Caitlin Clark took the sports world by storm during her tenure at Iowa from 2020 to 2024, winning National Player of the Year and leading the Hawkeyes to the National Championship game in both 2023 and 2024. Unfortunately, she fell short in both Finals before being selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
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But there was no denying her impact on women’s basketball and women’s sports at large. Clark’s Steph Curry-style scoring prowess was enjoyed by men and women both during her two NCAA Tournament runs.
This year, in 2025, USC’s Juju Watkins seems to be the next woman up. She is a two-time unanimous All-American and won Big 10 Player of the Year this past season. She’s been nearly as dominant as Clark was during her college career. However, she hasn’t received nearly the same attention for her accomplishments.
While the fact that she plays less like Curry may be working against her, former NFL MVP and current ESPN pundit Cam Newton identified the real reason: Angel Reese. Watkins does have another star, Paige Bueckers, to compete with, but it’s not a rivalry as exciting as the one between Reese and Clark.
“Rivalries equate to what? [Ratings.] The thing about Juju and the thing about Paige [Bueckers] is, it’s not saying this is bad, but they’re good girls. Caitlin Clark was a good girl. Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson, they embraced the bad girl. There’s nobody in women’s basketball in college sports that has embodied that bad girl,” said Newton with firm conviction in an episode of 4th & 1.
Why isn’t JuJu Watkins getting the same media love as Caitlin Clark?@CameronNewton thinks she’s actually the better player — but she’s missing one thing: a rivalry the media can obsess over pic.twitter.com/ELJJ9L5Orw
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) March 24, 2025
Both Clark and Reese, along with her LSU Tigers, were entertaining and intriguing on their own. But when that rivalry started heating up, it became a different kind of viewing experience for many. Watkins and Bueckers haven’t had that type of moment yet in 2025, and not to mention, Juju is still just a sophomore.
Newton went deeper, however, saying that Watkins is a “bigger baller” and a “better athlete” than Clark is. Perhaps he’s attempting to cook up another potential rivalry for when Watkins inevitably joins Clark and Reese in the WNBA.
“Juju is a bigger baller than Caitlin Clark. I said it. And it has nothing to do with the black and the white, but the statistics say what everybody needs to be knowing. Juju is a better athlete than Caitlin Clark. That’s not to say Caitlin Clark ain’t good, because she’s f*cking phenomenal.”
The argument that Watkins is a better athlete than Clark is reasonable. However, we’re not sure we can co-sign the “bigger baller” part, especially when Newton is referring to statistics to supposedly back that argument up. Clark led the nation in scoring in her freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons and in passing in her sophomore through senior seasons. Juju has not led Division I in any major category yet.
As a freshman, Clark put up 26.6 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.9 rebounds on a 47/41/86 shooting line. She pushed to 27.0, 8.0, and 8.0, with a 45/33/88 line as a sophomore. Watkins, meanwhile, averaged 27.1 points, 3.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds as a freshman with a 40/32/85 shooting line. She put up 24.6, 3.5, and 6.9 as a sophomore while improving her shooting to 43/33/82.
Juju Watkins still has two years to go at USC, so while we don’t think she’s a “bigger baller” than the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year and 2024 assists champion just yet, she is very likely to get there by the time she’s drafted into the WNBA.
