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USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb named to Naismith Coach of the Year Late Season Watchlist

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney02/21/24

ErikTMcKinney

Lindsay Gottlieb
Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb celebrates at the end of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Galen Center. USC defeated Stanford 55-46. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

The USC women’s basketball team keeps winning games and generating headlines this season. The latest involved head coach Lindsay Gottlieb as she has been named to the 2024 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Late Season Watchlist, presented by AXIA Time.

Gottlieb was one of just 15 coaches named to the Late Season Watchlist as the Trojans continue to play above preseason expectations and currently sit at No. 7 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.

USC was chosen to finish as the No. 6 team in the Pac-12 conference in both the preseason media and coaches polls. Right now, the Trojans are 20-4 overall and 10-4 in the nation’s strongest conference. It’s USC’s best record through 24 games since the 1993-94 season. The Trojans are tied for second place in the conference but have beaten first-place Stanford and have split with Oregon State. USC will have a chance to avenge its road loss to Colorado (the third team in the second-place tie) in its next game this Friday evening at Galen Center.

Gottlieb has led the Trojans to three wins over top-10 opponents this season, including No. 2 UCLA on Jan. 14. USC has five wins against NET top-20 opponents and was a No. 3 seed in the first top-16 early reveal by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee a week ago.

This continues a remarkable upward trend under Gottlieb for this program. The Trojans went 12-16 and finished in 10th place in the Pac-12 in her first season. Last year, USC tied for fourth in the Pac-12 and won 21 games but lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament as a No. 8 seed. This season, with star true freshman JuJu Watkins, standout returner Rayah Marshall and some key veteran transfers, the Trojans are among the nation’s best teams.

The next round of Naismith Coach of the Year announcements will be released on March 14.

The Complete Watchlist

Lisa BluderBig TenIowa
Kenny BrooksACCVirginia Tech
Cori ClosePac-12UCLA
Lisa FortierWCCGonzaga
Lindsay GottliebPac-12USC
Felisha Legette-JackACCSyracuse
Kevin McGuffBig TenOhio State
Jeff MittieBig 12Kansas State
Wes MooreACCNC State
Kim MulkeySECLSU
JR PaynePac-12Colorado
Scott RueckPac-12Oregon State
Vic SchaeferBig 12Texas
Dawn StaleySECSouth Carolina
Tara VanDerveerPac-12Stanford

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