The USC women’s basketball team has renewed drive and sparkling talent. The Trojans want more and are aiming high.
Last season was a bump in the road to a national championship, with Naismith Trophy winner JuJu Watkins sidelined for the entire season while recovering from an ACL tear and the Trojans doing the best they could with the remaining available talent.
They still reached the NCAA Tournament, falling to tournament runner-up South Carolina in the second round.
“I feel like we have nothing to prove,” junior guard Kennedy Smith said. “It’s not really pressure. I feel like it’s just keeping the main thing the main thing. Everybody on the team has the same goal, which is winning a national championship.”
What will Kennedy Smith’s role be?
A lot was asked of Smith last season, with Watkins out due to injury and Jazzy Davidson just beginning to find her way in college basketball as a freshman.
Smith is a natural defender but expanded her arsenal to see an uptick in points (11.5) and assists (3.6) per game in her sophomore season. But with an all-around increase in talent on this year’s roster, she may shift again to become more defensive.
“I really take pride in my defense,” Smith said. “Giving other teams difficulties, making it hard for them. And also keeping my offensive bag consistent. I want to be consistent in all boards, whether that’s having five assists a game, a lot of rebounds, steals, limiting turnovers.”
One thing is for certain: Smith will be relied on as a leader due to her overall experience with USC. She now has two full seasons under her belt, which include two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Will JuJu Watkins need time to get back up to game speed?
Watkins is back and head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said she’s listening to the medical staff as she determines what her workload should look like on a game-by-game basis.
The senior guard played 22 minutes in the Trojans’ 78-76 exhibition win against Cal and still scored 18 points, which was tied for second most on the team, and went 6-for-6 on free throws while blocking two shots.
“I still want to win,” Watkins said. “It’s been so long since I’ve played, but I think coming back, my intention is the same. I haven’t lost my confidence.”
What can USC accomplish with a true post presence?
USC had no true center on the team last season, forcing the Trojans to opt for a post-by-committee style of play. Their tallest player was 6-foot-5 forward Yakiya Milton, but she never truly found her groove and transferred to Clemson at the end of the season.
Having a strong post presence is essential in this era of women’s college basketball – UCLA center Lauren Betts made all the difference in the Bruins’ NCAA championship run last season.
USC has picked up a true center in senior 6-foot-6 Florida State transfer Pania Davis and 6-foot-4 freshman Sara Okeke is listed as a forward/center on the roster. Returning redshirt sophomore forward Laura Williams, at 6-foot-2, can add support after growing her game under the net last season.
Can this team win a national championship?
The Trojans are ranked third in the AP Top 25 preseason poll behind 2026 national championship runner-up South Carolina and UConn. The sheer amount of talent on this roster is likely what captured voters’ attention.
Beyond proven stars like Watkins, Smith and Jazzy Davidson, however, there is young and untested talent like former No. 1 recruit Saniyah Hall as well as FIBA U17 champion Sitaya Fagan and FIBA U18 champion Sara Okeke.
Sprinkle in experienced additions in Davis and UC Davis transfer Ryann Bennett, and that creates even more intrigue about how all this talent will work together.
A tough nonconference schedule involving teams like South Carolina, Baylor, Duke and Notre Dame could reveal what this team is capable of early.
“This is exactly where we want USC to be,” Gottlieb said. “We want to be one of the, if not the, premier team in women’s college basketball, and you can’t get that by hibernating until conference.”
Season opener: No. 3 USC vs. UNLV in Hall of Fame Series
When: 1 p.m. Monday
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network/USCTrojans.com/Listen