From Galen to Puerto Rico: Two Eras, One Legacy
Sometimes basketball has a funny way of coming full circle.
Two players who never shared a locker room at USC — Okako Adika and McKenzie Forbes — now find themselves teammates in Puerto Rico, playing side by side for the Ganaderas de Hatillo in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino (BSNF).
Different years.
Different roles.
Same Trojan foundation.
And now, they’re both thriving — Adika recently dropped 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists to earn MVP of the Game, while Forbes followed with 28 points in the same 83–65 win over the Cafetaleras. Two former Trojans, each once a cornerstone of their USC chapter, now representing the same values on a professional stage.
Okako Adika: The Foundation Builder
When Okako Adika transferred to USC from Texas Tech, she joined a program still finding its footing under Lindsay Gottlieb. It was a moment that required veterans with resilience and belief — and Adika brought both.
She quickly became a steadying force — tough on defense, poised under pressure, and vocal in the locker room. During the 2022–23 season, she helped guide USC back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, setting the tone for what was to come.
Adika wasn’t just part of a team — she was part of a culture reset. A reminder that winning starts with defense, selflessness, and maturity.
Her growth didn’t stop there. She was drafted by the New York Liberty in the third round of the 2023 WNBA Draft, and now she’s proving her game translates anywhere — continuing to dominate professionally and earning MVP honors for her performance in Puerto Rico.
McKenzie Forbes: The Next Evolution
A year after Adika’s USC run ended, McKenzie Forbes transferred to Los Angeles as part of a new wave — “the three nerds from the Ivies,” joining Kayla Padilla and Kaitlyn Davis.
Forbes’ arrival represented the next stage of Gottlieb’s rebuild. With JuJu Watkins emerging as a freshman phenom, Forbes brought the veteran experience, leadership, and composure that USC needed to balance its youth. That blend helped the Trojans surge to the 2024 NCAA Elite Eight — the program’s deepest run in decades.
Her poise, playmaking, and ability to lift teammates made her one of the emotional anchors of that group. Now, she’s carrying those same qualities into her professional journey, proving her leadership translates at every level.
A Moment of Divine Coincidence
You might wonder: how did these two end up on the same professional team — especially when they were never USC teammates?
I did a little digging. Here’s what I found:
They don’t share an agent. Adika’s pro move to Hatillo is associated with Orlando Castaño, while Forbes’ deal credits Eric Wiesel / LBM Management.
Both were signed separately by Ganaderas de Hatillo, as the team built out its roster under head coach Jorge Otero.
This appears to be simply a beautifully aligned coincidence — two Trojans, from two different eras, finding themselves side by side with that Trojan mentality.
It wasn’t planned. It just happened this way.
But sometimes, you don’t need a plan. Sometimes, God aligns things for a reason.
For two women who once carried the USC banner in different seasons to now share the court and excel together — that’s not just coincidence. That’s connection.
The Continuity of Culture
What makes this story so special isn’t just the coincidence — it’s the continuity.
Adika and Forbes never played together at USC, but their paths represent two back-to-back waves of the program’s rise. One laid the foundation; the other elevated it to national prominence.
Now, they share a court — carrying the same lessons forward. The defense-first mindset. The professionalism. The team-first mentality that Lindsay Gottlieb and her staff emphasize every day at USC.
It’s poetic that the values that turned USC into a contender are now thriving on another court — on U.S. soil in Puerto Rico. That’s the Trojan standard — traveling, growing, connecting.
Follow Hatillo — The Story Is Still Being Written
If you’ve followed USC Women’s Basketball and loved watching the rise of Adika and Forbes, you might want to keep your eyes on Ganaderas de Hatillo — because their story is far from finished.
In the latest 2025 BSNF standings, Hatillo currently sits in third place.
Fans can watch their games and highlights through the official BSNF YouTube Channel, or track live scores via Sofascore, LatinBasket, and BSNFPR.com.
The team’s social media (@ganaderasbsnf) frequently posts updates, highlights, and MVP features — including the one where Adika dropped her 33-point masterpiece.
For Trojan fans, it’s more than just another pro team. It’s a continuation of what USC started — excellence, leadership, and connection across generations.
Two Legacies, One Team
Basketball is full of stats and scores, but stories like this are what define legacy.
Two Trojans, two eras, one culture — now proving that what’s built at USC doesn’t just stay at USC. It travels, it grows, and it connects.
Okako Adika and McKenzie Forbes are more than former players — they’re symbols of the foundation and evolution of a program that keeps producing winners, on and off the court.
Different years.
Same heart.
And still fighting on — together.
