SPOKANE, WASH. — In Lindsay Gottlieb’s first season at USC, the Trojans went 12-16. The highlight of that season was a 76-67 upset of No. 4 Arizona. After that game, she pulled aside her freshmen, Rayah Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo, and told them, “Enjoy this because someday we are going to be the team that everyone wants to beat.”
They looked at her with wide eyes.
“They were like, ‘This lady is crazy,’” Gottlieb said with a laugh Saturday.
But she was right. USC went into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed and with the National Player of the Year front-runner on the roster. And even though JuJu Watkins was injured in the second round, when USC took the court Saturday against Kansas State in the Sweet 16, the Trojans were expected to win.
With a Watkins Funko Pop! doll sitting on the USC bench and the real Watkins at home watching on TV with a torn ACL, the Trojans pulled off a gritty 67-61 win over Kansas State to advance to the Elite Eight. They always thought they’d be here – just not without their sophomore star. But all week Gottlieb had made one thing clear: This team was ready. Watkins or no Watkins, USC was going to advance.
“I’m really pleased, but not surprised,” Gottlieb said. “I knew we would come out and compete. There’s so much love for JuJu in our program and everyone values her and knows nobody’s like her, and we’ve kind of kept her close. But I don’t think we’ve ever had this feeling of, ‘Oh, no, all of our goals are gone.’”
Freshman Kennedy Smith, a 6-foot-1 guard, led USC with 19 points, while 6-foot freshman guard Avery Howell had 18, going 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. But it was Marshall, a 6-foot-4 senior, and Akunwafo, a 6-foot-6 senior, who held it all together. Marshall was the first national-level recruit to take a chance on Gottlieb’s USC, two years before Watkins stepped on campus. The coach remembers making a phone call from her kitchen in Cleveland – she was a coach with the Cavaliers before accepting the USC job – and speaking to Marshall. She was all-in on Gottlieb’s vision. Saturday, Marshall was her team’s binding force, scoring 10 points and leading USC in rebounds (9), assists (3) and blocks (3).
“Rayah has evolved as a leader, she’’ evolved as a playmaker or whatever role is needed,” Gottlieb said. “I thought she was terrific.”
She and Akunwafo played in tandem defending Kansas State’s star post player, 6-foot-6 senior Ayoka Lee. Lee has battled injuries all season, as well as throughout her career, but she is one of the country’s best bigs when healthy. Marshall and Akunwafo held her to 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting.
“Lee is such a tough matchup,” Gottlieb said. “We could throw two different bodies at her defensively, and that was such a big part of what we did.”
Gottlieb also said the ferocity with which Marshall and Akunwafo defended the interior allowed the rest of the Trojans to guard the three-point line while forcing turnovers. The Wildcats went 5-of-16 from beyond the arc and turned it over 16 times. Smith was a crucial piece of the perimeter defense, something she has excelled at since she stepped on USC’s campus.
“She fuels our whole team,” Howell said. “I see Kennedy up clapping in someone’s face and then everyone else feeds off that dog mindset and mentality.”
Howell is known as a shooter, but she stepped up in other areas, leading the team with four steals while also grabbing eight rebounds. She made it a point to focus on defensive improvement and said she was inspired by the way Watkins plays on that end of the court.
“I’m trying to take her competitive mindset, and I feel like she’s everywhere on the court when she’s with us,” Howell said. “I’m trying to kind of fill in at least that competitive mindset, that dog mentality that she has. So I’m trying to pick up some of those rebounds, help out our bigs when they’re boxing out somebody huge and just fill a little bit of that role.”
The entire team took on parts of Watkins to hold off Kansas State. It has been a balance for the Trojans as they continue to think of their injured star while also focusing on the task at hand. With an Elite Eight matchup against UConn looming, Gottlieb actually drew inspiration from a former Huskies squad.
In 1997, UConn freshman star Shea Ralph tore her ACL in an opening-round win over Lehigh.
“I read something where Geno (Auriemma) said it was so devastating to the team, it was almost like someone had passed away and they had a hard time kind of functioning,” Gottlieb said. “I’ve been so proud of our players. I think that we felt going into this game … we have to attack and prepare with the intent to win.”
USC will do the same Monday against UConn. But the Trojans are hoping their season doesn’t mirror the one Gottlieb mentioned. After Ralph’s injury, the Huskies advanced to the Elite Eight before being sent home. With or without Watkins, USC still has its eyes on a title.
“We still have the common goal of winning a national championship,” Smith said. “With Ju going down, it was a bit of adversity that we had to face. We are just keeping her in our hearts and minds, and playing for her as well as for each other.”
