USC Coach Doesn't Hold Back About Jazzy Davidson in NCAA Tournament

The USC Trojans women's basketball team secured a massive NCAA Tournament win over Clemson to survive and advance, as they beat the Tigers 71-67 in overtime. Now, the Trojans are slated for a rematch with No. 1 seeded South Carolina in the round of 32.

While the back-and-forth matchup took a village, coach Lindsay Gottlieb did not hesitate to shoutout a consistent USC star for her dominant performance in the win.

Lindsay Gottlieb Praises Jazzy Davidson in NCAA Tournament Win

USC Trojans Women's Basketball March Madness True Freshman Jazzy Davidson JuJu Watkins Lindsay Gottlieb South Carolina Big Te — Mar 21, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb directs her team against the Clemson Tigers in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson has been a breakthrough player for the Trojans all year, leading the team in multiple categories per game like points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

In her first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, Davidson notched 31 points, five rebounds and five assists, which also made her the first ever freshman in March Madness history to do so. Especially in an uncertain season without star guard JuJu Watkins, Davidson stepped up to the plate and impacted the program in more ways than one.

In the Trojans gritty neck-and-neck overtime battle, Davidson's clutch pair of three's got the Trojans back in it and ultimately sealed the win. Gottlieb shared how Davidson impacted the Trojans in the win, and how she has all season regardless of her age as a true freshman.

"I mean, I'm running out of adjectives, right? She's a really, really special player. . . forget freshman, right? But she's a special player in all the ways that she impacts a game," Gottlieb said after the win.

Gottlieb also mentioned the role that Davidson was not only asked fill, but fulfilled with skill and talent that made her an elite player on both sides of the court.

"Look at how much she's growing in a role for us where she's relied upon to do all those things for us to win a game, in a big time close game. I think she impacts both sides of the floor. And we ask her to make big shots, we ask her to, you know, make assist passes and play a ton of minutes. And so she's really, really just a special basketball player and a really good teammate," Gottlieb continued.

USC Enters Pivotal Round of 32 for Rematch with South Carolina

The Trojans' overtime thriller was a massive team win that allowed USC to get another chance to compete. However, their biggest challenge comes with facing the top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks, who are seeking their third NCAA Tournament title in five seasons.

The Gamecocks are a dominant women's basketball program and are consistently in national title conversations. South Carolina dominated Southern University in the round of 64 securing a 104-34 win. Therefore, an early tournament matchup with South Carolina marks a challenging, yet exciting matchup for USC.

In their first time meeting earlier in the regular season, USC fell to South Carolina 69-52 in their third game on the season. A win for USC over the South Carolina would mark Gottliebs third consecutive time sending the Trojans to a Sweet 16.

SIGN UP FOR THE USC TROJANS NEWSLETTER HERE!