USC Trojans' Kennedy Smith Emerges as Basketball Star

Sophomore guard leads USC to third straight win with double-double performance

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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USC defeated Northwestern 83-65 on the road Thursday night, led by a standout performance from sophomore guard Kennedy Smith. Smith recorded her second career double-double, scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds. She also added 5 assists and 1 steal, showcasing her versatility on both ends of the floor. Smith has found her rhythm after returning from a lower leg injury earlier this season, reaching double figures in 4 of USC's last 5 games during their current 3-game winning streak.

Why it matters

Smith's emergence as a scoring and playmaking threat comes at a crucial time for the Trojans, who are looking to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. With USC currently projected as a 9-seed in the latest NCAA Tournament bracketology, Smith's continued strong play could be the difference in the Trojans securing an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

The details

In addition to Smith's standout performance, freshman phenom Jazzy Davidson continued her impressive rookie campaign, scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting with 6 assists and 3 rebounds. Davidson has now reached double figures in 20 consecutive games and leads the Trojans in several statistical categories. Redshirt freshman Laura Williams also made an impact, recording a game-high 3 blocks.

  • USC defeated Northwestern on the road on Thursday, February 6, 2026.
  • Kennedy Smith recorded her second career double-double in the win.

The players

Kennedy Smith

A sophomore guard for the USC Trojans women's basketball team who has emerged as a key contributor, recording a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Northwestern.

Jazzy Davidson

A highly-touted freshman guard for the USC Trojans who has lived up to the hype, scoring a game-high 21 points in the win over Northwestern and extending her double-digit scoring streak to 20 consecutive games.

Laura Williams

A redshirt freshman for the USC Trojans who made an impact off the bench, recording a game-high 3 blocks in the win over Northwestern.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like as a team with these last couple of games, we've improved a lot. We've stayed consistent and are playing together and growing as a team, and that starts in practice. Just a lot of conversations about being better, obviously through that stretch of losses, but that doesn't define us. I think the games matter the most in February and March, so we're here to be better from here on out.”

— Kennedy Smith (si.com)

What’s next

USC will look to continue its winning streak when it travels to face Illinois on Sunday, February 8th.

The takeaway

Kennedy Smith's emergence as a scoring and playmaking threat, combined with the continued strong play of freshman phenom Jazzy Davidson, has the USC Trojans women's basketball team building momentum at the right time as they push for an NCAA Tournament berth.