All-Pac-12 guard Talia von Oelhoffen commits to USC
It has been a significant four-day stretch for the USC women’s basketball program. On Friday, the school announced a contract extension for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb that will keep her with the Trojans through the 2029-30 season. On Saturday, Gottlieb and the Trojans landed a commitment from Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen. And on Monday, the Trojans’ head coach was at it again, picking up a commitment from Oregon State point guard transfer Talia von Oelhoffen.
The 5-foot-11 point guard is a two-time All-Pac-12 First-Team selection who averaged 10.7 points, 5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal per game for a Beavers team that earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat No. 2 seed Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual champion South Carolina in the Elite 8.
von Oelhoffen took a visit this past weekend along with Iriafen and the Trojans went two-for-two with their major transfer portal targets. Point guard and an experienced big were two major needs for USC this offseason. Iriafen, a 6-foot-3 forward, was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player this past season, averaging 19.4 points, 11 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. She posted a double-double of 41 points and 16 rebounds in an overtime win against No. 7 seed Iowa State, and a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to No. 3 seed North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament.
von Oelhoffen commented on her commitment to ESPN:
“For me, it was just the opportunities in L.A., playing for Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb]…I think the pro style they play translates to the W[NBA], which is my ultimate goal…Just the opportunity to play point guard for potentially a national championship team under Coach Lindsay, who sends people to the W and is just so smart in so many ways and an amazing staff, amazing players, I loved everything about it.”
USC had to add some experienced veterans to this roster as the Trojans lost veterans ins Kayla Padilla, McKenzie Forbes and Kaitlyn Davis. Gottlieb and the Trojans are bringing in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, but standout guard Juju Watkins needed a few reliable playmakers around her rather than relying on freshmen to contribute heavily to a program now expected to compete for a national championship.
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