The Sweet 16 Saturday nightcap is a bittersweet one. USC is still a talented and zealous group, but the absence of JuJu Watkins puts something of a damper on things. Perhaps the Trojans will launch an all-time cool title run to honor their fallen star. A win over fifth-seeded Kansas State would all but certainly put them against UConn in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats are feeling themselves, though, fresh off an overtime thriller.
How to watch No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Kansas State
- What: Spokane 4 Regional, Sweet 16
- Venue: Spokane Arena — Spokane, Wash.
- Time: 8 p.m. ET, Saturday
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
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USC beat Mississippi State by 37 points on Monday, but the result was relegated to an epilogue after Watkins’ deflating knee injury in the first half. Kiki Iriafen shifted the offense inward and scored a game-high 36 points on 16-for-22 shooting. The former All-American big reached the Sweet 16 with Stanford last season and had eight separate 20-10 games in 2024-25. The Los Angeles native commands gravity in the paint and slips past screens with force. She went on a personal 10-0 run Monday:
KIKI IRIAFEN THE WOMAN THAT…
