USC’s 2026-27 women’s basketball schedule is set, and the calendar gives fans a clear look at when JuJu Watkins is expected back on the floor.
The Big Ten released its conference slate on Wednesday, and USC filled in the rest of the non-conference picture soon after. The Women of Troy will start with an exhibition at the Galen Center in late October, then open the regular season in Las Vegas a week later. From there, the schedule stretches across home dates, road trips and showcase events before Big Ten play takes over in January.
USC will host five non-conference opponents, face one conference opponent outside the league grind, and also play a local game later in the calendar year. The path includes trips for tournaments and rematches, with some of the biggest matchups packed into November and December.
The non-conference portion starts Nov. 10 against College of Charleston, followed by a Nov. 15 game at South Carolina in Greenville. USC then meets Baylor on Nov. 20 in the Hollywood Hardwood Classic at Intuit Dome before turning to a Nov. 23 home game listed on the schedule.
The holiday stretch sends the Women of Troy to the Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship, where they’ll face St. Joseph’s on Nov. 27 at 10:30 a.m.
PST and Iowa State on Nov. 29 at 10:30 a.m. PST.
December brings a run of home games and showcase dates: Washington on Dec. 5, Grambling State on Dec. 8 and Youngstown State on Dec.
- USC then heads to Phoenix to play Miami in the Scripps Sports Showcase on Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
PST, before closing the month in Las Vegas with Notre Dame on Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. PST and Duke on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.
PST in the Players Era Showcase.
The final non-conference game listed is at Wisconsin on Dec. 29.
Big Ten play begins Jan. 2 at home against Northwestern, and the league schedule quickly moves through Nebraska, Maryland, Rutgers, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. USC’s road swing includes trips to Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue and Indiana before a Feb. 7 game at UCLA and a Feb. 11 trip to Iowa.
The closing stretch brings Michigan State, Ohio State and a Feb. 25 Senior Day matchup with UCLA before USC finishes the regular season at Oregon on Feb. 28.
The Big Ten tournament follows from March 3-7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
USC’s roster also comes loaded with names that should keep the spotlight on this team. Watkins is set to return, and the Women of Troy will also bring in No. 1 overall prospect Saniyah Hall and top 10 prospect Sara Okeke. They’ll join National Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson, Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection Kennedy Smith, and portal additions Pania Davis and Ryann Bennett.
In Other News...
USC Walks Into A Road Game That Could Get Awkward Fast
Rutgers is already in an uncomfortable spot before USC ever takes the field in this one. The Scarlet Knights have opened the season with back-to-back heavy losses, including a home defeat to UMass and another setback against Boston College, and the tone around the program has turned quickly as questions start to follow Greg Schiano into the week.
USC, meanwhile, walks into a road game where the opponents mood may be as much a factor as the matchup itself. The Trojans are getting Rutgers at a time when the Scarlet Knights are trying to steady a season that has already gone sideways, and if the noise around Schiano keeps building, this could become one of those trips where the football and the larger tension around the program are impossible to separate. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads To Rutgers With A New Receiver Concern
USCs trip to Rutgers picked up a little more uncertainty when true freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley landed on the injury list and was ruled out for the game because of a knee ailment. Mosley has been part of the group the Trojans have leaned on for depth, and his absence comes at a point where the offense is trying to keep its receiver rotation steady heading into another road test.
Lincoln Riley said the timeline is still unclear, though the expectation is that it should not turn into a long-term issue. In the meantime, USC is looking at other options to absorb the snaps and production, with Zacharyus Williams and Terrell Anderson among the receivers who could be asked to take on more of the load. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans Got The Jayden Maiava Shoulder Answer They Needed
Jayden Maiava gave USC plenty to feel good about in its win over Louisiana, piling up a career-high five touchdowns while also putting an end to the shoulder chatter that had lingered around him. The senior quarterback said he is healthy, and the way he played looked every bit like a passer operating without restriction, with freshman tight end Mark Bowman emerging as a major part of the offense with six catches and two scores.
For a Trojans team trying to build momentum, the timing mattered as much as the numbers. Maiava also spoke about getting ready for Rutgers and reflected on how far he has come over three seasons at Southern Cal, which adds another layer to a performance that was already important for the scoreboard and the injury conversation alike. [Read more 🡒]