In USC women’s basketball’s 17-point loss to No. 2 South Carolina Saturday night, many of the Trojans’ true weaknesses and limitations were fully revealed.
Some of those things can’t be fixed. USC just doesn’t have a lot of experience or size in the post, and we all knew that post defense was going to be a struggle for the Trojans this season. They also don’t have a true point guard with elite ball handling skills, which South Carolina made very apparent as well.
But USC still managed to lock down South Carolina in the first half and, for two quarters, it looked like they had what it takes to beat South Carolina.
USC needs an elite primary scorer to emerge
Ultimately, there’s one way, apart from JuJu Watkins magically healing or getting Kiki Iriafen or Rayah Marshall to leave the WNBA and come back to USC this season, that this USC team could beat South Carolina in a future matchup.
And that’s if they find a primary scorer or two they can trust to take and make a high volume of shots. 4 players on South Carolina scored 12+ points; only one Trojan (Kennedy Smith) reached that total, and Smith shot 5-14.
Which brings me to an adjustment USC can make that will help the Trojans against teams like South Carolina this season: making Kara Dunn their go-to player, for now, on the offensive side of the ball.
Let’s break down why.
Kara Dunn is USC’s most experienced, proven scorer
Last season at Georgia Tech, Kara Dunn averaged 15.5 points per game. No one else on USC’s roster averaged even 10 at the collegiate level.
Dunn also averaged 15.5 points the season prior at Georgia Tech. The senior is clearly USC’s most proven scorer at the NCAA level.
Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith will hopefully continue to develop offensively. But for now, her reputation says that Dunn is the best option.
By the numbers this season
Dunn has a higher field goal percentage than Smith and Davidson and a higher 3 point percentage than both of them too, as well as Londynn Jones.
Good things happen when Dunn is around the ball
Dunn is also USC’s best rebounder despite standing at only 5’11” and had only 1 turnover Saturday night despite playing the most minutes on the team.
She’s trustworthy and can clean up after her own mistakes.
How would that have changed Saturday night?
It’s important to note that Dunn didn’t shoot the ball particularly well Saturday night either. She shot 4-of-12 from the field. She made USC’s only 3 pointer, but it’s hard to say she was more effective than Davidson and Smith.
I don’t think Davidson and Smith should have taken fewer shots. They could have made better decisions with the basketball and showed better shot selection, but I’ll never be mad at them for trying to find their offensive game and taking 10+ shots.
It’s the fact that the rest of the team not named Smith, Davidson or Dunn shot the ball 30 times. Some of those shots should have gone to Dunn instead.
Especially when Dunn was 3-4 in the first quarter and keeping USC in the game offensively. Feed the hot hand!
Dunn’s quote
“I value being the person my team needs me to be,” Dunn said after the game. “Coach Lindsay’s mindset, the way she thinks about certain things, putting players in certain spots, she knows our strengths. It will only go up from here.”
The player USC needs Dunn to be right now is it’s most proven, primary scorer. Gottlieb and Dunn need to straighten that out.
What should change overall?
I just want to see USC draw up more plays for Dunn. Some of USC’s best offense this season has come when the Trojans are unselfish with the basketball. Some of its worst offense has come when Kennedy Smith and Londynn Jones try to create shots for themself.
Get Kara open and get her the basketball. As a senior and the most experienced, proven scorer on this team, she deserves the most responsibility on offense.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Loss to South Carolina showed USC needs to involve Kara Dunn more on offense
Reporting by Ethan Inman, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
