USC women's basketball looked like a top team in the United Statesin its season-opening win over UNLV. The 100-68 victory showed how versatile, balanced, and generally improved the Trojans are. Earlier this week, we commented on Saniyah Hall and Sitaya Fagan bringing something new to the table for USC. We remarked on how last season's struggles should make this season's team better. There are other things to note as USC's season begins to take shape. One is that Kennedy Smith has a much-improved jump shot.
Smith had to do so much to hold the team together last season without JuJu Watkins. It was clear she felt a lot of pressure to score and be a complementary player for Jazzy Davidson and Kara Dunn so that defenses couldn't exclusively focus
on stopping them. Smith's jump shot was not as consistent as she would have wanted it to be. Against UNLV, Smith looked so much more comfortable shooting the ball.
Why is this the case? Part of it flows from having a loaded lineup surrounding her on the floor, but the other part is that the abundance of talent means Smith won't feel as much pressure to produce. This means every jump shot she takes is more by choice, less by necessity. She can pick her spots and enjoy more freedom at the offensive end of the floor. It showed against Vegas. If this is the quality of jump shooting we will see from Kennedy Smith throughout the season, USC - already very tough to beat - will be even more difficult to stop.
A few other notes from the win over UNLV:
One is that Ryann Bennett and Laura Williams delivered solid supporting-cast performances. Bennett showed great command of the game as a floor general. She brings stability and depth to the rotation and looks like a terrific fit. Laura Williams is an experienced low-post player who will likely be needed against South Carolina and the other tough teams USC faces early in the season.
Part of why Laura Williams appears to be an important November player is that Sara Okeke struggled. It seems Okeke will need more time to adjust to this roster and the college game. She was uncomfortable on the court against UNLV. The coaching staff has to juggle its frontcourt players, and this is probably the foremost concern facing the Trojans as the season evolves.
Finally, rebounding is another major issue for USC. The Trojans have to be more disciplined in boxing out and taking the right angle to a loose ball. They will need to secure more possessions against opponents which are better than UNLV. This is an obvious area of focus for Lindsay Gottlieb, Beth Burns, and the rest of the staff.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC WBB notebook: Kennedy Smith jumper improves, rebounding needs work
