USC Women’s Basketball Ranked No. 3 In AP Preseason Poll
Women of Troy match their highest preseason ranking since opening the 1984-85 season at No. 1.
FROM USC SPORTS BRANDS AND COMMUNICATIONS
LOS ANGELES — USC women’s basketball will open the 2026-27 season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, the organization announced Tuesday, October 20.
The ranking matches USC's highest preseason position (No. 3 in the 2024-25 preseason poll) since the Trojans opened the 1984-85 campaign at No. 1 after winning back-to-back national championships.
The Women of Troy return a decorated core led by senior JuJu Watkins, reigning USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson and returning All-Big Ten defensive selection Kennedy Smith.
Watkins returns to the court after redshirting the 2025-26 season due to injury. In her most recent season of competition, Watkins claimed the Naismith Trophy and John R. Wooden Award and was named National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, USBWA, The Athletic and Sporting News. She also earned first-team All-America honors from the AP, USBWA, Sporting News and WBCA.
Davidson earned USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year recognition following her first season at USC, becoming the second Trojan in three seasons to receive both awards. She was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big Ten and conference all-defensive honors.
Alongside USC’s returning veterans, the Women of Troy welcome another highly regarded group of newcomers led by Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 player in the 2026 recruiting class. Hall gives USC three former No. 1 recruits on its current roster, joining Watkins and Davidson.
USC’s Hall and Sara Okeke were recently projected at No. 2 and No. 5, respectively, in ESPN’s 2026-27 Freshman Impact Rankings. The pair is joined by five-star international standout Sitaya Fagan, the top-ranked international prospect in the most recent recruiting class, along with transfers Pania Davis (Florida State) and Ryann Bennett (UC Davis).
The Trojans will give fans their first look at the 2026-27 team when they host longtime rival Cal for a ticketed exhibition game Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. PT at the Galen Center. The game is presented by State Farm and will stream live on Big Ten Plus.
USC officially opens the season Nov. 2 against UNLV in the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Women of Troy will make their regular-season Galen Center debut against Utah State on Nov. 8.
For more information on the USC women's basketball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WBB Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWBB on Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram.
