Away from the game for over a year while recovering from a torn ACL, JuJu Watkins is back playing for USC like she never left.
Her first game was filled with emotion. After the win against UNLV, tears welled up in her eyes as she seemed overwhelmed by the work she put in and the joy of finally playing the game she loves.
Watkins finished with 21 points as
USC won in blowout fashion. Despite her return, some rust was present. Watkins went 0-for-5 from deep, and wasn’t her typical self as a rebounder or passer.
In her second game, against Utah State, she seemed like her old self. She wasn’t just the best player on the floor; she looked like the best player in the world. Watkins was a three-level scorer and elite facilitator, and no one dominated the glass more than her in this matchup.
Watkins had 32 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in another blowout win. It’s inexplicable how she’s found a groove just two games into the season.
Thanks to her play, she was named National Player of the Week by the AP.
Watkins spoke after the win about how her team has made her return a smooth transition, explaining:
I think just letting the game come to me is really important.
What I try to pride myself on is staying patient. When you have great players like Saniyah [Hall], Jazzy [Davidson] Ken, [Kennedy Smith] Sitaya, [Fagan] it’s really like easy to just kind of open the floor more, get everyone else involved, and then when it’s my time, I can do my thing, too.
Any questions or concerns about her form can now be put to rest.
With USC ranked No. 3 in the nation and featuring top players like Jazzy Davidson and Saniyah Hall, the sky isn’t the limit for the Trojans; reaching that height and touching the stars is the requirement.
The sooner USC can establish themselves as the team to beat, the better.
This urgency stems from the uncertainty regarding the future. Watkins can declare for the WNBA Draft after this season. Considering she’ll be the obvious No. 1 pick, like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers before her, she’ll likely turn pro, making this her last collegiate year.
So this is it. USC’s best chance to win a national title is NOW.
The goal is to emulate what the crosstown UCLA Bruins did last year, winning with their star Lauren Betts before she joined the WNBA.
That’s a season-long view, but USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb is keeping things in immediate perspective. After USC’s win over Utah State, she stressed just improving after each matchup, saying:
We got to hunt improvement every single game whether it’s a close one or not a close one. This is a lot of fun to keep working with this group. So on to the next one.
The next one was another easy win over Charleston, 105-44.
Watkins was required for just 22 minutes, scoring 20 points, dishing six assists, grabbing four rebounds and swiping four steals. Her 7-for-13 shooting was another encouraging sign that’s she shaken off all the rust and found her rhythm.
Next though, they take on No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 15 in Columbia. (The same day when Watkins will learn of her likely WNBA fate, as the 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery will take place later on Sunday afternoon.)
That’s as big a measuring-stick game as possible this early in the year. A win there won’t just signal that USC is on the right track; it’ll indicate they are the standard for college basketball excellence for the 2026-27 season.
