5-star guard Jazzy Davidson commits to USC over UConn, teaming up with JuJu Watkins to form a dynamic duo .Giang

Five-star guard Jazzy Davidson committed to USC on Tuesday, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Davidson is the No. 3 overall recruit in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2025 class and gives the Trojans their first commit for the cycle.

USC was once the preeminent power in women’s basketball, winning national titles in 1983 and 1984 and watching multiple future legends walk through the door, but the program steadily slid into mediocrity.

Thanks to the efforts of dynamic guard JuJu Watkins, fans are now hopeful the “Women of Troy” can return to their heyday. In 2023-24, Watkins was the second-leading scorer (27.1 points) behind Caitlin Clark as a true freshman and helped guide the Trojans to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1994.

Her success has undoubtedly boosted head coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s efforts on the recruiting trail. Gottlieb signed three of the top 16 players from espnW’s 2024 rankings: wing Kennedy Smith, guard Kayleigh Heckel and guard Avery Howell.

USC also strengthened significantly through the transfer portal, adding former Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen and former Oregon State guard Talia von Oelhoffen.

Thanks to the WNBA’s age minimum, women’s basketball teams by and large benefit from more continuity than men’s teams. Only in rare instances are players eligible for the WNBA draft after three seasons instead of four.

That makes it easier to project how the Trojans roster will look in 2025 when Davidson arrives in Southern California. Watkins will still only be a junior by that point, and one or both of Heckel and Howell may have assumed important roles in the backcourt.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has built a powerhouse in Columbia. Gottlieb and USC might be closing the gap because the team is shaping up to be a Final Four contender for the next few years.