Los Angeles 3-peat pursuit: USC women's basketball tried in 1985
USC women's basketball won national championships in 1983 and 1984. The Trojans had a chance to 3-peat in 1985 but couldn't quite go all the way
The Los Angeles Dodgers are gunning for a three-peat World Series championship in 2026. Only two MLB teams have ever done it. In college sports, three-peat national champions exist, notably John Wooden's UCLA teams and Geno Auriemma's UConn women's basketball teams.
USC women's basketball did have a chance to achieve a three-peat title. The year was 1985. Cheryl Miller was on the 1985 USC team.
That's why it had a chance to win it all for a third straight year. Another women's basketball legend, Cynthia Cooper, was also on the 1985 Women of Troy roster. However, the absence of Pamela and Paula McGee -- two core members of the 1983 and 1984 national championship squads -- proved to be significant.
USC had a lot of winning parts, but not all the ones it had the year earlier. Those were the parts the Trojans needed to go all the way. USC was still a good team in 1985, just not a great one.