JuJu Watkins: A Basketball Phenomenon and Academic Achiever
Judea "JuJu" Watkins, born on July 15, 2005, has rapidly ascended to the pinnacle of women's college basketball. An American college basketball player for the USC Trojans of the Big Ten Conference, Watkins' journey from a young park league player to a national sensation is a testament to her exceptional talent, unwavering dedication, and commitment to both athletic and academic excellence.
Early Life and High School Career
Watkins began honing her basketball skills at the tender age of seven, playing in a park league. Recognizing her immense potential, she sought guidance from former National Basketball Association (NBA) assistant coach Phil Handy and drew inspiration from the playing style of Arike Ogunbowale.
Her high school career began at Windward School in Los Angeles, where as a freshman, she averaged 21 points and nine rebounds per game. Watkins led her team to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title game and the regional final, immediately marking herself as a player to watch.
Entering her junior year, Watkins transferred to Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, a move that further amplified her career trajectory. She led her team to the Open Division state title and a 30-2 record as a junior. After averaging 25 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists, Watkins was named California Gatorade Player of the Year and Ms. Basketball. She earned player of the year honors from the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News.
As a senior, Watkins continued her dominant performance, averaging 27.3 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, leading Sierra Canyon to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title, a 31-1 record and the regional final. On senior night, she scored a career-high 60 points, the second-most points in a game in area history, in an 88-39 win over Notre Dame High School. Watkins was recognized as Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She repeated as player of the year from the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News, as well as California Gatorade Player of the Year and Ms.
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Watkins was considered a five-star recruit and the number one player in the 2023 class, according to ESPN. At the time of her selection, the 6-foot-2 junior guard had led the Trailblazers to a 27-2 record and the quarterfinals of the state Open Division tournament. Watkins averaged 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.0 blocks through 29 games. The Los Angeles Times Player of the Year as a freshman, she led the USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team to the FIBA Americas championship this past summer, earning tournament MVP honors. She’s ranked as the nation’s No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2023 by ESPN. Watkins has maintained a 3.67 GPA in the classroom. Watkins has volunteered locally on behalf of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee as well as a food bank, toy-donation drives and youth basketball camps.
Sierra Canyon Jersey Retirement
In a gym that has seen some of the biggest names in modern basketball history, JuJu Watkins has officially risen above them all. On Friday, Jan. 9, Sierra Canyon School immortalized Watkins by retiring her No. 12 jersey, marking the first time the prestigious program has ever bestowed the honor upon a student-athlete.
The ceremony took place at halftime during a high-stakes boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, a fitting backdrop for a player who often drew national television audiences during her own prep career.
Watkins, currently a superstar guard for the USC Trojans, sat on the Trailblazer bench one last time before being escorted to midcourt to witness her jersey being unveiled in the rafters. Her legacy at Sierra Canyon is the stuff of legend. During her junior year, she led the team to an Open Division state title and a 30-2 record. She followed that up with a senior campaign where she averaged 27.3 points and 13.8 rebounds per game, including a historic 60-point performance on her Senior Night.
“Watkins represents the pinnacle of female athletic and academic excellence at Sierra Canyon," the school said in a statement. Her trophy case from her time as a Trailblazer includes every major honor: McDonald’s All-American, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and Naismith Prep Player of the Year.
Read also: The Story of JuJu Watkins
The event drew a star-studded crowd, including Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, highlighting Watkins' status as a cultural icon beyond the court. Despite being sidelined recently while recovering from an injury, her impact on the game was palpable as fans delivered a sustained standing ovation. By retiring her number, Sierra Canyon has set a new standard. While the school has produced numerous NBA players-including Marvin Bagley III and Bronny James-it is Watkins who stands alone as the first to have her number permanently removed from rotation.
Collegiate Career at USC
Freshman Season (2023-2024)
On November 6, 2023, Watkins made her college debut and scored 32 points in an 83-74 upset win over AP No. 7 Ohio State. She set the USC record for points in a freshman debut, surpassing Lisa Leslie from 1990. On November 22, she posted her first double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds in a 71-70 win over Penn State. It was the first of three consecutive 30-point games by Watkins, which tied Cheryl Miller for the longest such streak in program history.
On January 14, 2024, Watkins recorded 32 points and 10 rebounds in a 73-65 win over AP No. 2 UCLA. On February 2, she scored a career-high 51 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 67-58 victory over AP No. 4 Stanford. Watkins broke the USC single-game scoring record held by Cherie Nelson since 1989. It was the first 50-point game by an NCAA Division I freshman since Elena Delle Donne of Delaware in 2010. On February 23, Watkins scored 42 points in an 87-81 win over AP No. 11 Colorado. She set the single-game scoring record for the Galen Center, her team's home arena, and had her 11th 30-point game, eclipsing Cheryl Miller for the most in a season by a USC player. In her next game, Watkins posted 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a 74-68 loss to AP No.
In the semifinals of the 2024 Pac-12 tournament, Watkins posted 33 points and 10 rebounds in an 80-70 double overtime win over UCLA. She set the tournament single-game scoring record by a freshman. Although Watkins was held to nine points on 2-of-15 shooting in the final, her team defeated Stanford, 67-58, to win its first Pac-12 tournament since 2014. She led USC to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA tournament, where she had 29 points and 10 rebounds in an 80-73 loss to UConn.
Last season, Watkins’ impressive season consisted of 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists pre game while leading USC to a Pac-12 tournament championship and Elite Eight finish. However, she wasn’t as nationally recognized because few of her games were broadcast on major networks before the postseason (except a game apiece on TRUTV and ESPN2), and not until the Pac-12 tournament title game.
Read also: JuJu Watkins: A basketball prodigy
Sophomore Season (2024-2025)
Entering her sophomore season, Watkins was named an AP preseason All-American and the Big Ten preseason player of the year. In her season debut on November 4, 2024, she posted 27 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a 68-66 win over AP No. 20 Ole Miss. On November 15, Watkins became the fastest USC player to reach 1,000 career points (38 games) and tied for the fourth-fewest games in Division I history to reach the mark, as part of a 22-point effort against Santa Clara.
On December 3, she scored a season-high 40 points and shot 9-of-11 from three-point range in a 94-52 victory over California Baptist, breaking the program single-game record in three-pointers. On December 21, Watkins led USC to a 72-70 win against AP No. 4 UConn, with 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists. On January 12, 2025, she posted 35 points on 13-of-15 shooting, 11 rebounds, and five steals in a 95-73 win over Penn State.
Watkins led USC to a 71-60 victory over undefeated, AP No. 1 UCLA on February 13, recording 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks, and five assists. She became the first Division I player in 20 seasons with at least 35 points, five blocks, and five assists in a game. On March 1, Watkins scored 30 points in a rematch with AP No. With a 30-point, five-assist, two-steal, three-block performance Saturday against crosstown rival UCLA, USC sophomore JuJu Watkins sealed her spot as our national Player of the Year. Her unanimous selection by The Athletic’s committee of voters follows her recognition as The Athletic’s national Freshman of the Year last season.
This season, Watkins averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game as the Trojans (27-2) won the Big Ten regular season title, making her the most impactful and one of the most well-rounded players in college hoops. This year, with USC’s move to the Big Ten, nine of the Trojans’ games have been broadcast on ESPN, NBC, FOX and FS1. That increased TV coverage, alongside the bi-coastal schedule, meant that scores more of basketball fans learned of Watkins’ skill, swagger and iconic bun (which, she said, was the reason she wasn’t sporting a “Big Ten champions” hat during the postgame media conference on Saturday).
Watkins displayed her leadership all season, helping a younger group acclimate to a new program and level. After an early loss to Notre Dame at home, when USC was ranked No. 3, Gottlieb said the Trojans looked inward and - led by Watkins’ ability to steady the team - got themselves back on track.
“I think what JuJu brings to the table is just a fierce competitiveness, a focus on winning and not on noise, and an ability to look inward and galvanize a group to do the same,” Gottlieb said. “The focus on winning and that sort of magnetic competitiveness is probably not seen or not talked about enough with her.”
Awards and Recognition (2024-2025)
She was named Women's National Player of the Year by the USBWA, along with being named the Naismith College Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. Watkins was also the winner of the 2025 John R. Wooden Award.
Injury
On March 24, 2025, it was reported that Watkins sustained a season-ending knee injury and would undergo surgery.
Absence from Upcoming Season
In July 2025, it was announced that Watkins would miss the entirety of the upcoming season as she continued to rehabilitate her ACL injury.
International Career
Watkins has also made her mark on the international stage, winning a gold medal with the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico.
Player Profile
“Her talent jumps off the screen for people who are watching on TV - the explosiveness, the body control, the complete game,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb told The Athletic. ABSOLUTELY LETHAL FROM JUJU. Watkins showed up as the best version of herself in USC’s biggest moments. In the season opener against Ole Miss, played in Paris, Watkins finished with an absurd stat line: 27 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, four assists and three steals. On the road against UConn - a rematch of USC’s season-ending Elite Eight loss last year - Watkins finished with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Then, in two games against cross-city rival UCLA, Watkins averaged 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists, 1.5 steals and 5.5 blocks.
The sophomore’s success came while largely orchestrating a team of entirely new players around her this season.
With the Trojans projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Watkins’ star is sure to grow brighter this postseason. Her on-court play, how she has helped resurrect USC into the national conversation and her penchant to make the biggest plays with the brightest lights on make The Athletic’s national player of the year must-see hoops this March … and, in all likelihood, if she has anything to say about it, in April.
Academics and Extracurricular Activities
Watkins has consistently demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence, maintaining a 3.72 GPA in the classroom during her high school years. Watkins has volunteered locally on behalf of Hands for Hope, Shoes for Souls and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee as well as toy-donation drives, a food bank and youth basketball camps. Watkins has volunteered locally on behalf of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee as well as a food bank, toy-donation drives and youth basketball camps.
Personal Life and Influences
Watkins is the daughter of Robert Neal-Watkins and Sari Watkins. She has three siblings: Mali, Dami, and Mar. She lists her family as a main source of motivation in her basketball career and life. Watkins also emphasizes the importance of community.
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Deals
Watkins' exceptional talent and marketability have led to numerous Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals with prominent brands. Klutch Sports Group signed Sierra Canyon star Juju Watkins as first female athlete client. Nike Signs Bronny James, D.J. Wagner, Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, JuJu Watkins To NIL Deals. Sources say USC’s JuJu Watkins and Nike reach lucrative extension. After NerdWallet Deal, USC Women's Basketball Star JuJu Watkins Plans For NIL Success. Gatorade Signs College Hoops Star JuJu Watkins to Multiyear Deal. State Farm signs JuJu Watkins and increases investment in women's sports. USC’s JuJu Watkins becomes investor in Unrivaled, says she will 'for sure' play in 3-on-3 league someday.
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