USC women's basketball star JuJu Watkins' teammate gets important injury update
11/23/2024 05:06 PM
The USC women’s basketball program has had a strong start to the 2024 season. The No. 3-ranked Trojans improved to 4-0 with their 81-50 win over Santa Clara. USC is strongly led by star guard Juju Watkins; however, her freshman teammate Kennedy Smith received a notable injury update.
Following a surgical procedure, Smith was sidelined for Saturday’s game against the Notre Dame women’s basketball squad, per USC’s X (formerly Twitter) announcement. Smith is expected to return to competition during the 2024-25 season. Hopefully, she will undergo a speedy recovery.
Through her first four games of the season, Kennedy Smith has averaged 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Smith scored nine points to go with two assists and two rebounds in the Trojans’ Santa Clara victory.
Saturday’s USC-Notre Dame matchup is one of the most high-profile women’s basketball games of the weekend. Both teams entered the game undefeated and only one will maintain their streak. Of course, the Trojans’ biggest weapon is Juju Watkins. Through the first part of the season, Watkins is averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 assists, and a whopping 3.8 steals per game.
Watkins and the Trojans had a stout showing against Cal Poly on Nov. 9, beating the Mustangs by 55 points. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb revealed the challenge she gave her players before the standout performance:
"Challenged our players to come out and play with a ton of energy, and heart, and show these fans what we think we can be this year," Gottlieb said later Saturday, as reported by Luca Evans of the Orange County Register. "And I thought we did that."
The USC women’s basketball team took Gottlieb’s words to heart, as they won their next two matchups. However, things will not be easy against the Fighting Irish. USC trailed 35-28 at halftime. Can Juju Watkins and the Trojans squad overcome the tough Notre Dame squad and stay undefeated?
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