Every success USC has achieved during its 2023-24 season — a campaign that lives on for another day after a 73-55 victory over Kansas Monday – has felt like a reminder, an echo of the program’s storied history.
It helps that the Trojans place every win in historical context. The championship in Las Vegas was the first Pac-12 tournament title since 2014, when current assistant coach Courtney Jaco was the team’s most outstanding player. JuJu Watkins was the first All-America first-team selection since 1997, when Tina Thompson, who is a USC Hall of Famer, the first overall draft pick in WNBA history, and a four-time WNBA champion, earned back-to-back nods.
And now, the Trojans are in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years, back when Thompson and fellow USC all-timer Lisa Leslie donned the cardinal and gold.
The Trojans are building something in Los Angeles for the new generation. But to put it more accurately, they are resurrecting a program that lives in the lore of women’s basketball. As the sport reaches an inflection point with modern-day superstars such as Watkins, it’s fitting that a historic program is helping to carry the torch.
“When I had the opportunity to consider taking this job, I think my mindset was what a humbling opportunity to be at essentially…
