USC women's basketball hosts Rutgers on February 1, 2026 at the Galen Center, riding the momentum of its biggest win of the season. The Trojans dismantled No. 8 Iowa 81-69 just two days earlier, and the question now is whether Lindsay Gottlieb's squad can sustain that level of play against a Scarlet Knights team desperate for a Big Ten road win.
Rutgers enters at 9-12 overall and 1-9 in Big Ten play. On paper, this should be a comfortable home victory for the Trojans. But if this season has taught us anything about USC women's basketball, it's that nothing is guaranteed.
The duo that torched Iowa should feast against Rutgers. Kara Dunn is riding a historic stretch — she's scored 20 or more points in seven consecutive games and surpassed 1,500 career points against the Hawkeyes. Her 25-point, 12-rebound double-double was a statement performance, and there's no reason to expect her to cool off against a Rutgers defense that ranks near the bottom of the conference.
Jazzy Davidson has been equally electric. The freshman phenom has scored in double figures for 18 consecutive games and showed elite playmaking ability with a career-high eight assists against Iowa. Davidson's ability to both score and distribute makes USC's offense incredibly difficult to scheme against when she's locked in.
Key stat to watch: USC had four players in double figures against Iowa. If that depth shows up again, Rutgers doesn't have the firepower to keep pace.
The Scarlet Knights are in the middle of a brutal stretch. At 1-9 in conference play, Rutgers is searching for any positive momentum it can find before the season slips away entirely. Their most recent outing was a 74-53 loss at Oregon — a game that wasn't as close as the final score suggests.
Lauryn Swann has been a bright spot, netting a season-best 13 points against Oregon. The Arizona transfer was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team last season and has shown flashes of the talent that made her a coveted transfer target. Zachara Perkins has contributed consistently, and Faith Blackstone reached the 1,000-point milestone earlier this season, giving the Scarlet Knights some veteran scoring presence.
But Rutgers' issues are systemic. The defense struggles to generate stops against quality opponents, and the offense lacks the consistent three-point shooting needed to compete in games where they fall behind early. Head coach Coquese Washington has rebuilt her staff this offseason — including hiring former UCLA associate head coach Shannon LeBeauf — and the long-term vision is sound. This season, however, is about development.
Here's the thing about USC's season: the talent has never been in question. The Trojans' losses have come against some of the best teams in the country — UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, Oregon, Michigan State, Maryland, and Michigan. Five of their six January losses were by seven points or fewer. This team is competitive almost every night.
The Iowa win was the breakthrough performance USC needed. Now the challenge is proving it wasn't a fluke. Beating Rutgers at home won't generate national headlines, but it's exactly the type of game that separates NCAA Tournament teams from bubble casualties.
Coach Gottlieb has been preaching consistency all season. The message to her players is clear: the second half of conference play is where reputations are built. Eight games remain, and USC needs to stack wins to climb out of the bottom half of the Big Ten standings.
USC should dominate inside. The Trojans outscored Iowa 44-28 in the paint and won the rebounding battle convincingly. Against a smaller Rutgers frontcourt, expect USC's bigs to have their way. Vivian Iwuchukwu's status is worth monitoring after she went down with a leg injury late in the Iowa game, but even without her, USC has the size advantage.
Rutgers' best chance is creating chaos. The Scarlet Knights need to force turnovers, push the pace, and hope USC has a cold shooting night from three. If Rutgers can limit transition opportunities and make this a half-court grind, they have a puncher's chance.
Realistically, though, USC's talent advantage is significant. Dunn and Davidson are operating at a level that Rutgers simply can't match right now.
USC should win this one comfortably. The Trojans are playing their best basketball of the season, their stars are in rhythm, and they're at home. Look for Dunn to continue her scorching streak and Davidson to flirt with another double-digit assist game.
The real story isn't the final score — it's how USC plays. Are they locked in defensively from the opening tip? Do they share the ball? Do they avoid the third-quarter lapses that have plagued them in close losses? Those are the indicators that will tell us if the Iowa upset was the start of something special or just a great night.
The bottom line: USC has the talent, the momentum, and the home court. Rutgers has heart but not enough firepower. Expect the Trojans to handle business and set themselves up for a strong second-half push in the Big Ten. The post-JuJu Watkins era at USC is finding its identity, and Dunn and Davidson are writing the next chapter.