Sensational USC freshman JuJu Watkins led the Trojans to a stirring revenge win against the previously unbeaten and then-No. 2 UCLA Bruins as she poured in 32 points to overwhelm their crosstown rivals 73-65.
The UCLA Bruins beat the USC Trojans 71-64 two weeks previously, and Watkins took it personally. Although she missed all six of her 3-point attempts and only shot 8 of 22 from the field, she drained all 16 of her free-throw attempts. USC (13-1) moved up to No. 6 in the rankings, while UCLA (14-1) fell to No. 5.
Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant acknowledged the stirring performance by JuJu Watkins on his Instagram stories:
“Another day at the office @jujubballin,” he wrote.
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The extraordinary season of JuJu Watkins
Juju Watkins is having a stellar season, and the 32-point effort was her sixth 30-point game and third double-double this season.
She won her record ninth Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award. Averaging 26.1 points per game ranks her No. 2 in the country just behind Iowa’s relentless star Caitlin Clark.
Her feats this season have landed her on the top 25 John R. Wooden Award watch list.
“I think we’re headed for some unprecedented things,” USC coach Gottlieb said after the watch list was announced. “She handles all of this with such grace. We try to do a good job of allowing her to be her, which is different and special, but also shielding her from some extra stuff. We’re constantly kind of updating that plan as we go.”
She was also full of praise for Watkins after the game against UCLA.
“She’s a winner,” Gottlieb said. “She just goes all out all the time, puts her body and emotional spirit on the line. … She’s something else.”
After the game, JuJu Watkins revealed where she got her motivation for the clash.
“I fed off my teammates’ energy,” Watkins said. “You just want to be a part of that. On the defensive end, we played a great game. The whole team did it.”
The college basketball world knows about Watkin’s talent, but now others seem to be taking notice. After watching USC play against UC Riverside, L.A. Lakers star LeBron James, whose son plays for the men’s team, also heaped praise on her.
“She’s the next greatest thing in women’s basketball,” James said.
With the emergence of JuJu Watkins, it seems as if women’s college basketball’s future is safe after stars like the record-chasing Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese depart for the WNBA.
