To absolutely no one’s surprise, the South Carolina Gamecocks have started their season with consecutive wins over Maryland, UNC, and Clemson. However, they now face the biggest test of their young season against No. 3 USC Trojans, who are obviously a cut above the rest. It seems likely the Gamecocks will have to put in maximum effort to see things through at home, and head coach Dawn Staley has revealed the measures she would have to take against the fresh-looking Women of Troy.

“I think JuJu being back, Saniyah Hall being added to the mix, it changed the entire dynamics to guarding them. A lot of it is you’re going to have to guard your yard, right? And your neighbours, too. So, we have to impose our will of being able to defend and being able to disrupt and cut down the amount of easy looks that they get, especially in transition,” Staley said about the Trojans, per Wach Fox News’ Claire Foley on X.

By “guarding your yard,” Staley meant defending assigned areas tightly while also helping teammates—a core defensive principle against USC’s ball movement.

“And then, in the half court, we got to make sure that we just make it difficult. If they want to catch it in this spot, we got to make them catch it outside of that spot. You know, little details like that will help our half-court defence,” she added.

For the Trojans, JuJu Watkins’ return to the hardwood 588 days after an ACL tear has been emphatic. Watkins made a statement from the get-go, earning AP National Player of the Week honors after helping the Trojans open their campaign with three consecutive blowout victories. Currently, it doesn’t even feel like Watkins is coming off an injury that even ends careers, as she is averaging 24.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 steals per game, showing the world exactly why she is the favorite to enter next year’s WNBA draft as the No. 1 overall pick.

While Staley holds Watkins in high regard and believes the Trojans will enter the court guns blazing, she did point out a difference she felt in her game from the small sample size we have right now.

“She looks like she’s more lean, she’s more willing to give the ball up and allow her teammates to do the things that they do best. But I would say this: they haven’t had a game that’s as big as this one. And I’m sure she’s going to want to put her imprint on the game, as well as probably a few other ones. And we just have to be ready for them playing on all cylinders,” Staley said.

Meanwhile, Saniyah Hall is another guard besides sophomore Jazzy Davidson that the Gamecocks need to be wary of, as she has instantly become a reliable scoring option for the Trojans. In three games, the 18-year-old freshman hasn’t scored below 20 points, averaging 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. During the blowout 105-44 victory against Charleston, the trio of Watkins, Hall, and Davidson accounted for 68 points, a perfect example of the offensive firepower the Trojans possess that makes them one of the most difficult teams to match up against. 

While the Trojans are carrying momentum, so are the Gamecocks, as they have made an equally commanding start to the season with wins over ranked opponents Maryland and North Carolina. Their 45-point rout of the Tar Heels was particularly historic, representing South Carolina’s largest margin of victory against a Top 25 opponent, according to ESPN.

The Gamecocks have triumphed in the previous two games over the past year against the Women of Troy, but maybe JuJu Watkins’ addition could be the key for USC to finally get one over Staley’s troops, that too on the road. Regardless, with Staley already having plans made, it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top in this clash of the titans on Sunday.