Simonds Says: Notes from the Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament

“Simonds Says” is a column by Will Simonds, in which he shares his thoughts on sports at USC and beyond.

A wild week that still isn’t over yet

It’s been an absolutely insane week at the Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament. On their own, the results likely undersell the drama that ensued on Thursday and Friday. Despite the higher-seeded team having won every game — perhaps a rather ordinary scenario — the drama has been anything but that.

The first two double-overtime games in tournament history. The No. 1 seed needing a pair of second-half comebacks to advance to the final. Plenty of star freshmen making waves in Vegas for the first time, and seniors closing out their careers in style. It’s been an undoubtedly fun few days.

On one hand, all of that excitement has been exacerbated by the fact that it’s the final installment of the Pac-12 tournament, or at least this version of it. There’s something that feels right about sending off the conference with a bang, especially given the preeminent strength of West Coast programs this season, with six Pac-12 teams in the AP Top 25.

It’s also been bittersweet. It kind of stinks that we won’t be able to see high-stakes matchups between Oregon State and Stanford or UCLA and Utah anymore on a consistent basis, with all four schools splitting into separate conferences.

All things considered, it’s been an emotional week — one that will definitely be remembered by everyone lucky enough to attend (or have access to Pac-12 Network).

Speaking of which, it’s at least comforting that the final women’s basketball game on the Pac-12 Network closed with the Spirit of Troy playing “Tusk.” Maybe it’s been totally worth it after all.

Kaitlyn Davis does everything

Graduate forward Kaitlyn Davis isn’t typically the first player you’ll notice when checking USC box scores. But, as of late, she’s establishing herself as perhaps the most important player on the team down the stretch this season.

One recurring example of her impact in recent games has come in almost identical situations. Let’s start with the double-overtime win in Tucson against Arizona on February 29.

After hitting a jumper while being fouled, Davis misses the ensuing free throw while down three with under 20 seconds left. She grabs her own rebound, though, and kicks it out to her fellow “nerd,” graduate guard Kayla Padilla. Then, Davis flies in for another offensive board off of Padilla’s miss and finds her sharpshooting teammate again. This time, it pays off, as Padilla sinks a game-tying three, and USC would go on to win after two extra periods.

Now to Friday’s win over UCLA, another double-overtime victory just over a week later.

This time, it’s freshman guard JuJu Watkins at the line with USC down by three with under a minute to go in overtime. And, of course, it’s Davis who comes up with a crucial rebound off a missed foul shot. She again finds Padilla, but in this case the ball is forwarded to the third member of the nerd trio — graduate guard McKenzie Forbes — who buries the game-tying 3-pointer in a game USC would go on to prevail.

It’s a play that you can’t necessarily draw up in practice, but one that head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has nevertheless dubbed the “Ivy special.” After Saturday’s practice, Gottlieb effusively praised the variety of ways in which Davis contributes to this Trojan squad.

“KD’s willingness to put her body on the line for 50-50 balls, the rebounds, the critical plays, it’s just unbelievable,” Gottlieb said. “The team really appreciates it. It’s a huge X-factor for us.”

The list of those critical plays from Davis — just in last night’s game alone — goes on. Consider this block of Lauren Betts on literally the next possession, which was equally as massive in forcing a second overtime:

Or this steal to finally seal the deal, blowing up an ATO set by the Bruins looking for an open three:

There’s plenty more examples that could be used to fully illustrate Davis’ all-around impact, but it’s time to switch gears to another teammate whose effects aren’t quite as obvious.

India Otto, a.k.a. “Mini-Lindsay”

Now in her fifth season, graduate guard India Otto is the longest-tenured member of the program, alongside assistant coach Courtney Jaco. As a result, Otto has a unique perspective on how far this group has come since Gottlieb’s arrival in 2021.

After enduring a pair of seasons of mediocrity under former coach Mark Trakh, Otto was just one of a very few players that stayed through the transition to Gottlieb, especially after a dismal 12-16 first season in 2021-22. She noted Saturday that the only constant over her five years at USC has been the incessant change within the program.

Luckily for her, that change has shifted in a more positive direction over the final two seasons of her Trojan career. Nevertheless, she’s amazed that this team has a chance to take home a Pac-12 tournament championship on Sunday.

“It’s truly such a special group,” Otto said. “I knew that we had a lot of talent coming in, … but I don’t think anyone could have imagined how this season is going.”

Obviously, Watkins’ instant stardom is a major reason for the team’s success, but Otto has played a crucial role in her teammate’s — and best friend’s — development. The pair met when Otto was a high school junior and Watkins was a seventh grader at Windward School, and the former instantly saw something special in a young Watkins.

Otto is still amazed daily by what Watkins does on the court — “She doesn’t need any mentorship from me basketball-wise,” Otto said — but she definitely has a hand in the freshman’s poised, veteran-like demeanor. The two are almost attached at the hip; even during Watkins’ press conferences, Otto is typically lingering in the back of the room, observing her star teammate with admiration and pride.

There’s clear parallels between Otto and Gottlieb, a former player-coach at Brown, in their consistent love for the game of basketball and how they see the world. They’ve had similar college experiences, functioning like teachers while also being teammates. Gottlieb grew up in a family of lawyers and dreamed of being a Supreme Court justice as a kid; Otto is pursuing her master’s degree in law. Even Gottlieb’s daughter Reese has mixed the two of them up before, earning Otto the teasing nickname “Mini-Lindsay.”

“I take a lot of pride in that,” Gottlieb said. “That’s meaningful to me if people would compare her to me.”

Otto won’t rule out following in Gottlieb’s footsteps as a coach, but she currently aspires to be an agent in order to stay around basketball.

In the meantime, though, Otto’s 23rd birthday is Sunday. And she’d like nothing more than a present in the form of a Pac-12 tournament championship title.

“That would be the best birthday gift I could ever ask for,” Otto said. “It would mean more than I could ever describe.”