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/ Women's Basketball
Incoming Trojans Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith Named Gatorade State Players of the Year
March 16, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Idaho native Howell and California’s Smith pick up top honors as high school basketball stars.
USC women's basketball's top-ranked class of incoming Trojans now features a pair of best-in-state athletes, with Gatorade State Player of the Year honors going to Idaho's Avery Howell and California's Kennedy Smith. Both are now in line for national honors, looking to follow in the footsteps of current USC freshman JuJu Watkins, who was the 2023 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Avery Howell, a 6-foot forward who hails from Boise High School, averaged 21.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.9 steals per game this past season, leading the top-seeded Brave (24-2) to the 5A state semifinals. The returning Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year, Howell is ranked as the nation's No. 23 recruit in the Class of 2024 by espnW. She is also a 2024 McDonald's All-American Game selection, making her only the second Idahoan girl in history to be selected.
Kennedy Smith is the first Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Etiwanda High School. At the time of her selection, the 6-foot-1 senior forward had averaged 20.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks this past season, leading the Eagles (30-3) to the CIF statewide Open Division title game. Ranked as the nation's No. 6 recruit in the Class of 2024 by both espnW and Prospects Nation, Smith is a three-time All-CIF selection, a 2024 Naismith Award semifinalist and a 2024 McDonald's All-American. She is also a two-time state Open Division tournament champion. Also this week, Smith was named the MaxPreps California Player of the Year.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.
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Avery Howell, a 6-foot forward who hails from Boise High School, averaged 21.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.9 steals per game this past season, leading the top-seeded Brave (24-2) to the 5A state semifinals. The returning Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year, Howell is ranked as the nation's No. 23 recruit in the Class of 2024 by espnW. She is also a 2024 McDonald's All-American Game selection, making her only the second Idahoan girl in history to be selected.
Kennedy Smith is the first Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Etiwanda High School. At the time of her selection, the 6-foot-1 senior forward had averaged 20.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks this past season, leading the Eagles (30-3) to the CIF statewide Open Division title game. Ranked as the nation's No. 6 recruit in the Class of 2024 by both espnW and Prospects Nation, Smith is a three-time All-CIF selection, a 2024 Naismith Award semifinalist and a 2024 McDonald's All-American. She is also a two-time state Open Division tournament champion. Also this week, Smith was named the MaxPreps California Player of the Year.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.
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Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
