Way Too Early Thoughts on USC’s 2025–26 Superteam — And Why the “Too Many Stars” Narrative Misses the Point

It might be too early to talk about next season, but when a roster this unusual is taking shape, it becomes hard not to let the mind wander. USC is still in the middle of its current campaign, yet the outlines of the 2025–26 team have already sparked one of the most persistent debates in women’s college basketball. Rather than let familiar clichés fill the conversation — especially the tired refrain that “there’s only one ball” — this felt like the right moment to put a few early thoughts on paper and examine what USC is actually building.

At the heart of the national chatter is USC’s projected core of JuJu Watkins, Jazzy Davidson, Saniya Hall, Kennedy Smith, and Satiya Fagan — a group some claim won’t be able to coexist. The assumption behind that criticism is that these players need the same touches, in the same spaces, at the same time. A closer look suggests something very different. What USC is assembling is not a cluster of ball-dominant scorers fighting for oxygen. It’s a modern, complementary, positionless system designed for shared creation and layered scoring.

Last season, the Trojans leaned heavily on Watkins and Kiki Iriafen. That wasn’t a flaw; it was intentional. Watkins created advantages, Iriafen punished them, and USC dictated games through a structure built around their strengths. Next year, the offense becomes far more multidimensional. Davidson has already shown the steadiness and vision of a future primary initiator. She reads defenses naturally, moves defenders with her eyes, and understands pace. Hall adds downhill pressure on the second side, where her physicality becomes a problem for rotating defenders. Smith doesn’t need scripted shots to matter; she impacts games through defense, transition play, and connective scoring. Fagan, a 6-foot-4 hybrid forward, widens the court in ways USC simply couldn’t last season — she can play inside, step out, drive, and switch defensively without sacrificing mobility.

USC’s projected starting lineup will be one of the longest and most switchable in the country, ranging from 6’1” to 6’4” across all five positions. Smith’s defensive instincts set the tone on the perimeter, Davidson disrupts passing lanes, Hall absorbs matchups with physicality, Watkins pressures the ball with aggression, and Fagan anchors everything with her ability to guard in space. This is not a group opponents will hunt matchups against; it’s a group built to erase them.

If there is genuine uncertainty about USC’s future, it isn’t the top of the rotation. The starting five is clear, cohesive, and structurally sound. The intrigue — and the part that determines USC’s ceiling — lies in the construction and retention of the bench.

The Trojans do return several important pieces. Malia Samuels brings composure and decision-making at the point of attack. Dayana Mendes adds length and physicality on the wing and can play the 4.
Gerda Raulušaitytė offers pick-and-pop spacing and thrives against stationary bigs who struggle to defend beyond the paint.
Rian Forestier and Brooklyn Shamblin provide steady backcourt depth with defensive emphasis.

Viv Iwuchukwu gives USC a developing interior presence with length and the ability to recover defensively. Her size is important in a conference defined by physical frontcourt play, and she’s shown flashes of anchoring stretches defensively when the pace speeds up or matchups get more vertical.

Laura Williams brings a different set of strengths. Still early in her development, she rebounds with an aggression USC will need and matches up well against mobile bigs who run the floor or play in space. Her energy and motor help USC sustain toughness when the starters rest.

Yakiya Milton adds another layer as an athletic shot-blocker with upside. Her length allows her to influence shots around the rim, and as her timing and discipline improve, she becomes an important part of USC’s defensive depth.

It is a strong foundation, but USC’s goals go beyond being competitive. National contenders often carry a true reserve big capable of handling physical Big Ten matchups, along with a downhill guard who can maintain offensive pressure when primary creators rest. Adding one or both would not signify dissatisfaction with the current pieces; it would represent the final layer in completing a championship rotation.

The common narrative — that USC has “too many scorers” — misunderstands what this team actually is. Watkins and Davidson are natural co-creators. Hall works best when defenses are already shifting. Smith’s value comes from her defense, competitiveness, and activity off the ball. Fagan ties the lineup together with her versatility. Their skills don’t collide; they mesh.

These are early observations, and much will unfold between now and November. But one thing is increasingly clear: USC is not building a roster that will struggle to share the ball. It is building a roster designed to stretch the floor, pressure opponents, and create advantages from multiple positions. If the bench solidifies — and if staff decisions align with the needs of the system — USC will not only silence the “too many stars” conversation. It may redefine what a college superteam looks like.