Game: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (32-3) vs. No. 9 USC Trojans (18-13)
Date: Monday, March 23, 2026
Venue: Colonial Life Arena | Columbia, South Carolina
Game Time: 8 pm.
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, Fubo, DirecTV
How the Matchup Was Set
The second round of the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament delivers one of the most narratively layered matchups in the Columbia Regional. South Carolina beat No. 16 Southern 103-34 in the first game on March 21 at Colonial Life Arena, while the Trojans beat the Tigers 71-67 in overtime to advance to play Dawn Staley’s team on March 23.
It will be the second time this season the two teams have played — a rematch of the Nov. 15 game when South Carolina won 69-52. That game, the first installment of “The Real SC” bicoastal series between the two programs, took place in Los Angeles. This one comes to Columbia, on South Carolina’s home floor, with a Sweet 16 trip to Sacramento on the line.
How to Watch
The 2026 women’s NCAA tournament is broadcast across ESPN’s suite of channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews, with the championship final airing on ABC. Every game streams on ESPN Unlimited. Live TV options include Fubo and DirecTV. The specific channel assignment for the South Carolina-USC second-round game will be confirmed once tip times are finalized on the night of March 21.
South Carolina: Battle-Tested and Rolling
South Carolina enters its 22nd NCAA Tournament making its 14th consecutive appearance at the event, holding a regional No. 1 seed for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons. The Gamecocks have hosted games for the last 10 tournaments that featured campus-site games.
Saturday’s performance was a statement. South Carolina opened the game with a 15-0 run and led Southern 19-6 after the first quarter. The final margin of 69 points is the largest in program history in an NCAA Tournament game. The Gamecocks are among the nation’s most efficient teams this season, shooting 50.7% from the field, third in the nation, and led the SEC with a .479 percentage in league games.
All five of South Carolina’s starters were named to an All-SEC team, tying the league record for selections. Joyce Edwards earned first-team honors, while Raven Johnson, Tessa Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot earned second-team spots. For the third time in the last four seasons, at least three Gamecocks earned All-America honors — Edwards was a unanimous second-team selection, Raven Johnson earned third-team recognition from the Associated Press, and Latson made the AP honorable mention list.
Projected South Carolina Starters: Ta’Niya Latson (G), Raven Johnson (G), Tessa Johnson (G), Joyce Edwards (F), Madina Okot (C)
South Carolina Injury/Availability Report: The Gamecocks remain shorthanded heading into Monday. Maddy McDaniel was a game-day scratch against Southern due to illness and her availability for the USC game remains uncertain. Chloe Kitts is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Ashlyn Watkins is away from the program. South Carolina played Saturday with just nine active players and produced the program’s biggest tournament win in history — but depth against a battle-tested USC team is a legitimate concern going forward.
USC: Surviving and Advancing on the Strength of a Freshman Phenomenon
The Women of Troy return to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season under fifth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. They earned their way into this game in the most dramatic fashion possible. USC advanced to the second round for the third consecutive year, defeating Clemson 71-67 in overtime. It was a game that tested everything — Clemson led at halftime, led in the fourth quarter, and pushed the Trojans to overtime before Jazzy Davidson and Londynn Jones closed it out.
Davidson is the engine of everything USC does. The freshman wrapped the regular season leading USC outright in every major statistical category, including points (17.9), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.3), steals (2.0) and blocks per game (2.1) — a feat unmatched by any other Division I player this season. Davidson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned First Team All-Big Ten, All-Defensive Team, and All-Freshman Team honors. Against Clemson on Saturday, she delivered 31 points in the overtime victory. Davidson is the only player in Division I basketball averaging at least 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game.
Senior Kara Dunn earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors, while Kennedy Smith joined Davidson on the All-Defensive Team. Senior Londynn Jones, a transfer from UCLA with 138 consecutive games played, led USC in scoring in the Big Ten Tournament.
Projected USC Starters: Jazzy Davidson (G), Londynn Jones (G), Kara Dunn (G), Kennedy Smith (F), Malia Samuels (F/C)
USC Injury/Availability Report: Star guard JuJu Watkins has not played in the 2025-26 season after suffering an ACL tear in March of 2025. She is present in Columbia watching her team practice and compete, but will not play Monday. Davidson, who raised some concerns after a shoulder issue in the Big Ten Tournament, put those worries firmly to rest with 31 points against Clemson and is fully available.
Series History: South Carolina Leads 1-0 in “The Real SC”
South Carolina and USC faced each other back on November 15, with the Gamecocks winning 69-52 in Los Angeles. That game was the first of a bicoastal series announced by both programs — a rivalry built around the fact that both schools share the “USC” abbreviation and use the same shorthand. The second scheduled meeting of “The Real SC” was originally set for November 2026 in Greenville. The bracket has moved the timeline up considerably.
JuJu Watkins — the nation’s most decorated scorer before her ACL injury, who was recruited by both programs before choosing to stay home in Los Angeles — hugged Dawn Staley before the November tip-off. She will be watching again Monday from the bench, the most prominent presence in a game she cannot play.
What to Watch
The central storyline is how South Carolina’s suffocating defense handles Jazzy Davidson, who just dropped 31 points in overtime against an ACC team. The Gamecocks held Southern without a single field goal for an entire quarter on Saturday, but Davidson is a different challenge — a player who blocks shots, forces turnovers, and scores in ways that don’t require a clean look.
On the other side, USC’s defensive length and athleticism will test whether South Carolina can generate clean looks in the half-court. The Trojans held Clemson to 67 points in regulation despite giving up an overtime. If Ta’Niya Latson and Joyce Edwards — who combined to dominate Saturday — can impose their will early, the Gamecocks should advance comfortably. If USC’s length disrupts South Carolina’s rhythm the way their own defense disrupted Clemson’s in the first half, Colonial Life Arena could be in for a competitive second round on Monday night.
