JuJu Watkins Has a “Chance to Be the Greatest Women’s Player Ever” Says Matt Barnes, Following Big 10 Player of the Year Honors

Matt Barnes had high praise for Juju Watkins after an excellent sophomore season. The 19-year-old phenom led the University of Southern California’s women’s basketball team to a Big 10 title in the school’s first year in a new conference.

Barnes lauded Watkins for winning Big 10 Player of the Year and likes her chances to win National Player of the Year, as well. “She’s special, very special,” Barnes said of the star guard. “I’mma jump out there right now, people may get mad, I think if she continues on this trajectory, she has a chance to be the greatest women’s player ever.”

The former NBA forward pointed out that Watkins also passed Caitlin Clark for the most points through two college seasons, another impressive feat. With at least two more years before the USC phenom will be eligible for the WNBA Draft, Watkins will have plenty of time to solidify herself as an NCAA legend.

The 14-year veteran is far from the only one who has credited Watkins for her elite play this season. She may not be receiving the same attention as the college stars of recent years, including Clark and Angel Reese, but people are paying attention to her notable accomplishments.

Stephen A. Smith has been one of Watkins’ most vocal supporters throughout her collegiate career. The longtime sports analyst once again took time to praise the Los Angeles native on a recent episode of First Take.

Stephen A. Smith believes Juju Watkins deserves more respect from the media

Stephen A. lauded Watkins’ performance this season, pointing to her top-3 scoring average and the Trojans’ dominant 26-2 record at the time. After averaging over 27 points per game as a freshman, Watkins has continued to pour it on, putting up 24.6 PPG this season while improving other aspects of her game.

Stephen A. believes the sophomore guard should be receiving the same amount of attention that Caitlin Clark was getting while she was blazing the nets for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Both women are quite possibly generational talents, so Smith certainly has a valid gripe considering Watkins’ surprising lack of coverage.

“When are we gonna start talking about [Watkins] the same way we talk about Caitlin Clark?” Smith questioned recently. With Juju’s gaudy numbers and impressive team record to match, the 57-year-old believes Watkins should be propped up as the face of women’s college basketball.

With two more seasons to solidify her superstardom before making the jump to the WNBA, there’s little doubt that Watkins will find herself talked about more in the coming months. By the end of her tenure at USC, Watkins could surpass Clark in several more key statistics.