"She was more like a mascot": USC's JuJu Watkins reflects on 'Big Oh's' role in Team JuJu as they went against Team Flau'jae last weekend

USC guard JuJu Watkins and LSU's Flau'jae Johnson faced each other as coaches in the "Next Up 5s" segment of the Overtime Select Takeover on Friday. Watkins' "Team JuJu" defeated Johnson's "Team Flau'jae" 80-64 at the Gatorade-sponsored Overtime Select event in Atlanta.

Overtime Select shared a clip on Monday of Watkins and 2027 recruit Jessie Moses discussing their coaching assistants.

"Ngl I think Big Oh and Toby were the secret to team Juju winning 👀 @jessiebuckets @gatorade," read the post's caption.

In the clip, Moses asked Watkins to rate her coaching style on a scale of 1 to 10.

"I'mma have to give you a solid 10, bro. Like, she had the subbing on point," Watkins said. "Outside of Kaleena, she was probably the other MVP."

Further, they talked about Oliviyah "Big Oh" Edwards' coaching skills. Edwards was the assistant coach for Team JuJu.

"I wouldn't necessarily say Big Oh was a part of our coaching staff. I would say she was more like ..."

As Watkins paused, Moses asked if she was "the manager."

"That's crazy, I was gonna say, like, mascot. Like, yeah, she brought the energy," Watkins said. "She brought the energy, and then she had her bear."

Moses ended the conversation on a light note with a humorous comment.

"I think her and her bear played the same amount of role in our win," she said.

The event showcased elite high school prospects, including five-star point guard Kaleena Smith, the top-ranked player in the 2027 class, Addison Bjorn and Kate Harpring. Watkins' team ultimately won the five-on-five series 3–1.

The event saw drama on and off the court. Team JuJu players were briefly trapped in an elevator before the game. On the sidelines, Johnson disputed calls with referees and exchanged heated words with Watkins throughout the series.

JuJu Watkins' docuseries renewed amid ACL recovery

"On the Rise: JuJu Watkins" has been renewed for a second season, following her standout year cut short by an ACL tear in the NCAA Tournament.

The Peacock series, produced by NBA legend LeBron James and super agent Rich Paul, shows Watkins' journey at USC and her rise to fame, credited to her performance in the 2023-24 season, in which she averaged 27.1 points per game as a freshman.

Last season, the star player led USC to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and won the Wooden Award.