JuJu Watkins is a former ESPN five-star recruit from Los Angeles who plays as a shooting guard for the USC Trojans. Born on 15 July 2005, the 6-foot athlete played high school basketball for Windward School (Los Angeles, CA) and Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA). Her high school performances were nothing but spectacular.
In Watkins' freshman year at Winward (2019-20), she averaged 21 points and nine rebounds per game. It led her team to reach the CIF Southern Section Open Division title game and the regional final. Watkins was awarded the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year for her excellent sportsmanship.
In her sophomore year, Watkins averaged 27 points and two rebounds per game and Sports Illustrated Kids named her the Sportskid of the Year. In her junior year at Sierra Canyon, JuJu Watkins led her team to the Open Division state title, scoring a 30-2 record, averaging 25 points and 10.6 rebounds.
This accomplishment earned her multiple accolades and Watkins was named California Gatorade Player of the Year and Ms. Basketball 2022.
In Watkins' senior year, her impeccable performance at the CIF Southern Section Open led Sierra Canyon to a 31-1 record. Watkins averaged 27.3 points and 13.8 rebounds per game and scored a career-high 60 points against Notre Dame. This helped lead her team to an 88-39 win.
Watkins was awarded Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith Prep Player of the Year. Moreover, in her senior year, she ranked first in California as per MaxPreps.
JuJu Watkins was considered the number one player in the Class of 2023. She enrolled at USC, turning down offers from South Carolina and Stanford.
JuJu Watkins creates USC history, Scores 1000 career points
On 15th November, JuJu Watkins created history by hitting 1,000 career points in the game against Santa Clara. She is the first-ever Trojan to achieve this remarkable feat. On Friday, she entered the game on 984 career points and scored 22 points against the Santa Claras' Broncos, marking her entry at the "1000-point club."
With her multiple accomplishments, Watkins has an arsenal of NIL deals. In 2024, she signed 14 NIL deals with different brands, including extensions. These include NYX Cosmetics, Funko, Gatorade, Nike, House of Victory, Cactus Jack, Estee Lauder, Spotify, Dove, and many more.
Watkins even cracked a deal with Instagram. One of her recent locked deals is with Funko and as per On3, she has a NIL valuation of $576,000, good for No. 6 in the college women's basketball NIL rankings.
From playing basketball since the age of seven to winning multiple accolades since high school, JuJu Watkins has proved her mettle and her future will be something to keep an eye on.
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