Lindsay Gottlieb has built a culture that could become USC's Big Ten superpower

Summer workouts have officially started for the Women of Troy. Fans got to see JuJu back in action after an ACL injury while seeing new faces on the squad. Those new faces include three players, who the media got to hear from for the first time yesterday.

When asked about what excites them or why they came to USC, two themes came across: culture and challenges. These will be key for the Trojans, who are expected to make a deep tournament run this year.

USC Women's basketball transfers emphasize the positives of the program

The two new transfers this year are Ryann Bennett and Pania Davis. Each addition is expected to be incredibly important to the rotation this year. These players can add depth and even potentially be starters.

During their first availability to the media, Davis and Bennett offered similar answers as to why they wanted to join the team.

”I think the biggest thing was just the culture. I'm a big person on like relationships [and] family," Bennett said. "Having my dad coach me while I was growing up. Like, I'm just really big on having that relationship with the staff and all the players.

The culture cultivated by the staff and players makes players want to be a part of the program instantly.

"The coaching staff, the team,” Davis said. “I feel like I fit in with this team. I came on my visit and I kind of knew right away that I wanted to be here. ”

Getting players to want to join this team has been easy for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb because of the culture that she and her staff have built. When Davis talked about something that surprised her the most about USC, she talked about how hands-on the coaching staff was.

“I can talk to them [coaches] about anything really," Davis said. "They're really, really hands-on basketball-wise, off the court-wise."

Their recruiting is great at getting players in the building. But continuing to make players feel a part of something bigger when they get to campus speaks to the culture of the team. That togetherness will become the X-factor for the Trojans this year. Feeling like you can rely on your coaches and teammates goes a long way when teams are near the end of the season and fighting for a national championship.

Sitaya Fagan says USC coaching staff has been pushing her outside her comfort zone in the best way

The culture is the foundation; constantly being challenged is the next step, which is also a huge reason why the new players are loving their new team. Davis mentioned how she picked USC because she thought it would challenge her, and she's been proven right so far.

Australian player Sitaya Fagan is in a different situation than the other two players. Since January, she has been with the team, doing everything besides suiting up. Still, she took that time to get extra reps in and talked about how the coaching staff challenging her has pushed her to the next level.

“I think they pushed me to just be versatile. Like back home, I'd normally be stuck in the power forward.  And as much as I love that position, I know I can do more," Fagan said. "So, they'd be putting me like between the two and the five and just playing me wherever they need me. Which I think definitely like boosted my growth, and hopefully it will pay off in the season.” 

The culture and the extra push in the offseason of being challenged might just be what makes USC stand out over other programs. It'll be a tough season, especially against their biggest rival, but having three No. 1 players on the team will certainly be helpful.

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