Juju Watkins vs Paige Bueckers: NIL Deals, H2H comparison, stats and more ahead of 2024 Elite Eight showdown

Two of the best guards in women's basketball will collide in an Elite Eight clash on Monday night. USC's Juju Watkins and UConn's Paige Bueckers will leave no stone unturned in leaving it all on the court for their respective teams.

Watkins is the top player for the Lady Trojans, having led her team to a 29-5 record this season. On the other hand, Bueckers has been a steady presence for the Huskies (32-5), who were ravaged by injuries during the tournament.

Let's have an in-depth look at both players ahead of their Elite Eight showdown on Monday, 9:15 pm ET, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

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Juju Watkins vs Paige Bueckers NIL Deals

Bueckers has deals with Topps, UConn NIL Store, Dunkin', Bleeding Blue For Good, Leaf Trading Cards, GoArmy, Nike, Ibotta, Chegg, The Players Trunk, Nerf, Bose, Crocs, Gatorade and StockX, as per On3.com.

Watkins and Bueckers rank inside the Top 12 in terms of NCAA Women's Basketball NIL Deals. Per On3.com, Bueckers is fifth on the list while Watkins slots in at No. 11.

On the other hand, Watkins has signed with Instagram, Estee Lauder, Spotify, NerdWallet, At&T, Morgan & Morgan, RITZ Crackers, Poppi, Dove, Celsius, Taco Bell, Wells Fargo, House of Victory, Cash App, Lids and Nike.

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Juju Watkins vs Paige Bueckers head-to-head comparison

Juju Watkins had offers from Stanford and South Carolina but she chose USC over them.

In terms of physical stature, Watkins is the taller player, standing at 6-foot-2 while Bueckers stands at six feet. The UConn point guard is older at 22 years while the USC point guard is 18.

Watkins graduated from Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles while Bueckers studied at Hopkins High School in Hopkins, Minnesota. Both players were excellent in their high school years and were monitored closely by the media.

Watkins was considered a five-star recruit and had offers from South Carolina and Stanford but she picked USC to be closer to her hometown. On the other hand, Bueckers also had offers from various colleges, but she picked UConn due to its championship pedigree.

Stats-wise, Watkins averages 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game this season. On the other hand, Bueckers has carried the Huskies with 21.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.2 spg and 1.4 bpg.

JUJU WATKINS		PAIGE BUECKERS
18	AGE	22
6' 2"	HEIGHT	6' 0"
27.0	POINTS (2023-24)	21.9
7.2	REBOUNDS	5.1
3.3	ASSISTS	3.8
2.3	STEALS	2.2
1.6	BLOCKS	1.4
40.2	FG%	53.6
84.7	FT%	83.1
31.9	3-PT%	41.5
4.1	TO	1.5

Bueckers and Watkins would likely guard each other in the match and the UConn guard had some positive words to say about her rival:

“She’s a great player. Tremendous scorer, a freshman at that. So she’s an awesome player," Bueckers said of Watkins.

The UConn guard expects an epic showdown between the two teams, with the media adding more spice to the matchup.

"I never believed in the one on one matchups, obviously the media’s got to hype it up But UConn vs. USC, it’ll be a great game, a great battle. So great team. So we’ll be preparing for that," she added.

Fans and pundits have had a field day analyzing the chances each of them has to usurp the other during the game, and at this point, it is all about who wants it the most.