As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes.
Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.
#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.
When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”
#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.
In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”
#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?
“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”
#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.
“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”
#5 Fun facts about Forbes:
She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”
Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.
As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.
#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.
The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.”
#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.
She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”
#3 There's a reason she wears #3.
#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it.
#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:
Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.
#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.
Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.
Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.
As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview teammate JuJu Watkins.
Here are five things to know from our conversation with the freshman phenom from LA.
#1 JuJu defines her purpose as wanting to inspire others to not place limits on themselves.
Her advice to younger athletes is to “take a step back and just realize how grateful you are to be around so many great people and be in an environment where you’re able to have an impact on others. And don’t take that for granted any day.” She recommends “just always being in constant awe of how far you’ve come.”
#2 JuJu is self-reflective when it comes to the impact of her growing social media fame.
"People are always going to have something to say, so I think just taking that mindset that you can’t be perfect and everybody’s always going to have an opinion on something.”
#3 An LA native, JuJu says the state of basketball in LA is “just booming right now.”
“The Pac-12 and LA is just amazing, and I’m just glad that I’m able to be a part of that and feel the atmosphere every night.”
#4 JuJu is known for her drip.
Her favorite brands are Rick Owens, Alexander Wang, and Nike. And if she could have dinner with any three people (dead or alive), she would choose Drake, Bob Marley, and Beyonce.
#5 JuJu’s favorite piece of advice:
“To whom much is given. Much is required.”
Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.
As part of our 1-v-1 video series, UCLA’s Camryn Brown sat down to interview her teammate Lauren Betts.
Here are five things to know from our conversation with the sophomore from Centennial, Colorado.
#1 Betts was the nation’s No. 1 recruit coming out of high school, an experience that taught her the importance of having a good mindset.
“I try to not put too many expectations on myself, I think that adds a lot of pressure. Obviously, I’m surrounded by amazing players and coaches, so I’m just trying to learn from everybody.
#2 Lauren transferred from Stanford to UCLA after her freshman season. When asked about the hardest part of the transfer process she said, “The reactions to when I entered the portal would have to be the hardest. Just trying to not listen to what other people were saying. But it was a huge [decision], so I went to my mom’s house and blocked out the entire world for a few weeks.”
#3 On the best advice she’s been given about life on the big stage: “Staying where my feet are. Just staying present, not comparing myself to anybody in any type of way.”
#4 Lauren shared her perspective on how she’s grown throughout the last year.
“I can do hard things. I’ve built a lot of confidence. I just know when things go low, I can get myself out of that situation, out of that mindset. As long as I’m surrounded by the right people, I can do whatever.”
#5 Lauren is a big Disney fan. If she had to make a starting five out of Disney characters, she would pick Sully from Monster’s Inc., Hercules, Merida from Brave, Lightning McQueen from Cars, and Moana (as point guard of course).
Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.
As part of our 1-v-1 video series, UCLA’s Camryn Brown sat down to interview her teammate Gabriela Jaquez.
Here are five things to know from our conversation with the sophomore forward from Camarillo, California.
#1 Playing basketball at UCLA has been Gabriela's lifelong dream. She often reminds herself of that, especially during challenging moments.
“When it gets hard, I just think back to the times where I dreamed of this. If your 12-year-old self could see you doing this, she would be so proud and so happy and wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
#2 Gabriela’s older brother, Jaime Jaquez Jr., played basketball at UCLA and now plays for the Miami Heat in the NBA. She has learned a lot by watching his calm demeanor on the court.
His advice to her? “You have to be so good that your coach can’t take you off the floor.”
#3 The LA native, recognizes the impact of having both UCLA and USC ranked in the top-10 this year.
“I think it’s really amazing for Southern California basketball, but also women’s basketball as a whole.”
#4 She is known for being the fashionista of the team. If she could swap closets with anyone, she’d pick Hailey Bieber, Sofia Richie, and Kendall Jenner. But she has her eyes on teammate Kiki Rice’s Jordan shoe collection.
#5 Jaquez has a strict pregame ritual routine going into games.
“I do the same things. I’m always first to sprint in line after we warm up and smile the biggest smile to my coaches.”
Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.
As part of our 1-v-1 video series, UCLA’s Camryn Brown sat down to interview her teammate Charisma Osborne.
Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate student guard from Moreno Valley, California.
#1 When she was recruited, Charisma had offers from both USC and UCLA basketball. She ultimately chose UCLA for the program's traditions and people. But she also had one special requirement of Coach Cori during her official visit.
“The ‘In My Feelings’ dance was brand new and big. Coach Cori doesn’t really dance much. I’ve gotten her out of her comfort zone a bit. I told her she had to do the dance on my visit. And she did it! And I told her if she did it, well then, I would commit.”
#2 Charisma was projected to be a top pick in last year’s WNBA draft, but chose to come back for another year at UCLA. She said she wanted another year with family and friends.
“And obviously I came back to win a championship.”
#3 Charisma’s expectations for this year’s NCAA Women's Basketball tournament?
“I expect us to have a lot of fun. I think sometimes that gets lost when there’s so much pressure and so many things going on. But to have a lot of fun and enjoy it. And I expect us to win. We’re such a good, talented team who works hard all the time and we love each other. We have so much fun with each other. So I just expect that to keep going.”
#4 She has one pregame ritual she can’t go without.
“I drink pickle juice before the game. And I love pickle juice. People think it’s gross, but it helps!
#5 If she had to compare her game to a current WNBA player, Charisma sees the most similarities with Jewel Lloyd.
“I like her game. I like her style. We’re similar in height. She plays really good defense and she’s a bucket. Kobe was her favorite player, too. I do see the similarities.”