Sports
USC women fall again to Paige Bueckers and UConn in Elite Eight of NCAA tournament
SPOKANE, Wash. — The answers had run out. The worst case had caught up to USC, at the worst time.
There was no more outrunning the reality looming over this entire NCAA tournament, not with Paige Bueckers at the height of her powers and the full weight of the Connecticut onslaught raining down on them. Without JuJu Watkins, there was no further the Trojans could go. And once again, it was Connecticut which slammed the door, ending USC’s season in the Elite Eight once again with a 78-64 victory.
The Huskies will face UCLA next weekend in the Final Four, while the Trojans are left to wonder where they go next without Watkins.
At every turn, until Monday, USC found an answer for her absence, scratching and clawing their way through two tournament rounds. In the round of 32, it was Kiki Iriafen who came alive in her stead. In the Sweet 16, it was a pair of freshmen in Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith who rose to the occasion.
But this trip, without Watkins, will be tinged forever with questions of what could have been.
There is no way to know how far USC might have gone if Watkins’ right knee didn’t buckle beneath her a week ago. But USC did all it could to keep that unlikely journey going.
Rayah Marshall, playing in her final game at USC, finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds, playing the game of her life when it mattered most.
But all that worked in the previous two rounds suddenly came up short. Iriafen struggled, scoring just 10 points. The freshmen did, too, as Smith and Howell combined to shoot four of 15 from the field.
Back in December, USC had bested the Huskies on their home court in an early-season classic. But the Trojans had their star then — Watkins led all scorers with 25 — and the Huskies lost just one more game before Monday.
USC forward Kiki Iriafen shoots over Connecticut forward Sarah Strong during the first half Monday.
(Jenny Kane / Associated Press)
The matchup closely resembled last year’s Elite Eight loss, as Bueckers went off for 31 points, two more than she had against the Trojans last March.
USC tried to work the ball inside early, in hopes of getting Iriafen off to a good start. Fresh off her worst game of the season, Iriafen delivered six quick points in the game’s first six minutes, and USC took control early. Marshall took over from there on the inside, as the pair combined for 16 of USC’s first 17 points.
But turnovers began to pile up, and the Trojans’ promising start dissolved in a four-minute scoreless drought at the end of the quarter, just as Connecticut freshman Sarah Strong found her stride. While USC zeroed in on Bueckers, Strong scored 10 of the Huskies’ first 12 points.
For a while, the Trojans slowed Bueckers, who scored 40 in her previous outing, by chasing her with Smith, their most tenacious on-ball defender.
But Bueckers kept patient, and eventually broke loose. In the final 38 seconds of the half, she knocked down one three-pointer, then another, giving the Huskies a 39-25 lead at the break.
The barrage continued from there. Iriafen went cold after her strong start, failing to score again until late in the third quarter. The freshmen who carried USC in the last round stayed quiet. Connecticut pushed its lead to 19, threatening to bury USC.
The Trojans would unleash their suffocating press on defense, sparking an 11-0 run to end the third quarter. They cut Connecticut’s lead to just five.
But that was as close as USC would get. And now it will have all offseason to wonder what might have been.
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Conor Daly’s race team got a bit more than they bargained for at the Indianapolis 500 over the weekend as the IndyCar driver copped to a gross act on Monday night during the victory banquet.
The Indy 500 was delayed nearly an hour because of rain. Drivers were forced to sit in their cars on the frontstretch until officials gave them the all-clear to begin racing. Because of the delay, Daly said he just could not hold his urine in anymore.
IndyCar Series driver Conor Daly, #76, during the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 25, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
“I want to thank my mechanics specifically, because there’s been a lot of talk tonight and I saw on the internet as well – a lot of toilet talk and maybe some using of the bathroom,” Daly said. “We had to wait a long time before the race. Never in my life have I urinated in my race car until Sunday.
“I was sitting on the grid, and I was like, ‘This is the best car I’ve ever been in, in my whole life. I’m gonna have to pee in this thing.’ I kid you not, I legitimately urinated in my race car before the race even started.”
Daly said he had to go “really bad” and admitted he sat through the entire race in his own urine. He said he “came clean” with his mechanics after the race was over.
Juncos Hollinger Racing driver Conor Daly, #76, sits on the wall after practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 19, 2025. (Grace Hollars-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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“It was an embarrassing moment. I didn’t think I’d have to get there. (James) Hinchcliffe told me about that once but, anyway, now you guys all know.”
Daly finished eighth after starting out in 11th. The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver led 13 laps and appeared to have one of the quickest vehicles on the track.
Juncos Hollinger Racing driver Conor Daly, #76, high-fives crew members on Saturday, May 17, 2025, during qualifying for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
However, it was Alex Palou who got the last laugh and won the race for the first time in his career.
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There’s no holding back for Tuesday’s Southern Section Division 1 baseball semifinals. The quarterfinals were full of drama and close games. Now comes the real fun: Ace vs. ace, top team vs. top team.
It will be St. John Bosco hosting Corona on its new field and Santa Margarita hosting Crespi. Here’s four players who could be difference makers:
Jackson Eisenhauer, Crespi. He started the season without allowing any earned runs in 51 innings. He missed Crespi’s 2023 Division 2 championship season because of an injury. He throws strikes, has a sweeping curveball and is cool under pressure.
Brennan Bauer, Santa Margarita. He has the most pitching wins in school history, going 22-4. He’s good whether starting or relieving and will be needed at some point in a game that figures to be close and nerve-wracking.
Anthony Murphy, Corona. The junior center fielder and lead-off batter has come on strong, batting .426 with a team high 11 home runs on a team filled with pro prospects. The only time the 28-2 Panthers have lost were by shutouts, so you either deal with Murphy or go down to defeat. Corona has 16 shutout victories and will have Seth Hernandez (18-0 in two years) on the mound.
Noah Everly, St. John Bosco. The junior is batting .361 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. He also can pitch. When he has a big day at the plate, the Trinity League champs are tough to beat and he’ll need to do something against Hernandez and his 98 mph fastball.
The winners advance to the championship game at Cal State Fullerton to be Friday or Saturday.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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More than 7 million viewers tuned in to watch Alex Palou win the first Indianapolis 500 of his career over the weekend, FOX Sports announced on Monday.
The race garnered 7.05 million viewers, FOX Sports said, citing Nielsen fast national ratings. The company added that it had 8.4 million viewers at its peak between 4 p.m. ET and 4:15 p.m. ET.
Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou, of Spain, poses with the Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional winners photo session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 26, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP Photo)
It was the most-watched Indianapolis 500 in 17 years, according to FOX Sports. The last Indy 500 to draw comparable viewership was the 2008 race, which garnered an audience of 7.245 million. FOX Sports said viewership was up 40% from last year’s race.
It was the first year FOX broadcast the Indianapolis 500.
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Alex Palou, of Spain, celebrates with fans after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP Photo)
Palou passed Marcus Ericsson with 14 laps to go in the race and held him and the rest of the pack at bay to win the race. It was the fifth win of the 2025 season for Palou and the first time a Spaniard had won the Indy 500.
Palou started the race in sixth position on the second row on the outside of Scott Dixon and next to Felix Rosenqvist. He needed to work hard to get to the front as persistent droplets of rain and several caution flags came out, which could have halted his momentum at any time.
Alex Palou, of Spain, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AJ Mast/AP Photo)
As the race came down to the end, he got his opportunity to move around Ericsson. He had some lap traffic in front of him, but they didn’t appear to hinder Palou’s ability to win at all. For Palou, it was jubilation down the frontstretch with the anticipation of kissing the bricks and some ice-cold milk to cool him off after the grueling event.
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