In March earlier this year, a camera caught Dawn Staley pumping the crowd at Colonial Life Arena after a blowout win against Jazzy Davidson and the Trojans in the second round. In the next second, it was on Jazzy Davidson, who kept looking back at the deafening South Carolina crowd with devastation written all over her face. But seven months later, she is returning to South Carolina, and this time, she has come for revenge with reinforcements.
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“I think this game is super easy to get up for. They knocked us out of the tournament last season. So that stings a little bit,” Davidson told Malika Andrews on NBA Today. “Honestly, ever since we lost that game, we’ve all been ready to play this game. So we’re super excited.”
Last season, Davidson was USC’s best player, on every front. She led her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. When a team’s production has so much offense and defense concentration, their weakness can easily be exploited. Staley’s Gamecocks trounced the Trojans by 101-61.
The biggest reason behind the Trojans’ embarrassing loss was the absence of JuJu Watkins. The 2025 National Player of the Year was out with an ACL injury, and Dawn Staley was able to contain Davidson to just 16 points on 33.3% shooting.
The embarrassment still lives as a fresh wound in the Trojans’ camp. They are no longer hyping themselves up for the task, but their silence and the squeaking sound in practice are enough to convey the message.
“I feel like it doesn’t really need to be mentioned. I will say, though, it’s really helped us practice sharp every single day. I think it’s been a huge motivator for all of us. Just having something like that in the back of our minds will definitely help us throughout this season,” Davidson said when Andrews asked if there has been conversation in the team about the Gamecocks matchup.
The No. 3 Trojans do look much better this year, but it would be hard to judge them because they are yet to be battle-tested. So far, they have had three blowout wins, holding their opponents under 50 points in the last two games. However, they have all been subpar, unranked teams.
On the other hand, the No. 1 Gamecocks struggled in their season-opener against Maryland after securing the game in the last minute. But since then, they have defeated No. 12 North Carolina 84-39 and Clemson 65-44. Staley’s team is battle-tested, and that gives them an obvious edge.
They’re a great team. They’re really well coached. They have great players, and we’re just excited to go out and compete,” Davidson said.
The Trojans are certainly better with Davidson, Watkins and freshman Saniyah Hall. The trio has been nothing less than special so far in the season, dominating on defense and moving like gifted scorers. But perhaps Lindsey Gottlieb’s team’s biggest strength is their chemistry, and they will rely on that identity when they enter the court for revenge.
“We’re all really eager to learn and get better, and I think that’s something that’s super special about it. Having a learning mindset, I think, has to be the start and the basis for everything. But you also have to be able to have fun…but honestly, any time our entire team is off the court, we’re all super goofy and funny and really unserious,” Davidson said about the Trojans.
The Trojans vs. Gamecocks is set to be the biggest clash so far this season, and will perhaps reveal the Trojans’ new look and their ceiling this season.