By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

ROSEMONT, Ill. — The Big Ten got seven teams into the NCAA women’s basketball tournament last season, and then added USC and UCLA, two teams expected to be in this season’s top five, along with Oregon and Washington for this season.

Even with the additions, the conference is still only playing an 18-game schedule, which means everybody plays just one game against an opponent and two against a rival.

It’s why, Maryland coach Brenda Frese said during Wednesday’s Big Ten media day, every game is going to have significance.

“Obviously these arenas, you know, every time you go into one, it’s going to be a difficult environment,” Frese said. “I think what makes it unique this season is that every game, just the importance of it. You’re only playing each other once except for the one partner that you have. It’s going to feel like the NCAA Tournament every night because it’s going to matter when you talk about later in March of your tiebreakers and who has beat each other.”

There is no decline in star power in the conference. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the national player of the year, is gone, but here comes USC’s JuJu Watkins, the national freshman of the year. And while a team like the Hawkeyes, who have appeared in back-to-back NCAA tournament championship games, is still expected to be an NCAA tournament team even without Clark, here comes Watkins and the Trojans along with the city rival Bruins to contend for a national crown.

Interestingly, in that one-and-only-game conference schedule, USC and UCLA will be one of those double-plays.

“The two LAs playing each other twice is going to be great for the conference, great for women’s basketball in general,” said Oregon coach Kelly Graves. “I’ve seen those two programs up close for a long time, and what they have going is pretty special.”

New Iowa coach Jan Jensen said she is embracing the challenge.

“People have asked me often, what does that mean for the Big Ten?” Jensen said of the conference expansion. “I said, well, it means it gets a whole lot tougher to win the Big Ten championship, but also makes it a whole lot more fun.

“I think all of us in the Big Ten, what we love about it is, you know, there’s not a cupcake in the Big Ten. Inviting those folks in, it’s no different than getting ready to fly to play Maryland. We’re going to have to bring our A-game for everybody in this league.”

For their part, the coaches of the new teams are looking forward to playing in new venues.

USC coach Lindsey Gottlieb said she was looking forward to playing at Indiana’s Assembly Hall.

“I’ve never coached there,” she said. “We’ve never played there. I’ve heard that the fans are right on top of you. There’s a million answers we could say, and we only get to go to half of them each year, but Assembly Hall will be a cool one for me.”

“I think the truth of the matter is the Big Ten has historic buildings to play in with historic teams and fans,” said Washington coach Tina Langley. “What makes college athletics so special are the student-athletes and how they come and show up for their teams. It’s why we all coach. It’s the people we get to be associated with. We’re excited to play in so many historic buildings and with incredible fan bases.”

UCLA coach Cori Close said she didn’t mind the 18-game schedule.

“I think it’s the only way you could do it,” she said. “I think this first year I think it’s definitely the best road to take. I think there’s going to be some of it where we’re just going to have to feel it out this first year, but I love that it’s going to be … everybody is going to be pretty much balanced. I haven’t been a part of a balanced schedule like that for many years. Then for playing your rival twice, I think it’s going to be a really good situation and I’m excited to do it.”

A bigger conference is going to be just as strong, and maybe better.

“Great coaches, great players,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said. “Iron sharpens iron. (The new teams are) just going to make us all so much better. I think the goal for our league is somebody needs to win a national championship. It’s been too long since a team in the (Big Ten) has been able to do that. I’m hoping that this might be the year that the Big Ten finally wins a national championship.”

Photo: USC’s JuJu Watkins (right) leads the Big Ten into a new era. (Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire)