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USC star JuJu Watkins shared a special moment with the late Kobe Bryant's youngest kids, Bianka and Capri, after the Trojans beat Texas A&M Corpus Christi 87-55 at Galen Center on Saturday.
Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, took to Instagram and posted an adorable picture of her young ones with Watkins, including a video of their meet.
Kobe and his second-eldest daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, along with seven others who were onboard.
Like their late father, Bianka and Capri have a soft corner for basketball and appear to be big fans of USC's Watkins. Vanessa also seemingly encourages her kids toward the sport.
In her postseason debut, Watkins recorded a joint game-high 23 points, five rebounds and four assists as the No. 1 seed USC (27-5) got past No. 16 seed Texas A&M-CC (23-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Watkins sits on 833 total points this season and ranks third in NCAA history for scoring by a freshman, trailing Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell (873 points) and San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson (898). She will have one eye on the record while aiming to help USC to the NCAA championship.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb heaped praise on Watkins following her stellar NCAA Tournament debut.
"JuJu handles the weight of everything with just a grace that you can’t really describe,” the coach said. “I thought she had a terrific debut here.”
Watkins has become a key player for USC, and she will be crucial for the Trojans if they want to make a deep run in the postseason.
Who will JuJu Watkins' USC Trojans face next in the NCAA Tournament?
JuJu Watkins' USC Trojans will face the No. 8-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (20-12) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will tip off at 10 p.m. ET on Monday.
The USC vs. Kansas game will be broadcast live on ESPN. Fans can also live stream the game on Fubo TV.
