Backup Otto seizes her moment
Lindsay Gottlieb pauses on the microphone for a moment in midFebruary, a crowd at USC's senior night hanging on her every word, fighting against the emotions that threaten every word she speaks. She pauses between inflections, collecting herself. Trying to convey, in the span of precious few words, the special nature of one India Otto.
She turns, first, to the words of Andy Warhol, her voice shivering as she recites a quote into the microphone.
Otto, a fifth-year senior, has played 26 total games at USC. 66 college minutes. She takes the floor only in blowouts, and has scored a total of 23 collegiate points. Yet her teammates' eyes light up at any mention of her, and Gottlieb will take any opportunity possible to mention her. Otto is the oldest guard at USC, here even before the Gottlieb era, the most senior member of a program that's been completely reformed from the freshman-year days she saw no one in the stands.
This world is different here, now. Gottlieb planned this senior night on USC's home floor, knowing not just parents but an entire Los Angeles community would want to be present; fans pack the lower basin, staying long after a loss to Utah. And Otto,
Gottlieb professes to the crowd, is as much a reason for that as any other. She'd shown up with her best every day for five years, day in day out, in recruiting dinners and practices behind the scenes, a roommate and mentor for freshman JuJu Watkins and voted a captain by teammates.
And then they saw her on the court Saturday afternoon, in an explosion of love Otto will never forget.
As USC's starting lineup was announced over the PA at Galen Saturday afternoon, before USC tipped off its NCAA Tournament first-round matchup against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a crowd of Los Angeles bluecollars and families and celebrities alike roared in anticipation.
And Gottlieb, standing on the hardwood, smiled to herself, an apparent appreciation of the moment USC had created.
“Once that ball goes up,” Gottlieb said postgame Saturday, “I'm enamored by the crowd.”
They were enamored right back, as USC pummeled Corpus-Christi from the tip, extending a huge lead to 30 points by the fourth quarter in the type of blowout they hadn't experienced since December. And anticipation began to build as Gottlieb signaled to the bench with a few minutes left, erupting in kind as Otto trotted out to the scorer's table.
On USC's next offensive possession, Gottlieb gestured wildly for players to set up a double-screen as Otto ran to the block, coming off a pick and catching for a wide-open look as a swell built.
She hesitated, though, fumbling with the dribble for a moment, kicking it out before receiving a pass back with just a few ticks left on the shot clock.
And then she drove, dropping in a layup off glass — the first two-point make of her USC career. Back down the floor in transition, fellow reserve guard Roxane Makolo flipped a pass to Otto on the wing, lingering wideopen beyond the arc. And she launched, no hesitation this time.
Her shot dropped through the back of the rim in a clankswish, and Galen went berserk, never louder on this Saturday afternoon.
“I literally got goosebumps,” Otto said, postgame.