In a college basketball landscape that has found Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, LSU’s Angel Reese, and UConn’s Paige Bueckers making up some of the must-see faces in women’s hoops, USC freshman Juju Watkins has firmly cemented herself in that same company after putting together a 2024 campaign that has the Trojans back on the map nationally.
Coming into the season, many knew that Watkins was a name to be on the lookout for after coming out of Sierra Canyon School in California as ESPN’s No. 1 prospect for the Class of 2023. Yet it’s safe to assume many didn’t expect her reign to begin so quickly and so dominantly.
In her first game with the Trojans, she helped lead her team past No. 7 Ohio State, 83-74. She tallied 32 points on 61% shooting from the field along with six rebounds and five assists.
JuJu Watkins in her collegiate debut:
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) November 6, 2023
32 points (11 for 18 from the field, 9 for 10 from FT line), 6 rebounds, 5 assists.
And a win over No. 7 Ohio State
This game found Watkins supplanting Lisa Leslie who originally set the record for points in a freshman debut in 1990. From that point, it was all Watkins, all winter long. Registering double-figure games in every contest this season but one, she has put together games in which she tallied 42 points against No. 11
Colorado while erupting for 51 points and 11 rebounds on February 2 against No. 4 Stanford in a 67-58 victory.
JuJu Watkins and her record-breaking season at USC
Her 42-point outing set the single-game scoring record at USC’s Galen Arena while the 51 against the Cardinal. It was the first 50-point game by a freshman since 2010. Elena Delle Donne dropped 54 in a loss to James Madison. With the NCAA tournament on the horizon,
Watkins, the nation’s second-leading scorer, will step onto the game’s biggest stage. Watkins is averaging 27 points per game (ppg), 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals.
While operating as the team’s first option on offense, she has shot the ball efficiently throughout when averaging 41.7% from the field as well as 33% from distance and 84.4% from the line. Defensively, Watkins has proven to be just as much of a weapon when she was named to the Pac-12’s All-Defensive Team at the end of the regular season.
USC and their roster beyond Watkins entering the NCAAW Tournament
USC, a one seed coming out of the Portland three regional will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-8) on March 23 at 4:30 EDT. However, the Trojans have shown throughout a 26-5 season that they’re equipped as well as anyone for a deep tournament run.
"Sky's the limit for us." 💪
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) March 10, 2024
JuJu Watkins is ready for the NCAA Tournament 😤 pic.twitter.com/FdiZLIq65N
While there are plenty of weapons that litter a roster that averages the 39th most potent offense in the country (74.7 ppg), it’s Watkins who makes them go when logging a 43.5% usage rating and averaging .89 points per play.
Senior guard McKenzie Forbes has lined up alongside Watkins as the perfect running mate this season. Forbes is averaging 13.5 ppg while junior Rayah Marshall holds down the interior with 10.2 ppg and 10.5 rebounds a game.
It’s that same complementary firepower that has propelled them to a second-place finish in the Pac-12 conference. They went on to topple No. 2 Stanford in the conference tournament championship, 74-61. The game pulled in 1.44 million viewers on Sunday. Despite Stanford touting 2024 lottery pick Cameron Brink, it’s safe to say that Watkins is the next must-see show as illustrated by recent numbers.
Recognized as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while setting the single-season scoring record as a freshman for the USC program, she began to make a name for herself off the hardwood early on when she was signed as the first female client of Klutch Sports Agency in her junior season at Sierra Canyon.
Another one for JuJu!
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 18, 2024
Ju has been named the National Freshman of the Year by @USBWA ✌️ pic.twitter.com/I89SNjj3As
From there, she signed as one of the select number of college basketball players to partner with Nike. Watkins recently hosted the “Good Juju Holiday Giveback”, a food and shoe drive in southern Los Angeles, California.
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