-
Alexa Philippou
-
Charlie Creme
Close
Charlie Creme
ESPN.com
- Charlie Creme projects the women’s NCAA tournament bracket for ESPN.com.
Women’s college basketball is officially back, and we’ve got you covered through the opening day of games.
The first matchup set a high standard for the rest, as No. 3 USC narrowly escaped an upset in its 2024-25 season opener. The Trojans, who led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, held off No. 20 Ole Miss 68-66 on Monday in the opening game of the Oui-Play event in Paris.
The Trojans had barely trailed until the 5:22 mark, when the Rebels rallied to take their first lead of the second half. Ole Miss led 64-60 with 2:23 remaining, but USC hit its final eight free throws to seal the win.
USC sophomore JuJu Watkins, one of the front-runners for national player of the year, had 27 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks but also committed 9 turnovers.
USC’s Kiki Iriafen, who transferred from Stanford in the offseason, hit the winning foul shots…
