On Monday, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team took on the USC Trojans women’s basketball team in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies’ forward Aaliyah Edwards and guard Paige Bueckers threatened to take the game away from the Trojans early in the contest, but USC’s superstar freshman Juju Watkins kept her team in the contest.
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UConn’s defense had no answer to Watkins, who had her way to keep the Trojans’ dream of a maiden Final Four appearance alive. Her stunning performance drew praise from Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard, who conjured the winning formula for USC. He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter,
“Juju like Melo at Syracuse fr… you wana win give her the ball man.”
Lillard’s throwback reference is apt. Like Watkins, Carmelo Anthony had one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA history. The future Hall of Famer averaged 22.2 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in his only season with the Syracuse Orange, per NCAA. Anthony averaged 20.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the 2003 NCAA Tournament to lead the program to their maiden national championship.
Watkins was threatening to repeat Anthony’s heroics but she fell short. The Huskies outlasted the freshman’s onslaught and beat the Trojans 80-73 to advance to the Final Four round. Watkins finished the game with 29 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. Her incredible effort wasn’t enough to upstage the experienced Huskies team and replicate Anthony’s heroics, but her freshman campaign was one for the history books.
Juju Watkins’ sensational debut season
Juju Watkins has had an incredible freshman season with the Trojans. The 18-year-old superstar has averaged 27 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 33 games this season. The Los Angeles native’s addition to the Trojans roster has flipped the program’s fortunes.
Last season, the Trojans finished 21-10 and were sixth in the Pac-12 standings. Watkins’ addition saw them improve to 29-5, with a perfect 16-0 against non-conference opponents. Their five conference losses did not matter as they went on to win the Pac-12 title. Watkins was critical in their semifinal win over UCLA. She scored 33 points, grabbed ten rebounds, blocked two shots, and stole the ball twice to lead the Trojans to a victory. USC conference title win in 2024 was only the second in the program’s history.
Watkins was showered with accolades for her sensational campaign. She won the Pac-12 and USWBA’s Freshman of the Year award. She was named to the All-Pac 12 Team, Pac 12 All-Defensive Team, Pac 12 All-Freshman Team, USWBA, and AP’s First Team All-American. She had an incredible run in the NCAA Tournament debut, scoring 23 points in her debut against the Texas A&M Aggies, 28 against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second round, and 30 in the Sweet Sixteen round against the Baylor Lady Bears.
Watkins’ 29-point effort against the UConn Huskies in the Elite 8 round wasn’t enough to help the Trojans make it to the Final Four round, but the future is bright for the program with their incredible freshman leading the charge.
