Women of Troy who currently holds the record for the most points scored by a first-year women's college basketball player. She was the number 1 recruit for the class of 2023 and picked up countless conference and national accolades during her first season.

Head coaches[edit]

  • Linda Sharp (1977–1989) led the Women of Troy to 2 NCAA National Women Championships, 3 final four appearances. She ended her record with the Women of Troy with a 271–99 and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
  • Marianne Stanley (1989–1993) led the Women of Troy to the NCAA tournament 3 years in a row and recruited future WNBA Stars Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson and Nicky McCrimmon. She has been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
  • Cheryl Miller (1993–1995) coached only 2 seasons for the Women of Troy. In her 2 seasons she had a combined 44–14 record and went to the NCAA tournament both seasons, making a Regional Final once. Cheryl Miller is also a former player of the Women of Troy where she led the Women of Troy to two National Championships (1983, 1984) and won the NCAA tournament MVP both years. She then went on to coach in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury (1997–2000). She was inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.[9]
  • Fred Willams (1995–1997) was assistant coach prior to serving as head coach. He went to coach in the WNBA after his final season at USC.
  • Chris Gobrecht (1997–2004) played for the Women of Troy from 1974 to 1976.
  • Mark Trakh (2004–2009)[13] & (2017–2021) had two stints with the Women of Troy. His squads reached the NCAA tournament twice.[14]
  • Michael Cooper (2009–2013) resigned as head coach for the Women of Troy. Of his 4-season he ended with a record of 61–37 (.622).
  • Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (2013–2017) a former Women of Troy player, who helped lead the team to its only National Championships (1983, 1984) and in 1988 won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. national basketball team in Seoul. She also played with the Houston Comets in the WNBA, where she led the team to a record four consecutive WNBA championships (1997–2000). She took the head coaching job for the USC Women of Troy for the 2013–2014 season and remained until 2017.[6][15]
  • Lindsay Gottlieb (2021–) joined the Women of Troy after two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers as an assistant coach. Prior to her time in the NBA, Gottlieb was the head coach at California for 8 seasons, leading the team to 7 NCAA tournaments, including one final four appearance.

Arenas[edit]

Roster[edit]

2023–24 USC Trojans women's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown
G 1 Taylor Bigby 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) RS So Oregon Las Vegas, NV
G 2 India Otto 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) GS Windward HS Los Angeles, CA
G 3 Aaliyah Gayles 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) RS Fr Spring Valley HS Las Vegas, NV
G 4 Kayla Williams 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Sr UC Irvine Los Angeles, CA
G 10 Malia Samuels 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Fr Garfield HS Seattle, WA
G 12 JuJu Watkins 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Fr Sierra Canyon HS Los Angeles, CA
G/F 13 Rayah Marshall 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Jr Lynwood HS Los Angeles, CA
G 21 Dominique Darius 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) RS So UCLA Jacksonville, FL
F 24 Kaitlyn Davis 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) GS Columbia Norwalk, CT
G/F 25 McKenzie Forbes 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) GS Harvard Folsom HS
G 30 Roxane Makolo 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) GS TCU Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada
C 34 Clarice Akunwafo 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Jr Rolling Hills Prep Inglewood, CA
G 45 Kayla Padilla 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) GS UPenn Torrance, CA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 5, 2023

Year by year results[edit]

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Coaches' poll AP poll
Marci Cantrell (Independent, WCAA, Pac-8) (1976–1977)
1976–77 Marci Cantrell 5–16 1–7 4th (WCAA)
Marci Cantrell: 5–16 1–7
Linda Sharp (Independent, WCAA, Pac-10) (1977–1989)
1977–78 Linda Sharp 11–13 3–5 4th (WCAA)
1978–79 Linda Sharp 21–10 4–4 3rd WAIAW
1979–80 Linda Sharp 22–12 9–3 3rd AIAW First round
1980–81 Linda Sharp 26–8 9–3 1st AIAW Fourth Place 4
1981–82 Linda Sharp 23–4 9–3 2nd NCAA Elite Eight 6
1982–83 Linda Sharp 31–2 13–1 1st NCAA Champions 1
1983–84 Linda Sharp 29–4 13–1 1st NCAA Champions 5
1984–85 Linda Sharp 21–9 10–4 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen 15
1985–86 Linda Sharp 31–5 8–0 1st NCAA Runner-up 2 3
Pac-12 Conference
1986–87 Linda Sharp 22–8 15–3 1st (Pac-12) NCAA Sweet Sixteen 14 19
1987–88 Linda Sharp 22–8 15–3 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen 13 15
1988–89 Linda Sharp 12–16 8–10 T-4th
Linda Sharp: 271–99 116–40
Marianne Stanley (Pac-10) (1989–1993)
1989–90 Marianne Stanley 8–19 6–12 7th
1990–91 Marianne Stanley 18–12 11–7 3rd NCAA Second round (Play-In)
1991–92 Marianne Stanley 23–8 14–4 2nd NCAA Elite Eight 12 23
1992–93 Marianne Stanley 22–7 14–4 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen 14 15
Marianne Stanley: 71–46 45–27
Cheryl Miller (Pac-10) (1993–1995)
1993–94 Cheryl Miller 26–4 16–2 1st NCAA Elite Eight 9 7
1994–95 Cheryl Miller 18–10 10–8 5th NCAA First round
Cheryl Miller: 44–14 26–10
Fred Williams (Pac-10) (1995–1997)
1995–96 Fred Williams 13–14 8–10 T-6th
1996–97 Fred Williams 20–9 13–5 3rd NCAA Second round
Fred Williams: 33–23 21–15
Chris Gobrecht (Pac-10) (1997–2004)
1997–98 Chris Gobrecht 12–15 7–11 6th
1998–99 Chris Gobrecht 7–20 3–15 T-9th
1999–2000 Chris Gobrecht 16–14 10–8 T-5th WNIT Sixteen
2000–01 Chris Gobrecht 13–15 8–10 T-6th
2001–02 Chris Gobrecht 16–14 11–7 T-4th WNIT Sixteen
2002–03 Chris Gobrecht 14–17 8–10 T-5th
2003–04 Chris Gobrecht 15–13 11–7 T-3rd
Chris Gobrecht: 93–108 58–68
Mark Trakh (Pac-10) (2004–2009)
2004–05 Mark Trakh 20–11 12–6 T-2nd NCAA Second round 22
2005–06 Mark Trakh 19–12 11–7 4th NCAA Second round
2006–07 Mark Trakh 17–13 10–8 5th
2007–08 Mark Trakh 17–13 10–8 4th
2008–09 Mark Trakh 17–15 9–9 T-4th
Mark Trakh: 90–64 52–38
Michael Cooper (Pac-10, Pac-12) (2009–2013)
2009–10 Michael Cooper 19–12 12–6 3rd
2010–11 Michael Cooper 24–13 10–8 4th WNIT Runner-up
2011–12 Michael Cooper 18–12 12–6 3rd
2012–13 Michael Cooper 11–20 7–11 7th
Michael Cooper: 72–57 41–31
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (Pac-12) (2013–2017)
2013–14 Cynthia Cooper-Dyke 22–13 11–7 T-4th NCAA First round
2014–15 Cynthia Cooper-Dyke 15–15 7–11 T-7th
2015–16 Cynthia Cooper-Dyke 19–13 6–12 8th
2016–17 Cynthia Cooper-Dyke 14–16 5–13 9th
Cynthia Cooper-Dyke: 70–57 29–43
Mark Trakh (Pac-12) (2017–2021)
2017–18 Mark Trakh 19–10 9–9 7th
2018–19 Mark Trakh 17–13 7–11 T-8th
2019–20 Mark Trakh 17–14 8–10 7th Postseason canceled due to COVID-19; WNIT bid was expected
2020–21 Mark Trakh 11–12 8–10 8th
Mark Trakh: 65–50 (155–114) 32–40 (84–78)
Lindsay Gottlieb (Pac-12) (2021–present)
2021–22 Lindsay Gottlieb 12–16 5–12 10th
2022–23 Lindsay Gottlieb 21–10 11–7 T-4th NCAA First Round
2023–24 Lindsay Gottlieb 29–6 13–5 T-2nd NCAA Elite Eight
Lindsay Gottlieb: 62–32 29–24
Total: 850–561

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Postseason results[edit]

NCAA Division I[edit]

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1982 #1 First round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #8 Kent State
#4 Penn State
#2 Tennessee		 W 99−55
W 73–70
L 90–91 (OT)
1983 #1 First round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Title Game		 #8 NE Louisiana
#4 Arizona State
#2 Long Beach State
#2 Georgia
#1 Louisiana Tech		 W 99−85
W 96–59
W 81–74
W 81–57
W 69–67
1984 #1 First round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Title Game		 #8 BYU
#4 Montana
#2 Long Beach State
#1 Louisiana Tech
#3 Tennessee		 W 97−72
W 76–51
W 90–74
W 62–57
W 72–61
1985 #4 First round
Sweet Sixteen		 #5 Idaho
#1 Long Beach State		 W 74−51
L 72–75
1986 #1 Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
Title Game		 #8 Montana
#4 North Carolina
#2 Louisiana Tech
#4 Tennessee
#1 Texas		 W 81−50
W 84–70
W 80–64
W 83–59
L 81–97
1987 #3 Second round
Sweet Sixteen		 #6 Western Kentucky
#2 Ohio State		 W 81−69
L 63–74
1988 #4 Second round
Sweet Sixteen		 #5 Nebraska
#1 Iowa		 W 100−82
L 67–79
1991 #5 First round
Second round		 #12 Utah
#4 Long Beach State		 W 63−52
L 58–83
1992 #3 Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #11 Montana
#2 Stephen F. Austin
#1 Stanford		 W 71−59
W 61–57
L 62–82
1993 #3 Second round
Sweet Sixteen		 #6 Nebraska
#2 Texas Tech		 W 78−60
L 67–87
1994 #2 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #15 Portland
#7 George Washington
#3 Virginia
#4 Louisiana Tech		 W 77−62
W 76–72
W 85–66
L 66–75
1995 #9 First round #8 Memphis L 72–74
1997 #6 First round
Second round		 #11 San Francisco
#3 Florida		 W 68−55
L 78–92
2005 #8 First round
Second round		 #9 Louisville
#1 Michigan State		 W 65−49
L 59–61
2006 #8 First round
Second round		 #9 South Florida
#1 Duke		 W 67−65
L 51–85
2014 #9 First round #8 St. John's L 68–71
2023 #8 First round #9 South Dakota State L 57–62 OT
2024 #1 First round
Second round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #16 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
#8 Kansas
#5 Baylor
#3 UConn		 W 84−55
W 73−55
W 74−70
L 73–80

AIAW Division I[edit]

The Trojans made two appearances in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 2–3.

Year Round Opponent Result
1980 First round South Carolina L, 60–81
1981 Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third-place game 		Oregon
Cheyney State
Louisiana Tech
Old Dominion 		W, 67–64
W, 67–58
L, 50–66
L, 65–68

Awards and achievements[edit]

Retired numbers[edit]

USC Trojans retired numbers
No. Player Year retired
11 Paula McGee 2012
14 Tina Thompson 2019
30 Pamela McGee 2012
31 Cheryl Miller 2006
33 Lisa Leslie 2006
44 Cynthia Cooper 2019

Career leaders[edit]

Rank Points 3-pt FGs Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks
1. 3,018 - Cheryl Miller
1982–86		 292 - Ashley Corral
2009–12		 1,534 - Cheryl Miller
1982–86		 735 - Rhonda Windham
1983–87		 462 - Cheryl Miller
1982–86		 321 - Lisa Leslie
1990–94
2. 2,474 - Cherie Nelson
1986–88		 213 - Courtney Jaco
2014–17		 1,255 -Pam McGee
1981-84		 473 -Thera Smith
1979–82		 309 - Tammy Story
1998-2002		 320 - Cheryl Miller
1982–86
3. 2,414 - Lisa Leslie
1990–94		 183 - Brynn Cameron
2004–09		 1,232 - Cherie Nelson
1986-89		 466 -Camille Lenoir
2004–09		 256 - Cynthia Cooper
1982-86		 190 - Paula McGee
1981-84
4. 2,346 - Paula McGee
1981-84		 181 - Eshaya Murphy
2004–07		 1,214 - Lisa Leslie
1990–94		 466 - Ashley Corral
2009-12		 249 - Ebony Hoffman
2001–04		 168 - Briana Gilbreath
2009-12
5. 2,248 -Tina Thompson
1993-97		 177 - Aliyah Mazyck
2015–2019		 1,168 - Tina Thompson
1993-97		 450 - Minyon Moore
2016–19		 248 - Paula McGee
1981–84		 162 - Michelle Campbell
1993-97
6. 2,214 - Pam McGee
1981–84		 154 - Camille Lenoir
2004–09		 1,155 - Paula McGee
1981–84		 422 - Tammy Story
1989–92		 241 - Briana Gilbreath
2009-–12		 139 - Chloe Kerr
2004-07
7. 1,832 - Cassie Harberts
2011–14		 138 - Ariya Crook
2012–14		 1,003 - Ebony Hoffman
2001–04		 417 - Jamie Hagiya
2004–07		 234 -Eshaya Murphy
2004–07		 122 - Ebony Hoffman
2001-04
8. 1,797- Kathy Hammond
1978-81		 132 - Jamie Hagiya
2004–07		 925- Cassie Harberts
2011–14		 414 - Cheryl Miller
1982–86		 228 - Lisa Leslie
1990-94		 119 -Pam McGee
1982-84
9. 1,687 - Ebony Hoffman
2001–04		 118- Heather Oliver
2007-10		 917- Kristen Simon
2014-18		 395 - Brianna Barrett
2013-16		 221-Minyon Moore
2016-19		 110 - Nadia Parker
2006-09
10. 1,608 - Briana Gilbreath
2009–12		 110 - Tammy Story
1989-92		 813 - Briana Gilbreath
2009–12		 381 - Cynthia Cooper
1982-86		 218-Karon Howell
1986-89		 109 - Cherie Nelson
1986-99

References[edit]

  1. ^ "USC Athletics Brand And Identity System Evolves". USCTrojans.com. April 15, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/usc/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2011-12WBBpp69-100.pdf (2012). "Women of Troy History,"
  3. ^ "Women of Troy". HBO. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  4. ^ a b c "Women of Troy In the Pros". University of Southern California. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  5. ^ "Cynthia Cooper Returns to Comets". WNBA.com. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  6. ^ a b "Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Bio". CBSi Advanced Media. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Lisa Leslie.biography". A+E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Lisa Leslie Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story". Biography.com. 1972-07-07. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  9. ^ a b "Cheryl Miller". NBA Hoopedia. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Cheryl Miller Resigns as USC Coach". Los Angeles Times. 1995-09-16. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  11. ^ "Tina Thompson". ©2013 Goodwin Sports Management, Inc. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  12. ^ "SPARKS: Sparks Sign Olympian & WNBA Veteran Tina Thompson". Wnba.com. 2008-06-05. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  13. ^ "USC Trojans". NBA Hoopedia. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  14. ^ "Trakh returns to USC". Swish Appeal. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  15. ^ "Cooper-Dyke resigns as USC basketball coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
  16. ^ "Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena". NBA Hoopedia. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  17. ^ "Galen Center". NBA Hoopedia. Retrieved 29 April 2013.

External links[edit]

Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/USCWBB

Fan Forum: https://www.uscbasketball.com/forum/the-lyon-center

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