Los Angeles-De celebrities were out in the Galen Center when USC organized his unbeaten Crosstown-Rival UCLA in a top 10 Showdown. Vanessa and Natalia Bryant were present, just like Flea, Issa Rae, Kevin Hart and Los Angeles Sparks Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby. Not to mention actor Sanaa Lathan, Die Juju Watkin’s personal post game shouted for her iconic role as Trojans basketball star in “Love and Basketball.”
It doesn’t matter how many icons the sidelines were littered, it was Watkins that was the star. The best and smartest in Los Angeles came to see her on a show and delivered Watkins.
“It’s really a dream come true,” Watkins said about playing on this stage. “And if you show like that like it, you can’t disappoint.”
The second-year-olds ended the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks in the victory of USC 71-60. It was her second highest score total of the season (behind her 40 points against California Baptist) and her career-best blocks. Her previous High was five rejections. She became the first division I player to place 35 points, 5 blocks and 5 assists in a game in the past 20 seasons.
Cori comes close to Thursday’s matchup, stuck for her star Lauren Betts such as the Big Ten and National Player of the Year and said: “I really believe she has been the most consistent impactful player on both sides of the ball. ” It was appropriate that Watkins had her best performance of the season with her versatility on both ends, interrupting by helping Betts close.
Watkins influences every facet of the game in every area of the court. Early she helped USC to build an early lead with her sweater. Perhaps because Watkins had shot poorly from long distance-so-so-called in her last six games at 22.9 percent shooting-the Bruins chose to go under screens to guard against her drives. Every time a defender gave her the extra space, launched Watkins and made 6 of 7 3s in the first half.
By the time she had made her fifth triplication, she had 19 points, in which she defeated UCLA herself to place USC Up 14. After the Bruins had been folded back and had tied the game by a minute over in the second quarter, she isolated on Londynn Jones and raised for her sixth brand to hold the Trojans first during the break.
“We will talk about this about this with our coaching staff about years,” said USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the competition: “Juju’s just make heroic shot and efforts and intensity, especially after the million questions she gets if it is not perfect if It is not perfect if it is not perfect if it is not perfect outside. “
While the scope of the game changed, Watkins evolved in real time. UCLA threw four different defenders at her in a single coverage in the first half, and she found her way along each of them. Gabriela Jaquez could be moved with a screen, first -year student Kendall Dudley on the fake of Watkins, and Janiah Barker was not disciplined enough to keep track of the Watkins movement.
Watkins had a first difficulty with Londynn Jones despite almost a foot advantage in height, because Jones used her speed and fast hands to disturb the handle of Watkins. The Sophomore of USC had to keep the ball a little higher and faster to her shot. In the fourth quarter, Watkins finally discovered the reach of Jones and laid her defender to pollute her on a rip-through; Those free throws start a 9-0 run that decided the match.
Watkins has also discovered more ways to defensively influence the game. Early she flew to Jones to end at the 3-point line, knowing that Jones is a better shooter from outside the bow than in. However, those aggressive close-outs gave Jones the time to step into pull-up jumpers without stepping competition. Watkins was measured more in the second half, so that the urge to jump and get out of position, avoided, so that Jones could not dribble past her. With the jumper no longer available for her, Jones tried to drive to Watkins, but Watkins could easily contain those trips on the edge.
Gottlieb also called on Watkins to be more active in auxiliary defense in the second half, because Betts was too comfortable from insulated. She told Watkins that she had to be smart when she had to take the double, but Watkins had already picked Betts’s tendencies.
“Betts is just a deviation, so it was just important that (the Bigs) knew that the guards also had their backs, and we are all connected to each other,” Watkins said. “I was able to get hold of the photos of many Betts when it came to the point. In any way I can help defensively, I am there to do it. “
In addition to Betts, Watkins turned several times to get rejections on Kiki Rice, which supported Kennedy Smith, who with the attack of attacking an aggressive ball pressure on rice. All those blocks created transition possibilities in the other way, and Watkins was impossible to stop a steam head. In addition to her seven free throw attempts in the second half, Watkins also had three assists in the transition, which all resulted in layouts.
De Bruins came into play with a plan to have Watkins beaten from a distance. When she turned out to be able to do that, they tried to completely deny her the ball. That forced Watkins to create possessions with her defense, to force sales and get out in the transition. Whatever movement the Bruins made, Watkins had a counter. She delivered the last blow and led a 24-8 fourth quarter with her playing play on both ends of the floor.
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– USC Ladies Basketball (@uscwbb) February 14, 2025
“It has been a tough few weeks for me, but I just stay true to the process,” said Watkins. “There is a lesson in everything and I think that is to always stay happy in the course.”
In her second season, Watkins did not have the exclamation marks that defined her first, whether it is the debut match against Ohio State or 51 in MAPLES Pavilion to fall against Stanford. But she still produced the highest levels and has influenced winning in a way that could not do much else, building on her first team All-America campaign from a year ago.
Thursday was her headliner, a selection framework to emphasize her business for the national player of the year. No better time or place to show her skills than in a rivalry game against the number 1 team in the country.
(Photo of Juju Watkins: Ronald Martinez / Getty images)