After defeating No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, the Cougars beat No. 8 Gonzaga. Then, they upended No. 4 Purdue and No. 2 Tennessee to reach the Final Four. Houston became the first program since 2017 North Carolina to navigate the most difficult seed path possible for a No. 1 team.

It's been tough sledding for Ayoka Lee in the Sweet 16 matchup, as the 6-foot-6 center has struggled to counteract USC's two-headed center combo of Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo. Lee has 10 points with three minutes to play but has needed 13 shots to get there.