Although elite recruiting is nothing new to USC women’s basketball, the most recent round of commitments has caused a stir on social media. Now that they have Saniyah Hall (2026), the Trojans have three of the previous four No. 1 overall recruits, Jazzy Davidson (2025) and JuJu Watkins (2023) being the other two.
While the excitement in Los Angeles is genuine, most of the college basketball fans are not keen on comparing the USC trio to the one that previously played for UConn, featuring the legendary Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Sarah Strong. The similarities between the two programs’ recruitment processes were brought to light by Behind The Arc’s Instagram handle.
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The post drew immediate reactions from fans worldwide, with the majority disagreeing.
“NOT EVEN CLOSE WYM 😭,” one fan said.
“Not even close 🤦🤦🤦 come on now. Big names yes, it’s not the same,” another added.
“These USC girls all play similar positions. They need a big so bad on their team,” another pointed out.
“This only works when the players are very efficient… JuJu is a 42% volume shooter. Terrible efficiency,” one fan argued.
“Except the coaching is different,” another replied.
“All that to beat Sarah Strong,” one commenter joked.
“Do they play three different positions like the UConn girls?” one user asked.
“No… they all play 2/3,” someone responded.
Why USC’s Trio Faces Higher Expectations Than UConn’s Did?
USC’s new trio appears to be top-tier on paper. However, fans pointed out in the comments section that victory is not always guaranteed by star power alone. The standards that USC must meet go beyond talent.
While USC’s trio has yet to play together, Bueckers, Fudd, and Sarah have already contributed to long March runs and matured in their positions.
There is also a significant difference in coaching. UConn’s Geno Auriemma is known to shape elite recruits into a championship-caliber team. On the other hand, Lindsey Gottlieb is respected, but hasn’t reached her potential yet.
USC will enter its second season in the Big Ten, which will put the team’s physicality, defense, and coaching depth to the test. It will be interesting to see if Watkins, Davidson, and Hall can develop an offensive chemistry and if Gottlieb faces trouble with rotations.
The ceiling is still extremely high. Top rankings weren’t earned by these players by chance. But it will take more than just buzz for USC to go from viral post to program-defining dominance. It will require support and success.
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