USC Makes Juju Watkins Announcement on Friday
The USC Trojans women's basketball team had a memorable 2024-25 season, finishing 31-4 overall and going 16-1 in their first year of Big Ten play under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
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USC reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual national champion UConn. The Trojans ended the year ranked fifth in the final Associated Press poll.
Despite the success, the season ended with a sense of what might have been. The team's top player, Juju Watkins, suffered a torn ACL in the second round of the tournament, cutting her sophomore campaign short. USC never got a shot at UConn at full strength. Watkins still finished as the fourth-leading scorer in the country.
Since the season ended, the Trojans have shared some uplifting news. On Friday, USC announced that Watkins was one of three players named to the university's Spring 2025 Dean's List:
"Congrats to Malia, JuJu & Laura on being named to the Spring 2025 Dean's List!"
Watkins was recognized along with teammates Malia Samuels and Laura Williams for their academic achievements. According to the university, the Dean's List honors undergraduates who earn a high GPA (usually 3.5 or above) while enrolled full-time with at least 12 credits.
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Watkins added to her list of accomplishments with a trophy-filled season. She won the 2025 John R. Wooden Award, the Dawn Staley Award, and was named both the Associated Press and Naismith College Player of the Year. She averaged 23.9 points per game over 33 contests.
South California Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) © Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images
Her freshman season was even more explosive. She led the nation with 27.1 points per game and pulled down 7.3 rebounds over 34 games. Watkins is represented by Klutch Sports Group and has a major NIL deal with Nike, along with several other endorsements, making her one of the highest-earning players in women's college basketball.
As USC looks ahead to next season, Watkins' recovery will be a major storyline. But her academic and athletic excellence continues to set the standard for the program.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
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