“Forbes tryna get to it”: $100M worth Damian Lillard heaps praise on USC's JuJu Watkins amid thrilling performance against Paige Bueckers’ UConn

Damian Lillard might have inadvertently revealed his favorite player at the college basketball level. USC star JuJu Watkins, who has taken collegiate basketball by storm, was the subject of his praise as the Trojans battled the UConn Huskies in the final Elite Eight matchup of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

The match, taking place in the $ 100 million worth Lillard's old stomping grounds of Portland, saw Watkins officially hold the record for most points in a freshman season. Her incredible play was on full display in the first half.

But, it was McKenzie Forbes trying to force up shots, taking 12 compared to 8, a fact Dame Dolla was happy to point out.

"Forbes tryna get to it... Juju gone have to watch lol," Lillard wrote.

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The Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins show

Through two quarters, JuJu Watkins has been the lead scorer for USC, tallying 13 points on an efficient 4-of-8 shooting and going 3-3 on her free throws. Apart from McKenzie Forbes adding 10 points of her own, there hasn't been much in terms of scoring help from others.

On the other hand, Paige Bueckers has been sensational for UConn, as the National Player of the Year Finalist is already up to 15 points, keeping the Huskies in the game.

With USC not finding much in terms of scoring apart from JuJu Watkins, Damian Lillard had a unique comparison for the freshman - Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse, where he led the team to an NCAA Championship in his lone season with the team.

"Juju like Melo at Syracuse fr...you wanna win give her the ball man," he said.

At halftime, the two teams are tied at 33-apiece, similar to the earlier game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the LSU Tigers. The second half was a different story in that game, with Iowa seizing control. The winner of this matchup has a date with the Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark in the Final Four.

It turned into the Clark show as she scorched the LSU defense, led by Haley Van Lith to the tune of 41 points and 12 rebounds. On the other hand, a few Tigers found their offensive groove, but none could break through, losing 94-87.

Who do you think walks out the winner to face the Iowa Hawkeyes? Let us know in the comments below.