UCLA and USC women’s basketball games against Utah postponed

Just as UCLA and USC prepared to get their seasons back on track after extended COVID-19 pauses, an outbreak in a conference foe‘s program will cost the teams another game.

UCLA‘s and USC’s Pac-12 games at Utah will be postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the Utes program, the schools announced Tuesday. The Bruins (5-3) were expected to face Utah on Friday in their first game in almost a month. USC (7-3) was scheduled to play Utah on Sunday after starting its conference season on Friday at Colorado.

USC’s game against the Buffaloes will be its first since Dec. 18. The Trojans, who are playing under first-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, canceled their nonconference finale against Long Beach State, rescheduled a game against UCLA and postponed two home matchups against Arizona and Arizona State during their pause.

The Bruins have had an even longer wait to get back on the court. Their last home game was on Dec. 11 against Connecticut in Newark. N.J. The team’s coronavirus outbreak has now affected seven consecutive games. UCLA canceled its last three nonconference games and, like USC, postponed home games against Arizona and Arizona State. The rivalry games between UCLA and USC were rescheduled for Jan. 20 at Pauley Pavilion and Jan. 23 at Galen Center.

UCLA is on track to begin its conference season on Sunday at Colorado.