USC women's basketball roster breakdown: Kiki Iriafen, top players without JuJu Watkins
USC women's basketball roster breakdown: Kiki Iriafen, top players without JuJu Watkins
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USC's Kiki Iriafen is a top 5 draft prospect in Lisa Leslie's eyes
WNBA Hall of Famer and USC alum Lisa Leslie believes the Trojan star Kiki Iriafen will get drafted top 5 in the WNBA draft.
Sports Seriously
The No. 1 seed USC Trojans are seeking their first national championship since 1984 and first Final Four birth since 1986 after back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances.
During the Trojans' Sweet 16 matchup against No. 5 seed Kansas State, the Trojans trailed multiple times without top scorer JuJu Watkins, unable to keep up with the pace of the Wildcats. However, a game-changing 12-5 run during the third quarter put USC in front.
The run was spearheaded by senior Kiki Iriafen and freshman duo Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell. USC never trailed after that en route to a 67-61 win. The Trojans earned a date in the Elite Eight with the No. 1 seed UConn Huskies in Spokane, Washington.
"They're winners above everything else," head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said about her freshmen, who chipped in without Watkins available over the weekend. "We've been stepping up all season in different ways, so I think we were really ready for the moment today."Without Watkins, USC's quest for another championship becomes much more complicated. However, the Trojans have a few things in their tool kit that help make the journey easier. The team is the 10th-ranked scoring offense in the nation (81.1 points per game) and ranks 20th for assists per game (17.4).
Here's a look at the full Trojans women's basketball roster:
USC women's basketball roster
Here's the USC roster for the 2024-25 season, including each player's jersey number, position, year in college, height and hometown:
0 - Vivian Iwuchukwu, Forward, Freshman, 6'3" - Imo State, Nigeria
3 - Aaliyah Gayles, Guard, Redshirt Sophomore, 5'9" - Las Vegas, Nevada
4 - Rian Forestier, Guard, Freshman, 5'11" - Helotes, Texas
6 - Laura Williams, Forward, Freshman, 6'1" - Tampa, Florida
9 - Kayleigh Heckel, Guard, Freshman, 5'9" - Port Chester, New York
10 - Malia Samuels , Guard, Sophomore, 5'6" - Seattle, Washington
11 - Kennedy Smith, Guard, Freshman, 6'1" - Chino, California
12 - JuJu Watkins*, Guard, Sophomore, 6'2" - Los Angeles, California (*Out for rest of season)
13 - Rayah Marshall, Forward/Center, Senior, 6'4" - Los Angeles, California
23 - Avery Howell, Guard, Freshman, 6'0" - Boise, Idaho
24 - Brooklyn Shamblin, Guard, Freshman, 5'9" - Carpinteria, California
34 - Clarice Akunwafo, Center, Senior, 6'6" - Anambra State, Nigeria
44 - Kiki Iriafen, Forward, Senior, 6'3" - Los Angeles, California
55 - Talia von Oelhoffen, Guard, Senior, 5'11" - Tri-Cities, Washington
No. 11 Kennedy Smith stats
Freshman guard Kennedy Smith is averaging 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and two assists this season. She has notable honors to her name, including Gatorade California State Player of the Year and a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Smith's 19 points against Kanasa State tied her career and helped propel USC into the Elite Eight for a matchup against UConn.
No. 44 Kiki Iriafen stats
Senior forward Kiki Irafen averages 18.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per matchup. Iriafen has numerous accolades, including being a Katrina McClain Award winner, Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year and arguably the best power forward nationwide. Iriafen's 36 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks during the Sweet 16 helped seal USC's win over the No. 9 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs.
No. 55 Talia von Oelhoffen stats
Senior guard Talia von Oelhoeffen is averaging 10.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. von Oelhoeffen is a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree and spent four seasons with the Oregon State Beavers before joining the Trojans.
How USC picked up the pieces without JuJu Watkins
Sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury during March Madness. Still, USC had Watkins on the bench with the team against Kansas State ― a 3.7-inch version of her. The Trojans arrived at their matchup against the Wildcats wearing Nike shirts with Watkins' face on them and a miniature Funko Pop of their best player. "She's been with us all season, so we just wanted to make it seem like she was here," freshman Kayleigh Heckel said. "She was watching us, supporting us at home, having a watch party with her family, so I think that it just helped us make everything a lot more normal."
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