October 29, 2024
How JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen plan to meet USC expectations
No. 3 preseason ranking doesn't intimidate Lindsay Gottlieb's group
When the Big Ten preseason coaches poll was released near the end of September, it wasn’t all that shocking for the USC Trojans to come in at No. 1. Despite being a newcomer to the conference, USC is has the most talented roster, highlighted by sophomore guard JuJu Watkins and senior forward Kiki Iriafen.
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The Trojans rose to national prominence last season with the arrival of Watkins. They spent most of the second half of the season ranked in the top-five in the AP women’s basketball poll. Their season ended in an Elite Eight loss to UConn, but with plenty of optimism on the horizon.
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With the transfer portal becoming so important to fielding a competitive roster, the Trojans struck gold with Iriafen and former Oregon State wing Talia von Oelhoffen. Along with a top recruiting class, USC has enough firepower to make another deep NCAA Tournament run.
But with the expectations that are sure to follow, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb is almost thankful for the seven incoming freshman in that their youth will keep the team grounded.
“I think it’s really good for us with the expectations that we have. We’re not going to let that weigh us down, we’re not going to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. . .they keep us young so to speak,” Gottlieb told assembled media during Big Ten media day.
But even with the influx of youth on the roster, USC is going to lean on Watkins and Iriafen.
After a stellar freshman season, all eyes will be on Watkins as she looks to take that sophomore leap. She’s coming off a year during which she was second in the nation in scoring (27.1 points) behind only Caitlin Clark‘s 31.6. She also put up 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocked shots.
One topic of conversation has been her efficiency. She shot 40.1 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the 3-point line. She knows she has to get those numbers up and already has a plan on how to do so.
“I’ll just naturally continue to get smarter and play the game better as I get older,” Watkins told reporters during Big Ten media day. “So I think this next season, definitely working on being more efficient. Just knowing where to get my teammates the ball more. Just really playing my game.”
That isn’t just about making shots, but where Watkins is getting them.
”I’ve been working on my post game a lot while also working on my pace,” Watkins said. “So kind of being able to be more versatile and slowing the game down.”
Playing the post will certainly get Watkins easier looks. And USC will be able to feature her inside more often due to the arrival of Iriafen. While the Stanford transfer has been a strong paint scorer herself, she’s expanded her game to where she can be a legitimate floor spacer.
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The pairing of Watkins and Iriafen, a lethal perimeter scorer and a dominant low post presence, has Gottlieb already imagining the dynamic they will have on the court.
“I’ve been actually incredibly impressed with how fast their chemistry has developed. Kiki’s is a pro, she’s gonna be a pro, but it’s good for her, I think, to play with a guard who goes off script, who’s creative. That’s not necessarily what she’s done before,” Gottlieb said. “I think JuJu and Kiki fit great together. . .a pick and roll threat, an inside-out threat. Kiki is also really versatile where she’s stretching her game and playing on the perimeter and she’s a good passer. That creates more space where maybe I can post JuJu up a little bit more, get her more in space.”
After attempting only one 3-point shot her first two seasons at Stanford, Iriafen took six attempts from long-range last year and shot 33.3 percent off those looks. As she continues to expand her offensive game, she brings something that USC hasn’t really had in quite some time, an efficient low post threat who you can throw the ball to.
Iriafen shot 54.6 percent from the field across her three seasons at Stanford. She was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player while establishing herself as a potential lottery pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Her numbers exploded this past year, improving over 2022-23 from 6.7 points to 19.4 per game and 3.8 rebounds to 11 per game.
She’s looking forward to how she fits in with her new USC teammates.
“I feel like I bring defense and energy, but I’m really just whatever Coach G wants me to do, kind of filing in the missing piece,” Iriafen said. “That’s defensively and offensively, being a good teammate. But it terms of gelling with my teammates, I think over the summer we’ve gotten really close and that’s important for our chemistry. I’m really excited to continue building that chemistry, and I think it’s just filling in that missing piece.”
Our first top 25 ranking placed the Trojans third in the country. Iriafen and Watkins have big plans to make sure this season justifies the hype.
Written by David Mendez-Yapkowitz
David has been with The Next team since the High Post Hoops days when he joined the staff in 2018. He is based in Los Angeles and covers the LA Sparks, Pac-12 Conference, Big West Conference and some high school as well.
