JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans fell to the UCLA Bruins with a 72-67 final score in the Big Ten women’s basketball championship game on Sunday afternoon.
While the Trojans were unable to claim victory in this conference title game, Watkins furthered her reputation as one of college basketball’s brightest stars.
The sophomore guard finished the loss with a game-high 29 points, shooting 9-of-28 from the field and 2-of-8 from behind the 3-point arc. With these 29 points, she surpassed Caitlin Clark on the all-time list for most points scored through the first two seasons of a women’s college basketball career
Clark scored 1,662 points through her first two seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Watkins now has 1,684 career points. Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell still holds the all-time record with 1,762 points through her first two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Clark has been an excellent ambassador for women’s basketball, and a great player for younger stars like Watkins to look up to.
At last year’s Wooden Awards, Clark approached USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb about helping guide Watkins through the next few years of her college basketball career.
“I think Caitlin’s been amazing,” Gottlieb said during a recent appearance on the “Throwback” show. “We saw Caitlin at the Wooden Awards last year. JuJu is a finalist and Caitlin was winning it. And Caitlin made a point to say, ‘I had this sort of public attention for a year and a half, two years.’
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
“JuJu is going to have it for three, three and a half. And Caitlin said to me, ‘Here’s my number. Reach out. Let me know how I can help. How can I help her navigate?’ It was really cool because you think about it, who else understands what Juju may be experiencing other than someone like Caitlin?”
Watkins, 19, still has another full college basketball season before she can enter the WNBA ranks. Clark is heading into her second professional season after notching a historic WNBA Rookie of the Year season as the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in 2024.
Clark scored 1,662 points through her first two seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Watkins now has 1,684 career points. Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell still holds the all-time record with 1,762 points through her first two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Clark has been an excellent ambassador for women’s basketball, and a great player for younger stars like Watkins to look up to.
