Overview
- South Carolina, which hosted Monday, routed 9-seed USC 101–61 to advance to a 12th straight Sweet 16 in what became USC’s biggest NCAA tournament loss.
- The Gamecocks opened on a 13–0 run and led 51–21 at halftime, turning the second half into a formality.
- Joyce Edwards scored 23 points with 10 rebounds and Madina Okot added 15 points and 15 boards as South Carolina shot better than 53% and controlled the glass.
- USC’s Londynn Jones led with 20 points, while leading scorer Jazzy Davidson had 16 as foul trouble and tight defense stalled her impact.
- Watkins missed the season after a March 2025 ACL tear, and she has resumed light workouts with expectations for a 2026–27 return.