As a first-year college player, 2023 five-star recruit JuJu Watkins has led her USC program to a Sweet 16 berth and may make an even deeper run. Recently, the 18-year-old sat down with ‘Just Women’s Sports‘ to discuss her various basketball takes. During the interview, she picked her “perfect player” and gave intriguing answers to a ton of Q/A. She touched upon borrowing a mix of Kyrie Irving’s sleek handles, Curry’s, and Luka Doncic’s well-controlled pace.
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When asked about her ‘perfect player’ she said,
“Steph’s shooting, Kyrie ball-handling, and like Luka pace.”
Her game is indeed a reflection of these three players. She showcases tremendous handles, can hit long-range pull-ups on will, and also varies her speed well. When asked what rule she would “take away” or “add”? She replied that she wanted to take “charges” away while not adding anything. When asked if she’d rather have the game-winning block or shot, Watkins expressed that she’d rather like to nail a game-winning shot.
With the rate she is going, it won’t be a surprise if the guard ends up nabbing a bunch of game-winners. In just her freshman year, she has helped make the USC Trojans Women’s basketball program make superb inroads. Thanks to her incredible contributions, the program has been able to make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in the 21st Century.
In the Second Round against Kansas, the top-notch guard ended up with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in the 73-55 win. In the Elite 8 battle, she and the Trojans are set to take on the Baylor where they will fancy their chances. When she takes on the Bears, many elite hoopers will be keeping a tab on her.
JuJu Watkins has received her dues
LeBron James has given credit to the freshman hooper repeatedly on his IG stories. In February, Watkins poured in 51 points out of her team’s 67 points in the 11-point win against Cameron Brink’s Stanford.
Touching upon the performance, on his IG, LBJ called her “lil sis” and playfully asked her to “cut it out”. Apart from that, he urged them to keep “stepping on their necks” implying a perennial dominating mindset. The Lakers Forward loved what the USC guard did against the strong defense of the Cardinals. The Lakers superstar also showed up at one of USC’s games and in the post-game reaction, he showered a ton of praise on her.
He called the USC star the “next greatest thing” in women’s basketball. Apart from the overly hyped LBJ, James Harden predicted that Watkins may become “one of the best women’s basketball players” ever. An article by the LA Times’ Thuc Nhi Nguyen covered the incredible reception of the incredible hooper. Paul George has also praised the USC first-year athlete and urged “recognition” for the 18-year-old. Therefore, such praise from NBA top-flight stars symbolizes the talent of the all-around hooper.
