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USC announces incredible news about JuJu Watkins

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 11:05 PM ET

The No. 4 USC Trojans have been firing on all cylinders, coming off a road victory against the Washington Huskies on Saturday to improve to 23-2 on the season.

They’ve now won four games in a row, including a victory over the No. 1 UCLA Bruins on Thursday, led by superstar sophomore Juju Watkins, who continues to be one of — if not the best — players in the entire country.

Against the Bruins, Watkins put on a dominant performance, scoring a game-high 38 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out five assists and recording an astonishing eight blocks. This season, she’s averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.9 blocks, while shooting 42.9% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc.

On Tuesday, Watkins was recognized for her impact on more than just the basketball court. USC announced that she has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious Sullivan Award, which honors athletic excellence, leadership, citizenship and sportsmanship.

JuJu Watkins has been named a semifinalist for the Sullivan Award! As well as honoring athletic excellence, the award also recognizes an athlete’s character, leadership, citizenship and sportsmanship ✌️

Trojan Fam, vote for JuJu today! ⤵️
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) February 18, 2025

Watkins has been a staple of college basketball over the last two seasons and has already surpassed 1,500 career points. With two years remaining before being eligible for the WNBA draft, she has the opportunity to cement her legacy as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time with the trajectory she’s currently on.

USC is gearing up for a home game on Wednesday against the No. 22 Michigan State Spartans as they enter the final stretch of the season, with just three games remaining in the regular season.

The Trojans are currently in strong contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but still have to travel for their final game of the season against UCLA, who is now ranked No. 3 in the nation following their loss to USC.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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