Looking for something other than college football to lead you into Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series game against Army on Saturday night? How about some women’s college basketball — a top-six showdown between USC and Notre Dame, no less.

Here is everything you need to know about one of the marquee non-conference games in the sport this season, pitting an Irish team that’s been to the Sweet 16 three years in a row in spite of serious injuries against a 2024 Elite Eight squad in the Trojans.

Notre Dame women’s basketball vs. USC game info

• Teams: No. 6 Notre Dame (4-0) and No. 3 USC (4-0)
• Head coaches: Niele Ivey (92-32, fifth year at Notre Dame); Lindsay Gottlieb (66-32, 301-160 overall; 4th year at USC, 15th year overall)
• Date: Nov. 23, 2024
• Location: Galen Center (Los Angeles)
• Time: 4 p.m. ET
• Television: NBC
• TV broadcasters: Zora Stephenson, LaChina Robinson and Ice Young
• Radio: 96.1 FM WSBT in South Bend
• Radio broadcaster: Sean Stires

What to know about Notre Dame

• Six Notre Dame players are putting up a double-digit scoring average, but the Fighting Irish have only put eight players on the floor this season because of injuries.

• The Irish are led by Hannah Hidalgo and her 25.0 points per game. She also averages 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 2.5 assists per game. She’s shooting 50.7 percent from the floor.

• In her first four games back after missing the entire 2023-24 season, senior point guard Olivia Miles already has a triple-double and is averaging 18.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

• Graduate senior forward Liatu King should return Saturday after missing Sunday’s game at Lafayette with a head injury. She has two double-doubles in three appearances and is putting up 17.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

• Freshman center Kate Koval was the Co-ACC Player of the Week last week. She’s registering 12.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per game plus 5.5 blocks per outing in the first handful of games of her career.

What to know about USC

• The Trojans are led by JuJu Watkins, who was an All-American as a freshman last season just like Hidalgo. Her numbers are down early this year, though; she’s averaging 21.5 points per game. In four games last season, she was all the way up at 27.1. She’s still filling up the stat sheet like Hidalgo, though, with 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.8 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. At 6-2 and ball-dominant, she’ll be tough for Notre Dame to defend.

• Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen will be tough to defend, too. The 6-3 senior forward is averaging 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in her first season with the Trojans. The 1-2 punch of Watkins and Iriafen is what Notre Dame must be most conscious of when defending a USC side that can explode for oodles and oodles of points.

• The Trojans are getting over 20 points per game from freshmen guards Kennedy Smith and Kayleigh Heckel. USC signed as good of a freshman class as anyone, and it’s going to be on display against the Fighting Irish. This is not a flash in the pan in Los Angeles. Like Notre Dame, USC is building something special and sustainable for years to come.

Quotable

Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey
“We’re really excited. We had the opportunity to rest the last few days. Having a whole week to prepare for them is going to be beneficial for us. The fact that we have to be on this big stage, I’ve heard it’s almost a sold-out arena, we’re going to have a lot of fans on the road for us, it’s just an incredible matchup. Some of the biggest names that are out in women’s basketball right now, and I think it’s going to be great for the game, to grow the game, but also to challenge ourselves this early is going to be great for down the road.”

By the numbers: Notre Dame vs. USC