Michelle Smith: Kadi Sissoko leads USC women's basketball to 9-0 start

From ballet to basketball, from the Minnesota winters to the Southern California sunshine, Kadi Sissoko has not been afraid to search for a new environment.

And once she gets there, the USC graduate transfer knows how to adapt.

Sissoko’s outstanding play has the Trojans off to a 9-0 start heading into a critical stretch of the schedule that includes a Dec. 15 Pac-12 opener against No. 13 UCLA, a Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge matchup against Texas in Dallas three days later, followed by a home game against Saint Mary’s before the Conference schedule starts in earnest with a tough road trip to the Oregon schools.

“I wanted to be part of something here, of changing the program around,” said the 6-foot-2 forward from Paris, France.

Sissoko came to USC from Minnesota — where she made 46 starts in two seasons — and she began her collegiate career at Syracuse before transferring after her freshman year.

Both are very different surroundings than the one she finds herself in now.

“I just wanted to feel warm,” Sissoko said with a laugh. “And USC is a great school.”

Sissoko didn’t begin playing basketball until middle school, having participating in ballet for six years as a young girl.

Her sister played basketball and young Kadi started going to games and it didn’t take long for the head coach to ask her to come and try out for the team. At this point, it was bye-bye ballet.

“I knew I was good at basketball and I enjoyed it,” Sissoko said. “I missed ballet, but I’m glad I picked basketball.”

So is USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who called Sissoko an “amazing” addition to her team.

“Her motor is as good as any player I’ve ever coached,” Gottlieb said. “She can guard anyone, she can play 40 minutes, she’s a phenomenal athlete. She’s been excellent for us.”

Sissoko currently leads USC in scoring at 16.4 points a game, reaching double figures in eight of nine games She ranks second on the team in rebounding at 6.2 per game.

Gottlieb called Sissoko “explosive” and said she looks like a pro prospect who hasn’t yet tapped into her full ability. Sissoko, who has experience playing with the French National Team, aspires to play professional basketball and said she takes pride in her energy and intensity on the floor.

“I always want to be running the floor hard, rebounding and defending multiple positions,” Sissoko said. “My versatility is important.”

Her favorite part of the game? “Winning,” she responded without hesitation.

Sissoko will only be with USC for a season, but she is fitting in well, Gottlieb said. 

“Our players have such respect for her because of how hard she plays on every possession, every day,” Gottlieb said. 

Sissoko said she believes that playing basketball is about making adjustments “all the time” and that her career is a testament to her ability to do that.

“I’ve had a lot of change, but it’s always for the better,” Sissoko said. “I’m a work in progress, but I just need to be ready every day.”