Game Preview: USC vs. New Mexico State Women’s Basketball

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team faces a retooled New Mexico State Aggies squad in an early-season matchup that will test how quickly Las Cruces’ new pieces can come together. The Aggies, led by head coach Jody Adams in her fourth season, are coming off an encouraging exhibition performance — but that result must be viewed in context.

A new-look team in Las Cruces.

New Mexico State enters the 2025–26 season with significant roster turnover. The Aggies return five players, but only one — Loez Rosin — was a starter. Rosin will be the primary source of continuity for a team that has been almost completely rebuilt through the transfer portal and incoming freshmen. They bring in 3 Freshman and 5 transfers all from Junior College.

Under Jody Adams, who guided NMSU to an 18–16 record last season, the Aggies have established a defensive-minded culture built on toughness and effort. This season’s challenge will be translating that identity with a roster full of newcomers.

Keep an eye on these players:

• Loez Rosin (returning starter) — The lone returning starter and key leader. Rosin will be relied upon to provide stability and direction for the restructured lineup.
• Lucia Yenes (senior) — Led the team in blocks last season and could anchor the interior defense again this year. It’s unclear if she’ll start, but her shot-blocking and length make her a valuable defensive piece in the rotation.
• Iyana Beh (junior-college transfer) — A 6-foot junior guard from Snow Valley, Beh scored 410 points over two seasons and averaged 5.1 rebounds per game. Her combination of size and scoring ability gives NMSU a versatile guard who can impact both ends of the floor.

Exhibition takeaway — with context.

The Aggies’ 70–35 exhibition win came against Cochise College, a respected junior-college (NJCAA) program that went 20–10 last season. While the lopsided score was encouraging, the competition level must be considered — Cochise was overmatched athletically and physically. Still, the Aggies’ defensive energy and chemistry were encouraging signs that Adams’ trademark intensity is already taking hold.

Last season’s numbers show areas for growth:

• Offensive Rating: Below average — the Aggies struggled to score efficiently.
• Defensive Rating: Solid — defense kept them competitive.
• Net Rating: Slightly negative, with several narrow losses.
• Shooting Efficiency: Modest field-goal and three-point percentages; lacked consistent perimeter accuracy.
• Offensive Rebounding: A weakness that limited second-chance scoring.
• Turnovers: Costly and often disrupted offensive rhythm.

In short, the Aggies were a gritty, defense-first team that couldn’t always capitalize on opportunities. The infusion of new talent — particularly Beh’s scoring ability and Yenes’ rim protection — could help balance those issues.

Head coach Jody Adams has built her career on a foundation of defensive pressure, rebounding, and resilience. Her system emphasizes generating turnovers to create transition offense, winning the battle on the boards, and maintaining high energy and discipline throughout possessions. The early exhibition performance suggests this roster is buying into her defensive mindset — though facing USC will show whether that intensity holds up against a much higher level of competition.

The matchup between USC and NMSU will serve as an early benchmark for how quickly NMSU can find chemistry and offensive rhythm against a Power Five opponent.

Keys for NMSU:
• Use defensive pressure to disrupt USC’s flow.
• Compete on the glass to offset USC’s size advantage.
• Rely on leadership from Loez Rosin and the defensive presence of Lucia Yenes.

Keys for USC:
• Protect the ball against NMSU’s pressure defense.
• Push tempo and exploit transition opportunities — pace is important.
• Force the Aggies into half-court situations where their offense is less fluid.
• Apply pressure defense against their guard play.

“USC needs to pressure New Mexico State because I just don’t think they have that strong of a guard corps,” Get out in transition, do what we do, and show that we can run with pace — WNBA-level pace.”

Key things USC must do:

1. Set the tone early. USC can’t afford to ease into this one. The energy, pace, and defensive intensity need to be established from the opening tip. This team has the depth and athleticism to overwhelm opponents early — but that only works if they dictate tempo and force New Mexico State to play at their speed.

2. Win the effort battles. This game isn’t about who has more talent on paper — it’s about who plays harder. USC has to dominate the hustle categories: loose balls, rebounds, and defensive rotations. Those small things will tell us a lot about this team’s mindset. With a deeper, more athletic roster, there’s no reason USC shouldn’t own the glass and control second-chance points.

3. Defend without fouling. New Mexico State is still figuring out its offensive identity, but they’re aggressive and scrappy. USC can’t bail them out with unnecessary fouls. The focus should be on disciplined help defense — using length to alter shots, not overreaching or gambling. If USC keeps its hands active but controlled, turnovers will turn into transition points quickly.

4. Maintain composure and communication. Even against a less-experienced opponent, early-season games can get sloppy. USC’s success depends on clear communication on both ends of the floor — calling out screens, rotating decisively, and keeping composure when the pace picks up.

Key things I’m watching for USC:

1. How does that guard core flow together as a unit? With so much depth in the backcourt, this game will be an early look at how well they communicate, share the floor, and create offense by committee. I’m watching how they read each other in transition, how patient they are within the half-court, and whether there’s a natural rhythm forming or if it still feels experimental.

2. Spacing and flow will be a big tell of how disciplined this team is offensively. Are they spreading the floor to open driving lanes and kick-out options, or crowding space and limiting movement? The key will be how well they move the ball side-to-side, maintain corner spacing, and make defenses shift. Clean spacing equals clean looks.

3. USC’s frontcourt has size, length, and athleticism — but this game will show how well they complement each other. Do they rebound by committee? Are they communicating on screens and defensive rotations? I’m watching for chemistry in high-low actions, how active they are rim-running in transition, and how consistently they maintain that interior presence throughout the game.

4. This will be our first real glimpse of USC’s new offensive structure. Without that single high-volume scorer, how will the offense evolve? Will they lean into a motion-based, pro-style attack with cutting and spacing, or build around pick-and-roll and two- or three-player actions to keep defenses moving? I’m especially interested to see if there’s more off-ball movement and purposeful cutting within their sets.

5. Tempo will say a lot about this team’s comfort level. Are they flowing into sets quickly or hesitating between reads? The best version of this team plays with controlled speed — decisive but composed. I’m watching how fast they recognize advantages, attack mismatches, and transition from defense to offense.

And remember, this is just the first game… It’s a work in progress. You don’t want to peak too fast, but you also don’t want to peak too slowly. This is a new offense, new strategy, new defense, and really a new identity across the board. So while the details matter, it’s about building rhythm and chemistry piece by piece. I’m excited to see how this group grows into itself — not just tonight, but over the course of the season.