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!”
