USC women’s basketball stuns No. 9 NC State, shows potential without JuJu Watkins

The No. 18 USC Trojans are playing this season without star JuJu Watkins, who tore his ACL in last spring’s NCAA tournament, but their first big test came in a 69-68 blowout win over No. 9 NC State on Sunday. The game wasn’t perfect by any means, but it showed the potential of Lindsay Gottlieb’s team and could boost confidence as USC faces South Carolina next weekend.

The Wolfpack is a very young group with no seniors on the roster, but it entered the 2025 Ally Tipoff game against USC on the heels of an 80-77 victory over No. 8 Tennessee in its season opener Tuesday.

Gottlieb knows the Trojans are still adjusting to the absence of Watkins and other key players from last season. However, the coach likes what she sees from her players so far.

“Everyone is kind of playing a new role,” Gottlieb said Sunday. “We just think it’s a great opportunity for others. That’s the way we want to play. We want to play fast and smooth. We’re trying to play a more open, pro-style offense where there’s a lot of reads and options and putting people in different spots. We’re always going to play hard and tough on the defensive end and we want to play fast and all the different things.

“And I think that’s what the players have bought into. But there’s also different people in new roles and opportunities and that’s a lot to take on. From someone who’s playing in their first college game to someone who’s their first appearance in a USC uniform, being asked to take on a lot more, which is a great, awesome opportunity. I love coaching, but I think we also have a lot of growing to do, which is exciting.”

After an 87-48 win over New Mexico State in their season opener and an AP top 10 win over NC State, the Trojans are 2-0. This may not be a team ready to compete for a national championship yet, but we’ve seen good things from the Trojans so far.

Jazzy Davidson is as good as advertised

Davidson, the No. 3 player in the Class of 2025, arrived in Los Angeles with high expectations due to her high basketball IQ, speed and versatility. She has the skill set as a guard, while her 6-foot-1 height helps her as a defender on the perimeter.

She made just 5 of 26 from the field in her first three halves as a Trojan. However, she continued to help in other ways when her shots weren’t falling. She showed up properly for college basketball in the second half against NC State, when she started 4 of 4 from the field while maintaining her defensive intensity.

The first year student, who is mentored by Watkinsdid a little bit of everything in the Trojans’ win over the Wolfpack. She scored a team-high 21 points, along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and five blocks.

“I’m just blessed to have amazing coaches and teammates,” Davidson said Sunday. “They really keep me grounded in situations like that, when my shots aren’t falling as much as I’d like, and I’m really grateful for that.”

Londynn Jones could be an X factor

X-factor, spark, call it what you want. The fact is, UCLA transfer Londynn Jones has made an impact in her first two games as a Trojan. Against NMSU, Jones went 0 for 3 from beyond the arc, but still shot over 54 percent from the field to contribute 16 points. On Sunday, she scored 19 points while being the spark that kept USC competitive in the first half when almost no one else could buy a shot.

Jones was a starter with the Bruins, but has so far come off the bench for the Trojans. During the 2023-24 season, Jones set the UCLA single-season record for 3-pointers made with 87. She hasn’t been the most efficient shooter in her college career — she hasn’t had a season in which she shoots better than 37 percent from the field or averages more than 12 points per game — but the potential for her to make a significant impact on this roster is certainly there.

“I think practice is never enough,” the senior said Sunday. “I think what you do in practice, you kind of see what you can work on, what you need to get better at. I just think in film, we have a lot of film sessions, so you just have to understand that the work is put in. When you put it to work, get the rehearsals, it comes naturally and you don’t really have to think about it.”

Kennedy Smith still has an impact

Smith started 28 games for the Trojans last season and was expected to be the team’s key player during this rebuilding year. She shot over 41 percent from the field as a freshman averaging 9.5 points per game and leading the team in steals.

The shots weren’t falling for her early in her sophomore year, as she made 7 of 26 in the first two games. Despite these struggles, she was still one of the top contributors on Sunday with 10 points and 8 rebounds. She made back-to-back layups midway through the fourth quarter as USC came back from a double-digit deficit. She also had the assist for Davidson’s game-winner.

“I think what makes Kennedy an elite player is that she can impact the game without scoring,” Gottlieb said. “We know she’s capable of scoring, and I think she had some really critical baskets down the stretch. But she’s unique in the sense that she makes other elite players better. She could get the ball in her hands, feel the defense and pulverize it.

“She can score inside and outside and we know she’s capable of making shots, and those shots will fall. But she’s facing a lot more in just her sophomore year, trying to get the ball to become a playmaker and a distributor and a shot scorer. But she’s elite defensively, she’s all over the boards. And just a competitiveness about her that I think other people are saying, ‘Okay, we can stop. We We can make a play no matter what happens offensively.'”