Moments after the USA U19 National Team won the gold medal in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Czechia, USC-commit Jasmine Davidson had her schedule planned out.
“I’ll have a few days off when I get back, but then I’m in team workouts,” said Davidson, 18, affectionately known as Jazzy.
In a hard-fought battle against the Aussies, the 6-foot-2 guard-forward turned in another impressive performance for the Americans, with 21 points, six rebounds, five steals, three blocks and three assists.
“It means a lot,” said Davidson, who averaged 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the event. “I mean, this tournament is one of the hardest tournaments to win, so I’m just super proud of the team and just the effort that we put in throughout this time to get to where we are.”
Now, with a polished game that can be dominant at both ends of the court, she’s ready to “Fight On.”
“I vividly remember my first conversation with Jazzy several years ago, and I hung up the phone thinking, ‘I hope we can build this program to where we have a legit shot at her,'” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said of Davidson. “So to have that come to fruition means so much to me.”
Davidson, a four-time Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, was a semifinalist for 2023-24 Naismith Trophy High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year as a junior and a finalist for Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year this past season, as a senior.
“Jazzy, in my opinion, is the jewel of this class,” Gottlieb said. “She is an elite-level player in every aspect. She can score, create, defend – a true modern, pro-style player. She has a work ethic and competitiveness that will impact our program immediately.”
Per Davidson, who spoke exclusively to The Sporting Tribune via telephone while competing last week in Czechia, the feeling is mutual.
Davidson said there was a collection of things that drew her to playing for USC, including playing for Gottlieb and potentially alongside arguably the face of women’s college basketball, JuJu Watkins.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with coach Lindsay, so that was the biggest thing for me,” Davidson said. “The culture there is amazing, very family-oriented. All the girls are super close. Just that kind of vibe, I felt it as soon as I got on campus, and I loved it.”
Looking to study communications, she also said “education is super important” to her and felt USC was the right spot for her in the classroom, too.
With her college career right around the corner, Davidson reflected on her growth on the court, having played basketball since she was in kindergarten. What started as more of a social activity, Davidson said, she didn’t take basketball seriously until reaching middle school, falling in love with the sport in seventh grade.
“It was nothing serious, just kind of getting to hang out with my friends,” Davidson said, of her first six years on the court. “All my friends played basketball, so it was more of a social thing for me. And then as I got older and got better and just kind of started enjoying the actual sport more, I realized I could actually do this.”
Turned out she was really good.
A native of Clackamas, Ore., Davidson was an immediate impact for Clackamas High School her freshman year, recording nine double-doubles and averaging 22.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.1 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
Davidson proved she was no flash in the pan, increasing her average the next four seasons, culminating with a senior campaign that saw her average 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.
Her time with USA Basketball has had a major impact on her career, she said. Davidson was a member of the USA’s gold-medalist U18 team at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup alongside two current USC freshmen, Kayleigh Heckel and Kennedy Smith. Davidson, who averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and a team-high 2.7 steals per game in that event, became the first U18 player to shoot a perfect 100 percent from the floor with five or more attempts in a game since 2004 in a game against Mexico.
Davidson was also a part of the 2024 USA 3×3 Women’s U18 National Team, winning gold again at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup.
“It’s meant a lot to me, it’s been super cool,” Davidson said. “I’m just super grateful for all of my experiences with USA Basketball. Obviously, an amazing organization. It’s really helped me progress in my basketball IQ … having to learn plays really fast, getting adjusted to playing with new players under coaches you’ve never played for before.”
Davidson said playing for “great coaches and amazing players” has also triggered her growth both on and off the court, considering the rapid growth of women’s basketball nationwide.
“Being in an environment you’ve never been in before and traveling out of the country for games is very different from what I’d usually be doing, it’s really helped me grow as a player,” she added. “I’d say it definitely helped me prepare for this at a younger age. Having that attention on you from a young age, you kind of learn some lessons you wouldn’t normally learn earlier on.”
And when she’s not playing basketball, and needs to decompress and tend to her mental health and some body recovery, Davidson said she’s an outdoor person and will be looking forward to spending cooler nights on the beaches of Southern California.
She also enjoys hiking, drawing, painting, listening to music and simply being creative while the likes of Drake, SZA, Frank Ocean or Bryson Tiller is filling her airpods.
“She is truly as humble and likeable as she is talented,” Gottlieb said. “We got a special one, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Courtesy FIBA
Jazzy Davidson averaged 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the USA U19 National Team at the 2025 FIBA World Cup.