Maggie Johnson (Photo: Courtesy of Maggie Johnson and Julia Cohen. Illustration: Magali Gruet)
May 10, 2025, Indianapolis. The stakes couldn’t be any higher.
That day, USC and UCLA, two of the sport’s fiercest rivals, met in the NCAA national women’s water polo semifinals. The winner would advance to the championship game; The loser would go home. For USC, the game carried added urgency. Earlier in the season, the Trojans had let a matchup against UCLA slip away after giving up a long scoring run. This was their chance to respond.
Team co-captain Maggie Johnson played a central role in making sure they did.
In the first quarter, Johnson set up a goal to tie the game. Later, she sparked a counterattack with a steal and another assist. Late in the third quarter, she found space and scored, part of a decisive USC surge that turned the game. The Trojans went on to win 15-13 and advance to the national championship.
