USC Trojans HC explains why JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen and other starters played in final minutes despite blowout win vs Fresno State
Despite beating Fresno State 89-40 on Tuesday, USC Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb elected to play her starters until the final buzzer. JuJu Watkins, Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall, Talia von Oelhoffen and Kayleigh Heckel were all still in the game during its last minutes which was a surprise to many.
During the postgame conference, Gottlieb was asked about her decision, something that she has done several times this season. She replied:
"There's always a million things to manage. Think about it. I'm probably always thinking two or three different things than anyone might think. We have a new team together. There's a lot that we need to continue to grow with."
She then went on to give an example wherein freshman Avery Howell may need to see how she could fit in with the starters.
"We play a lot of different combinations," she added. "Sometimes, we want to play four guards and get a look at that. I'd look to see Clarice [Akunwafo] with the starters than playing with a second unit. So, there's a lot of things we're managing. Obviously, trying to get as many minutes for as many people as I can."
Even with the plethora of rotations, roster changes, and minutes divisions, Gottlieb asserted that their primary goal is clear-cut:
"The number one thing is to win the game and to get us better to be able to win every game that we possibly can. That's usually what's on top of mind in terms of those things," she concluded.
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The Trojans never let their foot off the gas in the win. Their last basket came via a Vivian Iwuchukwu layup with 35 seconds to go in the ball game, serving as a testament to USC not letting anything slip away.
Lindsay Gottlieb believes in every player on deep USC roster
Since USC's sole loss of the campaign to Notre Dame, Gottlieb shared that there has been an emphasis on moving the basketball around for a free-flowing system. She was happy to see that adjustment come to fruition in the win over Fresno State.
"We know the strength of the invidual players we have. If you can go get an early bucket and there's not a ton of ball movement, I'm not going to give that back," she said. "I think where we've gotten better is if it's not easy and early, then we can be really good with that ball moving side to side."
Recognizing the talent she has and how they have quickly grown since the Fighting Irish defeat, the USC Trojans will look to build more winning momentum heading further into the Big 10 conference this season.
Now on the heels of a 9-1 record, the Trojans will have another go at mastering their system against the Elon Phoenix at home on Sunday.