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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Iowa women’s basketball upsets No. 4 USC in gutsy home win

The Hawkeyes blew a 19-point lead in the first half, but stingy defense and timely shooting from Lucy Olsen helped Iowa pull off the monumental upset.
Jack Birmingham, Sports Reporter
February 2, 2025
Isabella Tisdale
Iowa guard Lucy Olsen shoots over University of Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen during a women’s basketball game between Iowa and No. 4 Southern California at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. The sold-out game marked Iowa’s first Big Ten game against the Trojans and the retirement of the No. 22 for former Iowa guard Caitlin Clark. The Hawkeyes defeated the Trojans, 76-69.

The Iowa women’s basketball team pulled off a monumental 76-69 upset victory against No. 4 USC on Sunday afternoon in front of a raucous capacity at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

The triumph wrapped up an exciting day for the Iowa women’s basketball program, as the team retired legendary guard Cailtin Clark’s No. 22 jersey in an emotional ceremony following the game. 

Fourth-year guard Lucy Olsen led all scorers with 28 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Fellow fourth-year center Addison O’Grady contributed some big plays off the bench, netting 13 points and four rebounds. 

First Half

Iowa capitalized on its thunderous home court advantage right from the opening tip. Moments after USC snagged the tip off, a steal by third-year forward Hannah Stuelke swung the ball into the hands of third-year guard Taylor McCabe on the wing for a triple.

 

The Hawkeyes had momentum to start the game and used it with lethal precision; Affolter rolled in a shot from behind the arc to grow Iowa’s lead, while McCabe chipped in a second three mere minutes after her first. 

The Hawkeyes have struggled consistently in the areas of deep shooting and turnovers this season, but that wasn’t the case in the opening period. Iowa hit at a 40 percent clip from beyond the arc while holding itself to a modest three turnovers. 

On the flip side, the Trojans turned the ball over seven times and managed only a single field goal, allowing the Hawkeyes to jump out to an 18-4 edge after one. 

This surge in energy for the underdog Hawks kept up into the second quarter, where a layup by Stuelke and McCabe’s third three-pointer of the night maintained Iowa’s comfortable advantage. 

“I think losing all of your starters is really hard,” O’Grady said. “But I think it just speaks to the culture of this program how fast we’re able to rebuild and trust one another.”

If there was an area that Iowa was outmatched in the first half, it was at the free-throw line. Five of USC’s first 10 points of the contest came from the stripe, while the Hawkeyes often went 1-for-2 on each of their trips. 

The Trojans began to pull closer as the first half drew to a close, with star guard JuJu Watkins heating up to 10 points. This, combined with USC’s addition of a full-court press and an 11-0 run, cut the gap to a one-possession game towards the end of the first half.

With seconds left on the clock, a turnover leading to a Watkins layup gave the Trojans a 29-28 lead heading into the break.

Second Half

Stuelke went 1-for-2 at the line to tie the game at 29 apiece to kick off the second half, as well as a back-and-forth battle to set a rigorous tempo for the remainder of the game.

With USC shooting at a much better and higher clip, Iowa had to get creative to stay in the game; and a nifty hop to the basket for a one-handed layup by Olsen was an example of this, and the Hawkeyes stayed close as a result.  

“I know Jan talked to me a few times, and was like “This is what you came here for. Play your game.” The coaches did a good job of preparing us for it.” Olsen said

What began as a significant Iowa lead turned into a defensive slugfest deep into the third quarter, with both teams quickly amassing multiple turnovers and fouls. 

While the Hawkeyes trailed for much of the frame, albeit only by just six, a last-second jumper by Olsen was enough to hurdle the gap for Iowa, giving the Hawkeyes a narrow 51-50 lead going into the game’s thrilling conclusion.

Both teams fought hard to hold a lead in the fourth quarter. With Iowa on their home court and USC facing a potential upset, the shots came fast and ferocious on both ends of the court.

But the Hawkeyes slowly started to pull away, and an and-one from Olsen gave Iowa a double-digit lead. The Trojans cut the gap to single digits, but the damage was done. 

A “Let’s go Hawks!” echoed through Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and the Hawkeyes closed the deal. Despite a large line of security, a large section of the student body rushed the floor in celebration, capping off a memorable day for Iowa. 

“I’m just trying to stay steady,” first-year head coach Jan Jensen said after the game. “Obviously a top-four win is huge. I’m incredibly proud of them and I intend to build on it.”

Up next

Iowa, now 15-7 overall and 5-6 in conference play, will hit the road on Feb. 6 for its next game against Minnesota, who is 18-5 on the season and 6-5 in the Big Ten. 

Tip off is set for 7 p.m. local time on Big Ten Network.

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