Penn State is the closest it’s been to the Big Ten tournament all year, and it has another opportunity to get another step closer.
The Lady Lions will host USC at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in their final home game of the year, needing at least one more win for a chance at a tournament bid.
While this year’s Trojans look a little different than last year’s Big Ten runner-ups, USC will be one of the toughest opponents for Penn State in February.
All-time matchups
Since USC was one of the recent teams to join the Big Ten back in 2024, the Lady Lions have only had a few matchups with the Trojans over the years.
USC has dominated the blue and white over the years, with Penn State boasting a 1-5 all-time record. After the Nittany Lions won the first contest in 1980, the Trojans have won five straight over the years, including a trio of games in the 1980’s and two games over the past few years.
Last year, the Lady Lions traveled to the West Coast and were demolished by USC, falling 95-73 amidst a seven-game losing streak.
Three of Penn State’s top players in last year’s matchup — Gabby Elliott, Alli Campbell and Talayah Walker — combined for 42 points, but have since transferred away from the team. That leaves just Gracie Merkle, Moriah Murray and Shaelyn Steele, who tallied a combined 17 points against the Trojans.
Meanwhile, USC was led by JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, who scored 35 and 28 points, respectively.
This year, Watkins is out with a torn ACL, while Iriafen is now playing in the WNBA. Of the Trojans who scored in last year’s battle, only Kennedy Smith, Malia Samuels and Vivian Iwuchukwu, who scored a total of 10 points, are back this year.
Guard Moriah Murray (3) talks to her team during the women’s basketball game against Northwestern at Rec Hall on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2026 in University Park, Pa. The Lady Lions beat the Wildcats 81-71.
Sawyer Hadlum
2025-26 Trojans
Without Watkins, USC has been a little worse off than last year. The Trojans come into Wednesday’s game with a 17-10 record, including a 4-8 record against top-25 teams.
USC was in the top-25 up until the start of 2026, when it lost four straight to UCLA, Oregon, Minnesota and Maryland. However, the team experienced a recent six-game winning streak, including a big upset win over then-No. 8 Iowa.
In Watkins’ absence, a pair of new faces has shouldered the load this year for the Trojans.
Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson leads USC in scoring and sits ninth in the Big Ten with 18.0 points per game. The No. 1 athlete in the 2025 recruiting class has recorded a dozen 20-point games this year and is coming off a career-high 32 point game.
Kara Dunn joined the Trojans with more experience after three seasons with Georgia Tech.
This year, she’s averaging the most points in her career with 15.6 points per game.
Wednesday’s matchup
While USC is statistically the better team coming into this week’s contest, Kiyomi McMiller has been unstoppable over the past month.
McMiller has recorded five straight 30-point games, the first Big Ten athlete since Caitlin Clark, who was drafted No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA Draft. But even before those five games, she still led the Lady Lions in scoring with 21.6 points per game while increasing her field goal percentage significantly.
If Watkins was playing, it would be an all-star showdown between her and McMiller. But even without it, the Trojans have a star-studded backcourt that will be a problem for the late-climbing blue and white.
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After another record-breaking week, sophomore Kiyomi McMiller is earning the honors.
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