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USC guard Dominique Darius enters NCAA transfer portal

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•03/12/25•

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USC Basketball
Kirby Lee | Imagn Images

USC guard Dominique Darius has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Talia Goodman has learned. She appeared in 19 games last season for the Trojans.

Darius started her college career at UCLA before arriving at USC as a mid-year transfer in January 2023. That meant she couldn’t make her Trojans debut until 2023-24, when she averaged 2.5 points in 19 appearances.

On3 2024-25 women’s basketball transfer portal tracker

Darius is in the portal as a graduate transfer, Goodman said. She will have one year of eligibility remaining at her next stop.

Dominique Darius’ departure comes as USC is getting ready for the NCAA tournament. The Trojans took down UCLA in the Big Ten tournament championship last week and are poised to enter March Madness as a No. 1 seed, according to ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme.

JuJu Watkins continues to lead the charge for USC. The Big Ten Player of the Year is averaging 24.4 points to go with 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists through her sophomore season. Watkins and forward Kiki Iriafen, present quite the two-headed monster for opposing defenses to handle.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb also sees the impact Watkins makes not just on the Trojans, but on the fan base, as well. She’s one of the biggest names in women’s basketball, and Gottlieb has a front-row seat to see how Watkins balances the off-court fame with the on-court success.

“It’s unbelievable,” Gottlieb said on SiriusXM College Sports Radio. “I see it every day, the grace with which she handles really positive attention and the way she galvanized the community. When I got the job here, there were 700 people in the stands. Now, there’s thousands.

“That’s, I think, because of her gravity and she understands that. And then, also, just the scrutiny that she takes. She’s probably the most game-planned-for college athlete in our sport ever. She sees doubles and triples. People want to ask about this shot or that shot or this decision. She literally just continues to grow before our eyes. Her talent is abundant and she keeps getting better, but more so just the way she handles what’s coming at her and continues to raise her own level is really something that I feel very fortunate to have a front-row seat and try and help her navigate through that.”

USC will officially find out its NCAA tournament fate on Sunday during the selection show on ESPN. That will begin at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.