Ryann Bennett had a great sophomore season run with the UC Davis Aggies. Her overall numbers went up significantly as she established herself as a starting guard. The Aggies finished third in the Big West Conference.
They had a 23-11 overall run, including 15-5 in the conference. Bennett improved her average from 6.4 points in her first season to 15.3. She also averaged 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting over 45% from the field.
Bennett entered the NCAA transfer portal, becoming one of the best available mid-major players in the transfer portal. As per On3, Bennett will likely stay on the West Coast as Stanford, USC, and Cal have emerged as her best options.
The USC Trojans made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this year, where they faced the South Carolina Gamecocks. They lost 61-101 to the Gamecocks, who went on to play the national championship game against the UCLA Bruins.
It’s too early to predict where Bennett will land at the end of the transfer portal window, but the Trojans are one of the frontrunners for the 5’8 guard.
USC Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb on Playing Against South Carolina
Lindsay Gottlieb has been the head coach of the USC Trojans since 2021. She has taken her team to the NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons, which includes two Elite Eight appearances in 2024 and 2025.
While this year’s result was disappointing, Gottlieb took a lot of positives from the season. Ahead of the second round matchup against Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks, she spoke on her approach with the Trojans.
“I think my philosophy and obviously building USC and trying to get to national championship contender and being one of the elite teams in women’s college basketball, I’ve studied it for years, the best teams play each other in non-conference,” she said.
Gottlieb prioritizes making her program one of the best in the country over stacking up wins. She believes that a team only gets better when they face strong teams.
“Obviously, there was some change just in terms of thinking this was a year we’d have JuJu in her junior year and then not, but you’re never going to be sorry to play the best teams,” she said. “Maybe if we hadn’t played Notre Dame and UConn and South Carolina, maybe our record would be a little better coming in, but it doesn’t make you a better program.”
If they add Bennett to their roster for the next season, the Trojans will have more depth and will be in a better position to make a run for the title.
Read More:
South Carolina WNBA Draft Projections: Where Gamecocks Stars Could Land in 2026
2026 WNBA Draft Prospects: Top 10 College Basketball Players To Watch Out For
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
