The most underrated player in women’s college hoops

Kennedy Smith might be the most underrated player in America because she’s elite at the thing that rarely trends: doing everything—and doing it correctly—every possession. Offensively, she’s the connective tissue that turns talent into an offense. She screens with purpose, cuts on time, relocates to create driving lanes, keeps the ball moving with quick reads, and scores efficiently without demanding volume. There’s no single gaudy stat to latch onto, but she’s quietly good at all of them: finishing, mid-range touch, kick-ahead passing, offensive glass, and late-clock composure.

Defensively, she’s a problem. Smith guards up and down the lineup, absorbs first contact, slides without fouling, and closes possessions with rebounds. Her help instincts—timely digs, early tags, back-line rotations—are the kind coaches build schemes around. Last year she played under JuJu Watkins’s wing; this year she’ll share the stage with the highly touted Jazzy Davidson, and again she’ll amplify stars by doing the winning details.

Project forward: USC is tracking toward a preseason No. 1 and a new “Fab 5.” Smith is the modern Ray Jackson—the glue who binds the parts and raises the floor and ceiling simultaneously. Casual fans may overlook her; WNBA scouts won’t. She’s the ultimate team player, a multiplier who makes everyone better—and she’s going to do a lot of winning.