What happened to Kennedy Smith? USC guard "sidelined" for much-awaited matchup against Notre Dame

The USC Trojans faced a setback around Kennedy Smith before their game against Notre Dame at Galen Center on Saturday. The program reported on X that the freshman was listed on the injury report for the contest due to a surgical procedure.

Currently, there is no timeline for Smith’s return but the guard is expected to return to action sometime during the season. The nature of Smith's surgery remains unknown.

Both teams entered the contest after winning their first four games of the season. It was JuJu Watkins and USC’s biggest challenge of the year so far, which resulted in a 74-61 loss. Freshman Kayleigh Heckel was handed her first starting role to replace Kennedy Smith. She had six points and four rebounds for the Trojans.

Despite struggling from the 3-point line (0-5), JuJu Watkins led her squad with 24 points (10-25), six rebounds and five assists. Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen, USC's second offensive option, contributed 15 points (5-15) and team-high nine rebounds.

For Notre Dame, Hannah Hidalgo scored/assisted 14 points to start the game. USC trailed by eight points at the time, which they struggled to cut throughout the contest. Hidalgo posted 24 points (9-21), eight assists, six rebounds and five steals. Senior Olivia Miles added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Kennedy Smith is JuJu Watkins' favorite USC player

While talking to Grant Young of Women's Fastbreak On SI in October, JuJu Watkins claimed that Kennedy Smith is her favorite player to watch from her current roster.

"I think we have a lot of capable people that have so much talent," Watkins said. "I would say my favorite has been Kennedy Smith. Coming from Etiwanda, we played each other in high school.

"But just to see how her game has evolved within that short amount of time and seeing how mature she is on the floor, I'm definitely excited to join forces with her and win a championship."

While Kiki Iriafen’s addition made USC a better team than the previous year, their potential to contend for the NCAA championship this season stems from their depth. Freshman Kennedy Smith is a huge part of that.

Through her first four college games, Smith is averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on 42.1% shooting. She is also known for her defensive tenacity and has garnered 10 steals in her last two games.