INDIANAPOLIS — Lindsay Gottlieb had warned of this very possibility, that her team’s opener in the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament might have the feel of an NCAA tournament game given the conference’s slew of quality teams.
Never mind that USC was top-seeded, second-ranked nationally and riding a seven-game winning streak.
INDIANAPOLIS — Four days after revealing to each other what they could do better during a players-only film session, the UCLA Bruins found a few more talking points.
Their bad-shot-taking offense was disjointed. Their defense was vulnerable. Their lead over what was supposed to be a heavily overmatched opponent was shaky.
INDIANAPOLIS — It had been a forgettable afternoon for JuJu Watkins when she found herself confronted by a double team on the low block early in the fourth quarter.
To that point, the USC superstar had missed more shots than she had made. Her most memorable moment might have been when she slammed the ball off the court in frustration after getting called for charging in the first half.
