This week, there was some big news for the USC women’s basketball team regarding their chances for the postseason.
Jazzy Davidson is returning.
The return of this standout freshman, who faced a shoulder injury during the Big Ten tournament, is more significant than the team’s seeding or their first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament.
With Davidson cleared to return, it opens up opportunities for the Trojans.
She really stood out as one of the finest freshmen this year, and her skill set was crucial for the team, especially after they lost superstar JuJu Watkins to injury.
Davidson’s shoulder injury occurred early on in the game against Washington during the Big Ten tournament, and it was clear she wasn’t at her best for the rest of that match. Unfortunately, this marked the fourth consecutive loss for USC, which negatively impacted their seeding and sparked concerns about their postseason prospects.
Coach Lindsey Gottlieb noted that there wasn’t a common theme in those defeats, emphasizing that different factors contributed to each loss.
Turnovers were a major issue in the away game against the then-number one team, Ohio. Just a few days later, Penn State’s Kiyomi McMiller scored an impressive 40 points, which, as Gottlieb put it, was “crazy” and led to another defeat for the Trojans.
In their final home game, USC faced a 23-point loss to UCLA, but given the quality of the opponent, that margin wasn’t something to be overly embarrassed about.
What was perhaps most worrying, aside from Davidson’s injury, were the multiple problems that came up during their loss to Washington in the Big Ten Tournament.
“It’s unfortunate that it took us so long to really get into the game,” Gottlieb reflected after the 76-64 loss to the Huskies in Indianapolis. “That reflects missed opportunities in plays beyond the X’s and O’s—like rebounding and those critical 50/50 balls. We tried to improve in the second half, but against a strong opponent, it was almost too late.”
The silver lining from the early exit in the conference tournament was the extra rest and practice for the team, particularly for Davidson.
Gottlieb mentioned, “The concern is getting past this situation. The ball needs to move. We must consistently hit great open shots and be the toughest team for a full 40 minutes. We’re aware of the unique challenge in this conference, which includes 12 NCAA Tournament teams, but even those not in the competition are formidable.”
“The real question remains: can we pull it all together? We’ll push each other in practice, regardless of where we end up or who we face. We need to be as sharp as we can be,” she added.
The Trojans are looking to rely on their core group, including Davidson, Carla Dunn, Kennedy Smith, and Londyn Jones, for a strong tournament run, especially with Davidson back in action.
Jones expressed confidence in their potential, saying, “We believe in ourselves. We know the talent we have and the support from our coaching staff. Leaning on that is always beneficial.”
“Yes, we dropped four in a row, but challenges like that are part of the journey. Each team goes through it. We’ll use that experience to move forward and see how far we can go. We’re not overly concerned about who we might face in March Madness. We need to focus on stepping up and showcasing our abilities.”
