USC Women’s Basketball: The Truth Behind the Numbers as We Head Into Saint Mary’s

Before diving into any numbers, let’s start with the truth: this USC team hasn’t played a single stat-padding game. That matters more than people realize. All across the country right now, teams are loading up their Novembers with low-majors and buy-games — the kinds of matchups where you beat someone by 40 and walk away with inflated national rankings that look good on paper but collapse the moment December hits.

USC didn’t go that route.
They chose the exact opposite.

This team opened the season by walking straight into elite competition — South Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame — programs with established systems, national expectations, and real defensive intensity. And because of that, every number attached to USC today means more than whatever you’ll see next to teams who spent November beating opponents that won’t sniff the NCAA Tournament.

So as we head into tomorrow night’s game against Saint Mary’s, this is a good moment to zoom out, breathe, and really look at what the numbers say — not as isolated statistics, but as pieces of a bigger story.

A story about growth.
A story about resilience.
A story about a team building an identity the hard way.

Defense: The Foundation That’s Already Elite in Spirit

One number jumps out immediately: 56 points allowed per game. That ranks USC 54th nationally, but the ranking isn’t the story — the context is. Holding teams to 56 points is something you normally see from squads who opened the season against programs still trying to learn how to run an offense.

USC did it against South Carolina.
They did it against NC State.
They did it against Notre Dame.

Those are teams with real structure, real talent, and real scoring ability. So when USC is sitting at 56 points allowed this early, that’s not “solid.” That’s quietly excellent. And if that number stays in this range once conference play settles in, you’re looking at the statistical DNA of a top-10 scoring defense.

Field-goal percentage defense tells a similar story. USC is holding opponents to 36% shooting, a number that would normally be inflated by early-season cupcakes. But USC’s 36% came from guarding length, speed, sets, and spacing — not from guarding teams that struggle to create a shot.

And the three-point defense? That might be the most impressive part of the defensive package so far. Teams are shooting only 24.3% from three against USC, good for 31st in the nation. That doesn’t happen by accident. That’s connected rotations. That’s disciplined closeouts. That’s using your length to erase space before the shot even leaves a player’s hands.

It’s also a sign of maturity.
The kind USC needs for Big Ten play.

Blocks: Not a Frontcourt Story — a Team Story

One of the most misunderstood narratives about USC is that their block numbers come from traditional rim-protection alone. But when you watch the games, the truth jumps out quickly: these blocks are coming from everywhere.

Perimeter closeouts.
Mid-range contests.
Transition recoveries.
And yes, some at the rim.

With 6.9 blocks per game, USC ranks 8th nationally, and the most important part isn’t the ranking — it’s the distribution. Guards are blocking shots. Wings are blocking shots. Forwards are blocking shots. This isn’t a one-position defensive identity; it’s a team defensive identity.

This is what modern defensive basketball looks like.
And USC is leaning all the way into it.

Protecting the Ball: A Quiet Superpower

If there’s one area where numbers truly reveal the personality of this team, it’s assist-to-turnover ratio. At No. 22 in the nation, USC has been remarkably clean with the basketball — something that becomes even more impressive when you remember who they’ve played.

South Carolina pressures everything.
Notre Dame plays disciplined positional defense.
NC State forces decisions.

Those aren’t teams that let you walk the ball up the court and run your sets comfortably. And yet, USC is outperforming most of the country in taking care of the ball.

That tells you something very real:
this team doesn’t get rattled easily.
They value possessions.
They make smart decisions.
They don’t beat themselves.

That’s the kind of trait that wins ugly games in February and survives pressure games in March.

Turnover Margin: When You Take Care of the Ball and Take It From Others

Pair USC’s ball security with their defensive activity and you get a turnover margin of +6.29, good for 40th in the country. That is a winning formula:

• You don’t give possessions away.

• You take extra possessions from your opponent.

It doesn’t matter if you shoot lights-out or have an off-night; a turnover margin that strong keeps you in every game.

Rebounding: Solid — But Not Enough Yet

Now, let’s be honest in a constructive way: 40.43 rebounds per game (No. 90 nationally) is solid, but it’s not the ceiling. It’s not a weakness — it’s a category USC is fully capable of elevating.

This team has played frontcourts with real size. They’ve been in physical matchups. They’ve battled well. But USC can be better. Rebounding is about commitment, timing, and discipline — and a jump in this area would take USC’s defensive numbers from strong to suffocating.

This isn’t a criticism. It’s a challenge.
One this team can absolutely meet.

Free Throws: The Area That Must Shift

If there’s one number that doesn’t match USC’s physical capability, it’s free-throw attempts: just 15 per game (No. 268). That has to change.

Not because USC can’t score, but because getting to the line:

• Puts pressure on defenses

• Slows the game down

• Creates easy points

• Gets opponents’ key players in foul trouble

The good news? This is fixable. It’s mindset. It’s intentionality. It’s recognizing matchups early and attacking them aggressively.

And once USC gets there more often, converting those attempts becomes the next piece of the puzzle.

Offense: The Early Signs of a Shift

The last two games have shown a different side of USC offensively — one that looks relaxed, confident, and efficient:

• Over 50% from two

• Over 40% from three

This is who they can be.
Not sometimes — consistently.

When this team spaces the floor, moves the ball, and trusts the reads, they’re hard to guard. And as the chemistry builds, those numbers are likely to become the norm rather than the exception.

The Bench: Not Deep, But Impactful

USC doesn’t have a classic “ten-deep” bench, but what they do have matters.

The frontcourt-by-committee approach gives them flexibility, and London Jones provides instant energy, shot creation, and pace. This bench doesn’t need to be huge — it just needs to be effective. And it’s getting there.

Where USC Stands Heading Into Saint Mary’s

When you add it all up, here’s the real story:

This is a team with a top-tier defensive foundation, a team that is protecting the ball at a high level, a team that is blocking shots at all three levels, and a team whose offense is trending upward at the right time.

Their areas of growth — free throws, offensive rebounding, and drawing fouls — are all fixable. None are identity problems. They are execution adjustments.

And the biggest advantage USC has right now?

They didn’t take shortcuts.
They didn’t inflate anything.
They didn’t hide from challenges.

They chose the hard games.
The hard environments.
The hard matchups.

Because that’s how you build a team for March.

And tomorrow night, as USC steps onto the floor against Saint Mary’s, they bring with them seven games of real experience — not seven games of artificial confidence.

There’s a difference.
And USC is on the right side of it.