The article below discusses USC Women's Basketball 2026 Recruiting Class - #1 in the nation. It projects the top six players - JuJU Watkins (6'2" Jr.) is returning from injury, Kennedy Smith (6'1" Jr.) and Jazzy Davidson (6'1" So.) are returning starters from last year's team. Saniyah Hall (6'0" G), Sara Okeke (6'4" F) & Sitaya Fagan (6'4" F) were this year's recruiting class.

Watkins averaged 33+ mpg, 25 ppg 7 rpg 3 apg in her frosh and soph seasons and if I remember correctly, was a ball-dominant guard. Smith was 31 mpg, 10 ppg, 5 rpg 3 apg, and Davidson put up 35 mpg, 18 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 apg. Don't see any of them moving to the bench, though Watkins may have a minutes restriction at the beginning of the season, Hall, like Watkins and Davidson before her, was the #1 recruit in the nation, so you know Lindsey Gottlieb isn't going to leave her on the end of the bench.

PG Malia Samuels - 19 starts, 23 mpg - basically split the PG with Londynn Jones (graduating), read the tea leaves and transferred to Indiana. Hoping for the best for Ryann Bennett, but I'm wondering where she thinks she'll get minutes??

How much NIL money do women's basketball players from USC make?

Edit:
USC women's basketball players, led by star JuJu Watkins, are among the top NIL earners in the country, with valuations often exceeding $700,000 annually. As of early 2026, top USC players hold major deals with brands like Nike, Fanatics, and Gatorade, placing them in the top tier of NIL earnings nationally.

With that kind of money or a fraction of that, I wouldn't care about haviing any significant minutes.

True, for sure. Though how much of a fraction will go to someone not getting minutes? What's your worth if you don't get on the court?

This is what AI says:

At USC, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money for bench players in women's basketball is generally modest, often consisting of lower-tier collective deals or small, local endorsements rather than the high-six-figure deals seen by starters like JuJu Watkins ($739,000+), although California athletes benefit from a high-earning, active market.

Edit:
The other factor is whether she wants to be on a team that has a chance to win the National Championship.

Family local.