The Sweet 16 Saturday nightcap is a bittersweet one. USC is still a talented and zealous group, but the absence of JuJu Watkins puts something of a damper on things. Perhaps the Trojans will launch an all-time cool title run to honor their fallen star. A win over fifth-seeded Kansas State would all but certainly put them against UConn in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats are feeling themselves, though, fresh off an overtime thriller.
How to watch No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Kansas State
- What: Spokane 4 Regional, Sweet 16
- Venue: Spokane Arena — Spokane, Wash.
- Time: 8 p.m. ET, Saturday
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
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USC beat Mississippi State by 37 points on Monday, but the result was relegated to an epilogue after Watkins’ deflating knee injury in the first half. Kiki Iriafen shifted the offense inward and scored a game-high 36 points on 16-for-22 shooting. The former All-American big reached the Sweet 16 with Stanford last season and had eight separate 20-10 games in 2024-25. The Los Angeles native commands gravity in the paint and slips past screens with force. She went on a personal 10-0 run Monday:
KIKI IRIAFEN THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE.
10-0 RUN FROM KIKS
ESPN pic.twitter.com/YAnxfRUPrw
— USC Women’s Basketball (@USCWBB) March 25, 2025
There’s a lot of good stuff happening across this roster. Freshman Avery Howell has long range and heats up off the bench. Fellow first-year Kennedy Smith had five steals on Monday. Senior Rayah Marshall is an outside-in defender with 11 blocks at the guard spot in two tournament games.
Kansas State has been cruising below the radar of blue-bloods and headlining programs, but a triumph over USC and a chance to see UConn in the Elite Eight would promptly change all that. The Wildcats’ second-round win over Kentucky was an 80-79 banger, with Temira Poindexter going absolutely ballistic behind the arc (8-for-15).
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, @tPoindexter21?!
ESPN / @MarchMadnessWBB pic.twitter.com/DVUE3nTywQ
— K-State Women’s Basketball (@KStateWBB) March 23, 2025
The Wildcats are the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation at a collective 38.8 percent. They have the range and fearlessness to make an upset happen. Four-year starter Jaelyn Glenn is unafraid of high volume, as is sophomore bench spark Taryn Sides.
Meanwhile, Serena Sundell led Division I in assists per game. She had 14 dimes in an exhaustive, complete 45 minutes on Sunday.
This matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+.
USC vs. Kansas State odds
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(Photo of Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins: Robert Hanashiro / Imagn Images)