The USC women’s basketball team had healthy turnover in the offseason, finding answers to its needs by adding two experienced transfers and four hyper-talented freshmen.
The result is a skilled, versatile roster that can use its length to disrupt the competition. The Trojans will have an edge in height this season, with eight players on the team 6-foot-1 or taller.
“I love the mix of it,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “The challenge for us is we are probably younger than some of the other top teams, so we’re using that as an advantage – a youthful energy but mixed with the veteran kind of competitiveness and seriousness.”
Who’s gone
Kara Dunn: The 5-foot-11 guard was the heart and soul of USC as its most experienced leader. She started every game and averaged 15.2 points, five rebounds and two assists while being a mentor for then-freshman Jazzy Davidson. Dunn is currently a developmental player with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Londynn Jones: The 5-foot-4 guard scored points on offense and pushed the pace on defense while hitting a team-leading 85.3% of her free throws in her final year of eligibility. She started in 16 of the 32 games she played, averaging 10.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Dayana Mendes: The 6-foot-3 guard/forward transferred to Miami after a sophomore season in which she struggled to find her place in the rotation. She contributed three points and 2.8 rebounds per game while averaging 13.9 minutes.
Gerda Raulušaityte: The 6-foot-3 forward started 10 games, averaging 2.2 points and 2.8 rebounds. She never quite fulfilled her potential in the post and transferred to Arizona.
Malia Samuels: The 5-foot-6 guard was nicknamed “Pitty” – short for “pitbull” – due to her tenacity on defense. She started 19 games, averaging 3.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game, but likely would have been squeezed out of the rotation this season due to this roster’s pound-for-pound talent. Samuels transferred and is now at Indiana.
Who’s back
Jazzy Davidson: The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard is coming off a season that saw her lead the team in every category and win multiple Freshman Player of the Year awards. She averaged 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, two steals and two blocks per game.
Kennedy Smith: The 6-foot-1 guard was one of the most consistent players on the team with 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Her composure and will to get to the basket produced double-digit scoring performances against then-ranked teams like Washington, UConn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, Ohio State and UCLA.
JuJu Watkins: The 6-foot-2 guard redshirted last season due to a torn ACL but is back this season with the same all-around intensity that she’s always had. She averaged a team-best 23.9 points and 3.4 assists per game in the 2024-25 season while adding an additional 1.8 blocks and 2.2 steals per game.
Laura Williams: The 6-foot-2 forward was arguably the most improved player on last season’s roster. She learned how to use her length to become one of the best rebounders on the team with 4.8 per game in addition to 2.9 points and 1.2 blocks.
Who’s new
Sitaya Fagan: The 6-foot-4 forward was technically on the team last season as an early enrollee, but did not play in any games and was limited in how she could practice with the team. Fagan, one of the most athletic players on the team, won gold with Australia at the FIBA U17 Women’s Oceana Cup.
Saniyah Hall: The 6-foot-1 guard/forward was ranked as the No. 1 2026 high school recruit in the nation by ESPN and is poised to give USC a scoring boost. Hall has already shown a glimpse of what she’s capable of by scoring a team-high 23 points in an open exhibition game against Cal on Oct. 25.
Pania Davis: The 6-foot-6 center is a Florida State transfer and will likely be a big difference-maker in the post with three seasons of college basketball under her belt. She is the tallest player on the team and has the muscle to push around opponents when it counts. Davis averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season with FSU.
Ryann Bennett: The 5-foot-8 guard is another key transfer portal pickup. She was the leading scorer at UC Davis as a sophomore last season with 15.3 points per game and also led the team in steals with 54.
Alesia Talkouskaya: The 6-foot guard/forward was a late addition to USC, with the program adding her to the roster Sept. 18. Talkouskaya adds professional international experience after playing the past two years with Horizont Minsk in Belarus. She’s a versatile player who averaged 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.8 steals in 29 games for Horizont Minsk.
Sara Okeke: The 6-foot-4 forward/center enters her freshman season of college basketball after winning gold with Spain at the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket. Okeke made 64% of her shots from the field in her senior high school season at DME Academy and has the potential to be a disrupter in the post for the Trojans.