Freshman seasons are supposed to be about adjustment — to speed, to strength, to stakes.
For USC women’s basketball guard Jazzy Davidson, it became something else entirely: domination.
As the regular season comes to a close, the Big Ten Conference announced its 2025-26 postseason awards, and Davidson stood at the center of it all.
The freshman was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a unanimous All-Freshman Team pick. She also earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team and is the only freshman to land on both the all-conference and all-defensive squads.
“If you’re not familiar with her yet, you will be,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “She’s a special, elite talent.”
In a league defined by experience and physicality, Davidson didn’t just hold her own. She set the standard.
From opening night to the regular season finale, Davidson authored one of the most complete rookie campaigns in the country.
She finished the regular season leading USC in every major statistical category: 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. No other Division I player — freshman or otherwise — can claim that distinction this season.
Nationally, Davidson ranks 20th in blocks per game (2.07) and 18th in total blocks (60), both second in the Big Ten. Offensively, she sits fourth in the conference in field goal attempts (484), a reflection of both her responsibility and her fearlessness. Among all Division I freshmen, only one has taken more shots.
Her consistency may be the most impressive element of all. Davidson scored in double figures in 28 games, including 26 straight since November 18. She logged 12 20-point performances and broke the 30-point barrier once, with a 32-point eruption at No. 10 Ohio State that included six made 3-pointers and 40 minutes played.
That night in Columbus was signature Jazzy: poised, relentless and unbothered by stage or ranking.
The numbers tell the story. The moments made the case.
In just her second collegiate game, Davidson poured in 21 points against No. 9 NC State and delivered a game-winning layup with eight seconds remaining. Against Tennessee Tech, she posted her first double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds, the most boards by a USC freshman since 2021 by 2022 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist Rayah Marshall.
She added 22 points and 12 rebounds against Washington, 21 points and eight assists in a statement win over No. 8 Iowa, and a then-career-high 27 points with eight rebounds and eight assists at Illinois, accounting for 47 Trojan points in that contest alone.
Against Wisconsin and Ohio State in late February, she elevated again, averaging 28 points across the two games and accounting for 79 total USC points either by scoring or assisting.
Her 32-point performance at Ohio State marked the first 30-point outing by a USC freshman since JuJu Watkins in 2024 and the first by any Trojan since Kiki Iriafen in March 2025.
Davidson’s impact extends far beyond scoring.
She is one of only two freshmen nationally named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Team, rare recognition for a first year guard. Her 60 blocks and 57 steals both rank among USC’s top five freshman totals all-time.
At 34.7 minutes per game, she has been USC’s engine, protecting the rim one possession, initiating the offense the next.
Davidson becomes USC’s first conference freshman of the year since Watkins earned Pac-12 honors in 2024 and just the seventh Trojan in program history to claim a conference newcomer award. She joins Monica Lamb, Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, Briana Gilbreath, Alissa Pili and Watkins in that lineage, a list that reads like a blueprint of greatness.
“There’s some legendary players on that list, I’m just very honored to be considered a part of it,” Davidson said after receiving the conference honor.
The accolades have followed all season. Davidson earned four USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors — the most in the country — and seven Big Ten Freshman of the Week selections. She has appeared on the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award watch lists, affirming what USC fans have witnessed for months.
But for Davidson, the resume began long before she arrived in Los Angeles.
A 2025 graduate of Clackamas High School in Oregon, she was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s recruiting class, a four-time Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. Internationally, she has won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup and the 2024 FIBA 3x3 World Cup.
Her ambition? To become an Olympic gold medalist and eventually play in the WNBA.
For now, her focus remains on March.
“I think we’re all pumped for next year,” Davidson said. “Obviously, we still have some unfinished business this season.”
USC enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 9 seed and will face Washington in the second round on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“I’m really excited to go out and win some more games,” Davidson said. “Just getting to play more games with my teammates, and not taking any game for granted.”
In the record book, it’s an individual distinction and a spotlight for the freshman.
Davidson made sure it shone on more than just herself.