Ideally, the USC women’s basketball team would lean on JuJu Watkins for her scoring, playmaking and defense.

However, with Watkins sidelined for her junior season after injuring her right ACL in the NCAA tournament, the Trojans have to settle on two things. First, rely on a handful of talented transfer players to compensate for Watkins’ absence. Two, emulate the resiliency and positive attitude that Watkins has displayed during both her rehab and with teammates.

“She’s approaching this with a great mindset,” USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb told EssentiallySports. “We all know that at some point that she’s going to look back on this year. Even though it’s going to be hard and it’s a challenge, she’ll know at some point she’ll be better for having gone through it.”

Gottlieb spoke with EssentiallySports recently at the John Wooden Award Tip-off Luncheon on a number of topics: the late UCLA coach, how Gottlieb has adjusted to the transfer portal, and more on how Watkins and her teammates have tried to cope with her season-ending injury.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.

Since we’re at the Wooden Athletic Club, do you have a favorite Wooden memory?

Gottlieb: “My influence from John Wooden is from what I’ve read and seen. I didn’t grow up out here. I didn’t get a chance to meet him. But it’s really the teachings and the fact that he is an iconic coach that really leans into coaching the human. If anything else, it makes me double back and double down on my instincts to try to build relationships and capture people as humans before basketball players.”

What do you think he would make of the growth of women’s college basketball?

Gottlieb: “At the end of his life, he was always a really big fan of women’s college basketball. I think it reminded him of the purest forms of basketball. I think he would really enjoy that women’s basketball is really having such a moment and has grown. I think he would also caution all of us to stay true to what the essence of the sport is. The added coverage, attention and opportunities are amazing. But he’d want us to maintain what is uniquely germane to women’s basketball and the way the game is played.”

What it’s like to adjust to all the fluidity with transfers?

Gottlieb: “I think my time in the NBA has really prepared me for all the change that has come. I spent two years away from college athletics [as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers]. When I took the job back here, a lot of people were like, ‘Why would you want to go back to college athletics with everything that is about to come with the transfer portal and NIL?’ I said, ‘No. 1, this is probably how it should’ve been sooner’ in terms of giving players autonomy and being paid for name, image and likeness. But more so, it’s about coming in with eyes wide open.

I think it’s been harder for coaches that have done something the same way for 30 years. I think I have a natural awareness that flexibility is key. Again, I’m trying to change with the times and win the era. But at the same time, I don’t want to get away from the core principles and values that we have as coaches.”

How do you approach the transfer portal?

Gottlieb: “Every time that we have gone to the portal, we have been very intentional with what our needs are and what we’re looking for somebody to bring. And does that match what someone is looking for? It doesn’t work if someone wants to be a point guard and you see them as a post player. You want to say, ‘This is what we’re trying to do and this is what we think you can bring.’ If that fits, that’s when it’s usually successful.”

You have a pretty robust amount of transfers. What impact do you expect they will make?

Gottlieb: “We have two transfers that are seniors in Londynn Jones and Kara Dunn. We brought them in to be impact players. I think that’s what they’ll be with their leadership and ability to score the basketball. Kara rebounds really well. Londynn shoots it and can also play at point. So those two will bring veteran leadership and playmaking.

Yakiya Milton comes from Auburn. She didn’t get as many minutes. But I think she’s going to play a lot for us. She’s lengthy. She’s about 6’5 with a great motor. So we need her to step in and help us. We have a terrific freshman in Jazzy Davidson, who can do a little bit of everything. We have Dayana Mendes. I think she’ll play a role. She’s athletic. Gerda Raulusaityte comes from Lithuania and is a great veteran post presence. We lost so much in the frontcourt. So we’re looking for young players and new players to step up.”

How are JuJu’s spirits since the injury?

Gottlieb: “I think JuJu’s spirits are really good. You’re talking about a hard situation. She’s a young basketball player that loves the game so much. Now she is having it being taken away for a while. But I think she’s approaching this with a great mindset. We all know that at some point that she’s going to look back on this year. Even though it’s going to be hard and it’s a challenge, she’ll know at some point she’ll be better for having gone through it.”

Why do you think that?

Gottlieb: “She’s really poured into being present with our team. I think she’s even more extroverted than ever before. She’s being intentional with trying to lend her presence in ways other than on the court. So she’s been terrific.”

How do you expect the team will move forward without JuJu this season?

Gottlieb: “I think everyone else understands that they have to be a friend and support her. But they also have a job to do on the court. We have to make sure everyone steps up. No one can be JuJu. No one is trying to be JuJu. But we all need to be a better version of what we’re trying to do so that we can still compete at the highest level.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Essentially Sports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.