Women’s basketball has enjoyed a surge in popularity, in large part, due to Caitlin Clarke. The Indiana Fever star had an incredible rookie season, and before that, she was the biggest attraction in college basketball on either the men’s or women’s side. The women’s college game has continued to thrive in her absence. USC’s JuJu Watkins has inherited Clark’s mantle as the college game’s most exciting player.
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Watkins and her Trojans took down UConn and fellow Player of the Year candidate Paige Bueckers on Saturday. They got revenge on the Huskies for knocking them out in the Elite Eight last year. Watkins shined on both ends of the court in the 72-70 victory, and it’s just one reason why Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s First Take were so effusive in their praise of her on Tuesday’s show.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a women’s basketball player as polished as JuJu Watkins,” Sharpe said before listing off just some of the many skills she brings to the court. “The way she can put the ball on the floor, get to the rim, Eurostep, one leg, three-point shot, mid-range shot. And she can play outstanding defense. She can sit in the chair, she can block shots, she can slide.”
Smith agreed, saying, “We should be talking about her the way we talked about Caitlin Clark last year. JuJu’s special, I’m telling you right now. She is the package.”
Watkins had one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA women’s history. She averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.9 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game. Juju’s become even more efficient this year, with even better shooting numbers through 12 games from three-point range and overall. Plus, her defensive stats have improved.
Watkins’ play has the Trojans positioned as one of the favorites to make the Final Four. This is happening for the first time since Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper led USC to the national title game in 1986. Furthermore, they are a legitimate threat to win for the first time since winning back-to-back in 1983 and ’84.
Stephen A. Smith has been singing JuJu Watkins’ praises for a long time
Eight months ago on First Take, Smith chose the freshman Watkins even over Clark as the player he expected to shine the brightest in the Elite Eight. Her team did fall just short to the Huskies by a score of 80-73. But Watkins acquitted herself well on the big stage, scoring a game-high 29 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
The Trojans’ win over the Huskies on Saturday was their 11th in 12 games this season, a clear indication that they’ve improved from a year ago. Watkins’ continued evolution as a player has been a joy to watch. Sharpe and Smith are right: she needs to be talked about more.
With USC’s rival UCLA currently undefeated and ranked first in the country, defending champ South Carolina sitting with only one loss, and a host of other outstanding teams, including Notre Dame, who before Saturday had managed to give the UConn and USC their only loss of the season, this season of women’s basketball has all the makings of being just as exciting as last year. The popularity of the women’s game will only continue to increase, and Watkins, with her obvious star power and all-around game, will be a big reason why.
