"It is meaningful to me" - USC women's basketball HC Lindsay Gottlieb expresses 'gratitude' after winning the final Pac-12 title

USC women's basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has expressed gratitude for the Pac-12 Conference for it has helped her professional career.

Gottlieb was the last coach to win the Pac-12 title after guiding the USC Trojans to a 74-61 victory over Stanford Cardinal in the Tournament final on Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a post-game statement, she thanked the conference for allowing her to coach for the Trojans.

“I have so much gratitude for the Pac-12 Conference. It has meant everything to my professional career … It’s been all I’ve known, and for a New York kid, it is meaningful to me to get the championship in the last one,” the 46-year-old coach said.

She also spoke on the recent resurgence of women's basketball and said she is honored to be part of the rise.

“We're honored to be part of this kind of resurgence, this moment in women's basketball,” Gottlieb said.

Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb of the USC Trojans looks up court during the second half of the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament.

Lindsay Gottlieb leads USC Trojans to victory over higher-ranked Stanford

The No. 5 Trojans stunned the No. 2 Cardinal to secure their second Pac-12 tournament title and their first since 2014.

Gottlieb guided USC to a total team effort for USC despite superstar guard JuJu Watkins not being at her best. The 6-foot-2 guard was held to nine points on 2-of-15 shooting.

McKenzie Forbes dropped 26 points, on 11-of-21 shooting from the field, to lead the Trojans' offense. Kayla Padilla added 13 markers, including five in the fourth period.

Rayah Marshall contributed a double-double of 10 points and 18 rebounds for USC, who grabbed their 26th win of the season - the most since 1993-94.

Cameron Brink led Stanford with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Kiki Iriafen added 18.

Forbes was named Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Watkins gained Pac-12 All-Tournament Team honors.

The Trojans will await their opponents in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday. It is also possible that USC will play their games at home as the Galen Center was chosen to host the NCAA First and Second Round games, which is the first time since 2009.