USC Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Shares Her Assessment of Jazzy Davidson's Injury

USC freshman guard Jazzy Davidson suffered a right shoulder injury Thursday during the Trojans’ 76-64 loss to the Washington Huskies in the second round of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year was scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

The injury occurred early in the first quarter when Davidson’s right arm became tangled with Washington guard Avery Howell while battling for a loose rebound. The collision happened in front of the USC bench, prompting immediate concern from coaches and medical staff.

USC Trojans guard Jazzy Davidson Washington Huskies Avery Howell USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb Big Ten basketball — Jan 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Jazzy Davidson (9) warms up prior to the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Officials reviewed the contact for a potential foul but ultimately ruled the play incidental. Davidson briefly left the floor holding her right arm before returning shortly afterward with her shoulder heavily wrapped.

Davidson Tries to Push Through Injury

Despite the apparent discomfort, Davidson attempted to continue playing for most of the game. After the game, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb highlighted her star freshman's resilience for choosing to stay in the game, incapsulating the traits that have led to her breakout season.

“She took a pretty significant hit,” Gottlieb said. “She's a really tough kid. She wants to play through it. But I was just checking with her to make sure there wasn't anything that was getting worse, and also at times trying to settle her down. She plays so hard and wants to win.”

Davidson struggled offensively after the injury, finishing with eight points on 2-of-13 shooting. She frequently shook out her right arm following shots, a sign that the shoulder was clearly still bothering her.

USC’s medical staff ultimately decided to hold her out for the remainder of the game late in the fourth quarter. Davidson exited for the final time with seven minutes remaining as Washington pulled away for the 12-point win. The defeat marked USC’s fourth consecutive loss entering postseason play.

Trojans Await MRI Results Ahead of NCAA Tournament

Davidson has been the centerpiece of USC’s offense during her freshman campaign. The guard leads the Trojans and ranks among the Big Ten’s top scorers, averaging 17.9 points per game while also contributing 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Defensively, she has added 2.1 blocks and two steals per game, highlighting her all-around impact.

Her emergence has been especially important for a USC team that has spent the entire season without superstar JuJu Watkins, who remains sidelined while recovering from a knee injury.

“You talk about overdelivering, to be a freshman and carry the load for us,” Gottlieb said. “She’s just capable of doing almost anything on a basketball court. She’s unique. I know there are several good freshmen in the country. We know how good she is. We see it every day, and we think there’s no one better.”

Now the Trojans must wait to see how serious Davidson’s injury is as the NCAA Tournament approaches. Davidson said after the game that she will undergo an MRI on Friday. The results could determine whether USC’s leading scorer will be available for the start of March Madness in just over two weeks.

Tough Tourney Ahead of the Trojans

Despite the possibility that the Trojans could be without their star freshman, Gottlieb did not seem phased by the idea of entering the tourney as a potential underdog. With USC's up and down season ending on a four-game losing streak, they now no longer control their postseason destiny and find themselves staring at a potential uphill battle.

“There were eight teams that finished above us in our league. Seven of them in the last reveal are hosting, and the other one here is obviously a tournament team that now we've split with,” Gottlieb said. “Yeah, I don't think it's in question. It becomes about matchups in the tournament. Send us wherever. You usually get what you earn. We earned our way into the 8-9 game here, and we'll do the same with the NCAA Tournament.”

USC is currently projected as a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament despite the early conference tournament exit. NCAA.com's projection predicts that the Trojans will have to play the Iowa State Cyclones led by the star All-Big 12 first team duo of Audi Crooks and Jada Williams. ESPN's projection has the Trojans facing Villanova Wildcats led by one of the top scorers in the Big East in Jasmine Bascoe.

All that to say that USC could be in for a really concerning opening round matchup while also being being undermanned in the process. Even with optimism that Davidson will be cleared in time for the start of March Madness, the Trojans will require some real postseason heroics to bounce back from a rough regular season ending and even tougher Big Ten tournament exit.

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