USC's Lindsay Gottlieb Doesn’t Hold Back About Trojans' Transfer Portal Additions

There might not be a bigger winner this offseason than the USC Trojans women’s basketball team.

USC officially welcomed back superstar guard JuJu Watkins, the 2024-2025 Naismith Award winner who missed all of last season with an ACL injury. Watkins revealed this week that she has been scrimmaging this summer.

USC Trojans Women's Basketball Transfer Portal JuJu Watkins Injury Update Lindsay Gottlieb Ryann Bennett Jazzy Davidson — Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Trojans return key starters such as sophomore Jazzy Davidson, a former No. 1 overall recruit who was named the USBWA, WBCA and The Athletic Freshman of the Year, and junior forward Kennedy Smith, a defensive savant. Redshirt sophomore forward Laura Williams was a part-time starter and big-time rebounder for Southern Cal last season.

USC also reeled in the No. 1 recruiting class, which features five-star guard Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 overall recruit, five-star forward Sitaya Fagan and five-star forward/center Sara Okeke.

Despite the returning production and an impressive recruiting class, Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb was active in the portal and signed a pair of productive veterans in UC Davis transfer guard Ryann Bennett and Florida State transfer center Pania Davis.

“We went into the transfer portal and got two pieces that were critical and important for us,” Gottlieb said. “It’s only June but we hit the jackpot in terms of that. Everyone needs something different from the portal, but we wanted two players that would make us better. That would fit into what we’re trying to do, that would elevate us in their own way."

Key Transfer Portal Additions

Bennett, a Long Beach native, was a two-year standout for UC Davis. She was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team in 2024-25. This past season, she started all 34 games. She recorded eight 20-point performances and led her team with 15.3 points per game.

“Ryann Bennett, I’ve known her for a long time,” Gottlieb said. “She’s a local kid but if you talk to anyone who’s coached her or knows her, the first thing they say is winner, connector, understands people and that’s what we’ve seen. She’s a knockdown shooter, but she’s not just a shooter, she can make plays off the bounce. She’s incredibly efficient, so we’re excited about what those two are going to be bring.”

After two seasons in the junior college ranks, Davis appeared in 31 games, including 28 starts at Florida State last season. She led the Seminoles in blocks and averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

“P is 6-6, she’s mobile, she’s got great hands, but she made a decision when she finished up at Florida State to not go home to Australia to come right here because she’s about the work this year,” Gottlieb said. “And there’s nothing wrong with going home, she just wanted to get started and integrate herself.

“She’s been terrific, we’ve done individual work we’ve done group work. She’s really versatile, she uses her voice a lot. She’s bright as a big and we’re super excited about her.”

Learning From a Down Year

With Watkins out for the entire year, the Trojans took a step back in the 2025-26 season. They finished 18-14 and fell to South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed.

“I think we all learned a ton. You learn from things that go well and you learn from things that are hard,” Gottlieb said. “I don’t think any of us would trade it because we’ve taken it, we’ve grown from it. I’ve had a lot of great conversations with Jazzy and Kennedy that they were able to grow in ways they may not have had it not looked exactly as it looked.

“Once we concluded our postseason meetings and we had the group in here that we knew was going to be here for this year before the incoming freshman and transfers. We looked at each other and committed to fighting everyday to be what we know we can be.”

The Trojans enter this season with a stacked roster and national championship aspirations.

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