Last season, a revitalized USC women’s basketball program surged to the Elite Eight as a No. 1 seed, carried by then-freshman JuJu Watkins in a breathtaking NCAA tournament debut. She averaged 27.5 points, eight rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 blocks across USC’s four March Madness games before the Trojans fell 80-73 to the Paige Bueckers-led UConn Huskies. It was no shame to lose to one of women’s basketball’s winningest programs and coaches in Geno Auriemma, but USC would surely be back.
Fast forward just eight months: USC walks into Hartford, Conn. and gets its revenge, beating UConn 72-70, continuing to build on the progress made in the 2023-24 season. Watkins, of course, played a key role, contributing an efficient 25 points, but that December game also witnessed freshman guard Kennedy Smith’s return to the lineup after a month-long injury absence. Having shaken off any rust and being thrown into USC’s biggest game of the season to that point, Smith knocked down three 3-pointers and tallied a block as the Trojans eked out one of the most significant results in women’s college basketball so far.
After arriving at USC as the highest-ranked player in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, Smith has made an immediate impact as a big-game player for USC. In Saturday’s win over then-No. 8 Ohio State, Smith played the most minutes of any Trojan and racked up 13 rebounds and five assists to go along with her perfect 3-for-3 streak from beyond the arc. It marked the first double-double of her young career, but Smith’s role as a defensive stopper was arguably even more important than her all-around offensive contribution.
“Kennedy is just really, really, really special,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in her post-game press conference after USC’s 84-63 win. “And you see it when we ask her to guard an incredibly fast kid in the full court in [Jaloni] Cambridge or match up against Cotie McMahon, who’s strong.”
Gottlieb’s praise for Smith’s defensive ability extended beyond just her performance against the Buckeyes.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever had a better, just instinctive, smart defender, talented defender, coming in as a freshman,” Gottlieb said.
Between her performances against UConn, Ohio State and beyond, Smith has quickly developed a reputation as one of USC’s X-factors in big games. Last year, the Trojans’ success often hinged on Watkins’ ability to elevate time and time again, but with a top freshman class integrated, along with high-level transfers in forward Kiki Iriafen and guard Talia von Oelhoffen, USC’s squad has a more well-rounded feel, allowing different players to shine on any given night.
“It’s cool for us, because we’re kind of experiencing this for the first time,” assistant coach Courtney Jaco said. “Just having talent in different positions, multiple classes, and trying to really build this thing out.”
That depth Jaco referenced means that USC can now afford to have nights like the team did against Ohio State: Watkins went 5-for-21 from the field and only scored from the free throw line in the first half, but the Trojans still won by 21 points thanks to the efforts of Iriafen, Smith and others.
As different parts of her game have shone on any given night, it makes sense that Smith came into USC knowing her versatility would be key.
“I felt like I could implement myself in many ways, especially on defense,” Smith said. “I feel like I’ve done that now. Just bringing my intensity and disrupting our opponents’ offenses … I’m a very versatile asset to this team, and I just [do] all the little things I need for this team to get the dub.”
That attitude is evident on the stat sheet. In addition to averaging 10.2 points per game, Smith leads the team in steals per outing with 2.4 and has shot 34.3% from 3-point range, the second-highest figure on the team for players who have attempted at least 10 so far this season.
Despite operating as less of an offensive hub against Ohio State than her teammates Watkins and Iriafen, Smith still managed to impose herself, particularly with five assists, which tied her season high. Smith found Iriafen smartly on a couple occasions, displaying great touch with lobbed, over-the-top passes. Later, on a fast break, she drove to the basket, drawing multiple Buckeye defenders before dishing it out to fellow freshman Avery Howell in the corner, who knocked down the 3-pointer.
“She’s really good moving that ball,” Gottlieb said. “I think we’ve only just begun to see what she’s capable of.”
In the five games against ranked opponents that she’s played in, Smith has proved her capacity to elevate in high leverage situations, and she’ll have an opportunity to do so again this week. Crosstown rivals UCLA, the No. 1 team in the country, visit Galen Center this week for one of the most anticipated games of the season in college basketball. UCLA remain undefeated at 22-0, leading the Big Ten, with No. 6 USC (21-2) just half a game behind in the standings.
Much like against Ohio State, Smith will likely be tasked with slowing down a variety of Bruins players, from the 5-foot-4 guard Londynn Jones to 6-foot-4 forward Angela Dugalic, depending on how both Gottlieb and UCLA head coach Cori Close utilize their rosters.
But Smith is ready for the moment and knows her strengths.
“My versatility, just being able to guard 1 through 5, and also just doing what I can on offense… and just setting the tone from there,” she said.
And if Smith can set the tone in a top 10 matchup against the Trojans’ biggest rival, it just may be the springboard for their stretch run, lifting them atop the Big Ten standings and showing once again—with March just around the corner—that USC can beat anyone in the country.
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About the Author
Jack Hallinan is a senior journalism major at the University of Southern California, hailing from suburban Chicago. At USC, he serves as the digital managing for Talk of Troy covering the L.A. pro sports scene and is also a USC sports editor for Annenberg Media. You can also find him as on-air analyst for The Watercooler, a student-run sports talk show.
