JuJu Watkins returns as South Carolina and USC meet again in a fast-growing rivalry

Thanksgiving isn't for a few weeks, but there's already a feast of good matchups in women's basketball and the season is barely a week old.

Key points

• She averaged 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals in straightforward wins over UNLV and Utah State.
• 1 South Carolina will face third-ranked USC on Sunday for the third time previously 12 months.
• The Gamecocks have looked dominant so far in their first two games, beating ranked opponents Maryland and North Carolina.

What happened

No. 1 South Carolina will face third-ranked USC on Sunday for the third time previously 12 months. The Gamecocks won the first two meetings, including an NCAA Tournament second-round victory last season. The Trojans will have JuJu Watkins back in the lineup this time as the sensational wing missed both of last season's game while she was still rehabbing an ACL injury she suffered 20 months ago.

In practice, the Gamecocks have looked dominant so far in their first two games, beating ranked opponents Maryland and North Carolina. The victory over the Tar Heels was by 45 points – the team's largest over a Top 25 team, according to ESPN.

Watkins has looked solid in her return. She averaged 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals in straightforward wins over UNLV and Utah State.

The bottom line

In short, juJu Watkins returns as South Carolina and USC meet again in a is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.