JuJu Watkins’ hatred of losing is exactly what makes her great at USC

JuJu Watkins lost to Washington on January 28. She did not leave the gym for the next several hours after that game.

This is the stuff of greatness. This is what commitment looks like. This is what it means to be dedicated to excellence and nothing less. JuJu Watkins is the embodiment of an athlete who will not accept anything less than the very best at USC.

Luca Evans of The Orange County Register dug up this gem after Watkins scored 51 points against Stanford last Friday:

“Postgame on Saturday, after an impromptu locker-room mosh-pit with her teammates in celebration, Watkins testified with a weary smile she had 24-hour access to USC’s gym.

“’I haven’t been able to sleep for these past couple weeks – well, past week, coming off some losses,’ Watkins said.

“The very night of the loss to Washington, Gottlieb chimed in, she got a call from a security guard at USC’s Galen Center, notifying her that Watkins was still in the gym.

“Want me to tell her no? Gottlieb recalled hearing.

“Let Ju be Ju, Gottlieb responded.”

That’s what separates JuJu Watkins from most other players. It’s what separates the iconic athletes from the very good ones, the superstars from the role players. This is why USC women’s basketball has a chance to be very special after years of irrelevance on the national scene.

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