With JuJu Watkins having suffered a torn ACL late in the year, the young star is likely set to miss the upcoming 2025-2026 season. On top of Watkin’s injury, the Trojans returners were almost all freshman last year who played relatively sparingly.
Kennedy Smith, a six-foot-one rising sophomore, appeared and started in 28 games last year. She was the team’s third leading scorer with 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. It seems likely, given her standing as the only player with significant starting experience from this past season, that she will be locked into Gottlieb’s lineup.
As a sophomore, Malia Samuels was a key reserve for the Trojans, appearing in 35 games. While not much of a scoring threat, Samuels did have success as a facilitator with eight games of three or more assists last year. Her familiarity with the offense and ability to create for others will be key in helping the program’s newcomers transition smoothly.
Kara Dunn started her college career at Georgia Tech and has averaged over 15 points per game for the last two seasons. In her junior season, she also added 5.8 rebounds per game and 35% shooting from three for good measure.
Dayana Mendes is a West Coast player whose freshman season was spent with the Cougars of Washington State. Mendes, a native of France, stands 6’2″ and saw action in 30 games last season. Despite playing as a true freshman, she was a well-rounded player with 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and 37 combined steals and blocks.
