USC's future is bright despite 40-point loss to South Carolina -- and not just because of JuJu Watkins' return

Trojan fans should not hang their heads over the 2026 campaign

USC suffered a 101-61 loss to South Carolina in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, but chances are this won't happen again next year. The biggest takeaway from this season is that this is about to be a very dangerous program.

"For us, it's a hard way to end," coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game on Monday. "Obviously wish we had competed better, but I'm also really proud of some of the things that we did this year. It's been hard, obviously, not being exactly at the level and standard that we've set, and at the same time, I wouldn't change anything because that's part of it, right? It's the journey and the growth and the learning."

A 40-point loss may not be how they drew it up, but the future looks extremely bright for the Trojans. The most obvious boost will be the return of JuJu Watkins, who was sidelined with a torn ACL. Fans are already itching to watch her play alongside Jazzy Davidson, the only Division I player to lead her team in every major category this season.

Davidson put up 31 points in her NCAA tournament debut, including six rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block in a dramatic overtime victory over Clemson. She became the first player in 25 years to record at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in their NCAA Tournament debut.

A Forever Gift From Jazzy ❤️ Kara Dunn praises Jazzy Davidson on her overtime performance to advance USC to the second round.#MarchMadness x @USCWBB pic.twitter.com/3M65jAwoIL

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 22, 2026

Davidson was quieter against South Carolina with 16 points, but her performance still earned her the respect of her competitors, including Ta'Niya Latson, who described her as "one of the best freshmen in the country, if not the best."

While the Trojans didn't reach the Sweet 16, they still showed a lot of fight in a tough rebuilding season. They had some good moments, including an upset against Iowa in late January. There were also some low points, like that 34-point loss against crosstown rival UCLA earlier that month. 

"I would just say a lot of growth," Davidson told CBS Sports while describing the season. "It's been a huge season of growth for me. And I think all of us individually and as a team have grown together. I'm just super proud of the team and just seeing everybody grow every day. It's been great."

Even with Watkins sidelined for the season, Gottlieb encouraged Davidson to learn from her, particularly how to handle the pressure of being a high-profile freshman.

I asked USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb about the relationship between freshman Jazzy Davidson and JuJu Watkins: “No one knows what Jazzy is about to go through as a high-profile freshman other than JuJu. So I think that relationship is important and it’s a good one.” pic.twitter.com/SU3J6i6cms

— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) October 31, 2025

One of the biggest lessons Davidson took away from both Watkins' advice and the coaching staff was to play with patience.

"I think the biggest thing for me was more so slowing down, slowing the game down, playing at my pace," she said. "Reading the defense, reading the second line, third line of defense and once I kind of got that down, just letting it all click."

Davidson could have even more impact next season with more experience under her belt, but she is just a part of the exciting young group of players that could help USC bounce back next season. Kennedy Smith, a sophomore, was also one of the top contributors for the Trojans during the 2025-26 campaign.

"She is one of the most competitive people I know," Davidson said of Smith. "She holds herself and everybody on the team to such a high standard. She just makes everybody around her better. I'm super grateful to have a teammate like that."

In addition, USC boasts the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, headlined by Saniyah Hall, the No. 2 player in the 247Sports class of 2026 rankings. We already got a taste of what Hall could do on the same roster as Davidson when they played together for Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Hall led that team to the gold medal with an average of 19.9 points per game, a USA U19 scoring record.

"She's amazing. I love her," Davidson said. "I'm so excited to actually be her teammate on a real team next season. She's just super fun to play with and a super sweet girl off the court. It's going to be fun."

I talked to No. 1 overall recruit Saniyah Hall this summer during Overtime Select. One of the reasons she picked USC was the relationship she saw between coach Lindsay Gottlieb and JuJu Watkins. pic.twitter.com/YIzgYopODJ

— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) November 13, 2025

USC also gets Sitaya Fagan, who made a name for herself playing for the Australian national team. She has a head start with the Trojans as she enrolled in January and has been training alongside the team.

The cherry on the cake for USC was also getting a commitment from five-star center Sara Okeke, the No. 10 player in the 274Sports rankings. This season just ended, but the next chapter for this program already has Davidson excited to start her offseason work.

"I've grown so much not only as a player, but just as a human being, just about myself," she said after the loss to South Carolina. "And I'm really excited for the offseason to get back in the gym, get better. I'm excited to come back next season."