Basketball trips to Michigan can be treacherous, just ask the USC men’s basketball team.
Thursday’s road game against Michigan State begins a really tough stretch for USC women’s basketball. The Trojans play the No. 13 Spartans on Thursday, then take on No. 7 Michigan on Sunday before returning home to take on No. 10 Iowa next Thursday.
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These three games could be make or break for the USC women’s basketball season. The Trojans just broke a four-game losing streak on Sunday versus Purdue. To remain somewhat competitive in the Big Ten race and assure themselves of an NCAA tournament berth, USC cannot start another long losing streak.
With that in mind, here are five things to watch as a USC aims to secure its second conference road victory of the season vs No. 13 Michigan State:
Does Kara Dunn keep up her hot streak?
Kara Dunn has been on an absolute tear for the USC women’s basketball team. She has scored in double figures in 8 consecutive games for USC and scored 20+ points in 4 straight games. She has also led USC in scoring in five straight games.
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Against Purdue, Dunn had her best offensive game of the season, scoring 29 points on 12-17 shooting.
Can Dunn keep it up against Michigan State? The Trojans definitely could use a great game from her.
How will Kennedy Smith attack this game?
Kennedy Smith returned to the lineup for the Trojans against Purdue after missing three straight games with a lower leg injury. USC lost all three games that Smith missed.
Interestingly, Smith was not aggressive offensively in her return to the lineup against the Boilermakers. She attempted only 4 shots and made 2 of them, scoring 4 points. Smith hadn’t attempted less than 6 shots in a game prior to Sunday’s contest vs Purdue.
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But, Smith still had a great game by other metrics. She had 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals and a game-high +30 rating. USC was at its best when Smith was on the court.
That’s what Trojan fans have realized in general in USC’s recent games without Smith on the floor: despite her offensive struggles early in the season, Smith is still one of USC’s most important players who profoundly affects winning even when she’s having trouble scoring the basketball.
But, what was behind Smith’s decreased shooting volume against Purdue? Will she ramp up her shooting attempts against Michigan State and others as she gets her footing back under her in her return from injury? It’s something to keep an eye on.
Will Jazzy Davidson emerge from her mini slump?
Calling Jazzy Davidson’s last few games a “slump” is a bit harsh. But the freshman guard is performing below the standard she has set for herself offensively as one of the best players in the country.
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Davidson has shot worse than 35% from the field in 4 of her last 5 games. She has scored over 15 points only once. She has made only 2 of her last 15 shots from beyond the three-point line.
Early in the season, Davidson had some of her best games in USC’s biggest games, against ranked opponents. She has also played better on the road than at home this season. Will Davidson meet the moment against No. 13 Michigan State?
If Davidson and Dunn can both drop 20+ points, USC will be in great shape.
The Trojans take on familiar foe Grace VanSlooten
Michigan State’s star player is senior forward Grace VanSlooten. The Trojans know VanSlooten well from her days at Oregon and now Michigan State. She has actually faced off against USC five times in her four-year career; Thursday’s contest will be the sixth time that VanSlooten has face a Lindsay Gottlieb-led Trojan squad.
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In her most recent game against USC last season on February 19, 2025, Van Slooten dropped 29 points at the Galen Center but USC emerged with the 83-75 victory.
Will Lindsay Gottlieb’s familiarity with VanSlooten help the Trojans shut her down? Or will it be the opposite, will VanSlooten’s familiarity with USC inform the way she attacks the Trojans?
Plus, who on USC’s roster is up to the task of slowing VanSlooten down? The Trojans were able to overcome a 29-point performance from her with JuJu Watkins on their side, but that would be a lot tougher to overcome this season.
How does USC handle being on the road?
This could be USC’s most trying road trip of the season. This is only the second time this season that USC will be playing 2 or more consecutive road games. The other time wasn’t a true road trip because USC took on Cal in the Bay Area over a week before they headed to Lincoln to take on Nebraska, and then returned to Los Angeles and took on UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
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With back to back games against ranked teams from Michigan, USC will be on the road together for several days. How will the Trojans handle the travel and adjusting to a new time zone? USC’s off court travel routines will become very important throughout the rest of Big Ten play and into postseason play.
Whatever it takes, USC hopes to return from Michigan victorious.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC women’s basketball vs Michigan State at Breslin Center on Thursday
