USC women’s basketball is headed back to Las Vegas for a marquee nonconference test, with the Trojans set to meet Notre Dame and Duke in the 2026 Players Era Women’s Basketball Showcase.
Event organizers announced Monday, Aug. 31, that the two-day showcase will run Dec. 19-20 at Michelob ULTRA Arena inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. USC opens the event against Notre Dame on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m.
PT on ESPN, then turns around to face Duke on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.
The 2026 edition is the second version of the women’s event, which launched in 2024 as a first-of-its-kind college basketball showcase. USC joins a field that also includes South Carolina, Texas and UCLA, giving the event six games total. Every matchup will air nationally on ESPN or ESPN2.
Beyond the basketball, the event carries a seven-figure pool for available name, image and likeness opportunities, making it one of the biggest single-event NIL offerings in women’s college sports history.
USC’s roster is shaping up to be one of the deepest in the country for 2026-27. JuJu Watkins returns after being named the 2024-25 consensus National Player of the Year, and Jazzy Davidson is back after earning 2025-26 National Freshman of the Year honors. Davidson also led the Trojans in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks last season.
The Trojans will also bring back junior Kennedy Smith, who made the All-Big Ten Defensive Team, while adding the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Saniyah Hall. Sitaya Fagan and Sara Okeke are finally set for their long-awaited debuts, and USC has also brought in transfers Pania Davis from Florida State and Ryan Bennett from UC Davis. Laura Williams, Rian Forestier and Brooklyn Shamblin give the group more returning experience.
All-event passes, which cover all six games, begin at $109 and go on sale Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m. PT through AXS.com. School, AXS and MGM Rewards presales will be available before the general public sale.
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