JuJu Watkins is leading the USC Trojans on and off the court this season. On the court, Watkins is leading by example, posting the second-highest per-game scoring average in the country behind only Caitlin Clark of Iowa. Off the court, Watkins — a bonafide superstar — is providing quiet leadership and a presence everyone else in the locker room respects and appreciates. Widely acknowledged as a selfless teammate, Watkins is focused less on statistics and more on making her teammates better in the pursuit of team success.
Watkins naturally needs to score for USC to have a good chance of winning, but she throws herself into defense, rebounding, and off-ball action, and she is a willing passer who sets up McKenzie Forbes and Kayla Padilla, among others, for good shot opportunities which make the Trojans’ offense tougher to deal with.
Watkins is at the center of the renaissance lifting USC women’s basketball to a top-15 ranking and a projected No. 3 seed in the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament. The Trojans enter February with a distinct chance of being able to host NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games at the Galen Center. If they get a top-four seed in March Madness, the Trojans will indeed play host to the opening weekend of the Big Dance.
Here’s JuJu talking to ESPN about USC women’s basketball:
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