USC sophomore Jazzy Davidson told Front Office Sports that the WNBA eligibility rules are “maybe a little bit outdated” in an interview taped while the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream played for the 2026 WNBA title.
Davidson is the reigning USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year. She also won WBCA Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and she was the only freshman named first-team All-Big Ten last season.
As a freshman, Davidson averaged 17.9 points. She led USC in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, and USC said no other Division I player led her team in all five. She scored 31 points in her NCAA Tournament debut, a 71-67 overtime win over Clemson, before USC lost 101-61 at South Carolina in the second round.
Davidson graduated from Clackamas High School in Oregon in 2025 and is in her second season at USC.
“I definitely think that the eligibility rules right now are maybe a little bit outdated,” Davidson said. “But I also, there’s something to say in the college experience, in my opinion. I love the NCAA. I love college sports. I love going to school here at USC, getting an education, forming those relationships with my teammates. So yeah, I’d have to think more on that, but it’s hard for me to say.”
USC and Jazzy Davidson are must see https://t.co/Rzaj4ywEu1
— Nosebleed Hoops (@NosebleedHoops) October 18, 2026
WNBA Eligibility Rules and Expansion
A domestic player has to turn 22 during the calendar year of the draft, graduate from a four-year college or be within three months of graduating, or be four years removed from high school. International players who never played college basketball in the United States can enter the draft in the year they turn 20.
Front Office Sports reported at the Women’s Final Four in April that the league’s new collective bargaining agreement with the WNBPA left draft eligibility unchanged.
The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire began play this season, bringing the WNBA to 15 teams. Cleveland joins in 2028, Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030, which will put the league at 18 franchises.
“I’m very grateful to come in at a time like this with all the expansions happening and everything, because there are so many great players,” Davidson explained. “And just in the past, there haven’t been as many roster spots as there are great players that should play in the league. But yeah, no, super exciting to see the expansion. And yeah, very, very exciting.”
Unrivaled, Project B, and Media Coverage
Front Office Sports reported in August that Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league, was valued at $650 million after its latest funding round, with players owning 30%.
Davidson would be honored to play in the WNBA, Unrivaled, or Project B.
“Growing up, the WNBA was always the dream for me,” Davidson said. “But I mean, over time, seeing all these other new amazing leagues form like Unrivaled and like Project B, it’s super exciting. It’s super exciting to see where women’s sports and women’s basketball particularly is going. And yeah, I’m very excited.”
Front Office Sports also raised the question of whether coverage of women’s sports drifts from X’s and O’s toward drama, politics, and personal lives, and whether that is a double standard compared with men’s sports.
“A little bit,” Davidson said. “I feel like in certain ways, the men have just as much drama as the women do. But I feel like, yeah, there definitely is a difference in coverage when it comes to those kinds of things between the leagues. And I think that’s something that hopefully in the near future will change. But yeah.”
Golden State beat Atlanta 64-55 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday at Chase Center to take a 3-2 series lead. Atlanta’s Angel Reese had 7 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Valkyries are in their second season, and Game 6 is Thursday in Atlanta.
“Honestly, I’d be so happy either way,” Davidson said. “I really enjoy both teams playing. And I think it’d be so cool for Angel to win a championship. But also the Valkyries, like in their second year, that would be insane as well. So honestly, either way, I’ll be happy.”
Venmo NIL Partnership
Venmo named Davidson to its 2026-27 NIL roster on Sept. 16, one of nine athletes alongside UCLA’s Sienna Betts and Oklahoma State’s Audi Crooks. Seven of the nine compete in women’s sports. The company’s Money Moves campaign has the athletes take part of their NIL earnings through Venmo and pay it forward to teammates, coaches, family members, and fans.
On social media, Davidson posts what she enjoys, including hanging out with friends, basketball, and time with family.
“My big thing for my personal brand is just being somebody that the younger generation of athletes and just kids in general can look up to,” Davidson said. “So finding brands that align with that goal. And yeah, that’s the biggest thing for me.”
She has not made any big purchases with her NIL money yet. Her first paycheck probably went to groceries, and she has saved a lot of it.
“I think basketball is for sure number one, but also as I get older and get more experience in this, the business side of things, definitely very important to grow as an entrepreneur as well,” Davidson said. “So I would say a healthy mix of both.”
USC Opens With JuJu Watkins Back
USC is No. 3 in the preseason AP poll released Oct. 20, behind South Carolina and UConn. The Trojans were No. 18 in last year’s preseason poll.
JuJu Watkins sat out all of 2025-26 with a torn ACL. In 2024-25, she won the Naismith Trophy, the Wooden Award, and AP Player of the Year while averaging 23.9 points. Watkins played in USC’s 78-76 exhibition win over Cal on Oct. 25 at the Galen Center.
USC also added Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026 and MVP of the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. She is the program’s third No. 1 recruit in four years, after Watkins in 2023 and Davidson in 2025.
JUJU WATKINS FIRST GAME IN 580 DAYS 18 PTS (23 mins) 3 REB 2 AST 3 STL 2 BLK 6/14 FG 6/6 FT https://t.co/9ko6BzQNhL
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) October 25, 2026
Davidson plans to play the way she did last season, whether that means scoring, facilitating, defending, or rebounding.
“The expectations are our national championship,” Davidson said. “I think we have all the pieces, and we’re super excited to get on the court together and just have fun at the end of the day.”
Watkins enters her senior season with 1,709 career points, ninth in USC history.
“She’s one of my best friends,” Davidson said. “She’s hilarious off the court, but on the court, she’s like all business. She’s truly just an amazing person, teammate on and off the court. And yeah, very grateful for her.”
USC opens the regular season against UNLV on Nov. 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series. The Trojans face South Carolina on Nov. 15.
