Why JuJu Watkins is the runaway player of the year this season
Yahoo Sports' Caroline Fenton, Jason Fitz, and basketball analyst Isis "Ice" Young explain why the USC star guard is the correct pick for player of the year in women's college basketball this year. Hear the full conversation on the 'College Basketball Power Hour' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Who would be your front runner at least right now for Women's Player of the Year and why?
Well, look, I think it's Juju.
I think I, I, I want to say Juju's done everything that you could ask, and part of this is the growth in Juju's game to see Juju go from as dominant as she was, but then to be Better in every statistical category this year.
She's been coined as a generational talent, and when you see her drop 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 blocks versus the number one team in the country and beat UCLA.
It's like, how can you not call her a generational talent?
How can you not respect what she's doing right now?
Her maturity and not always needing to take tough shots.
Yes, you can make them, and, and yes, they look great and they're on highlight reels, but we all know that down the stretch of games, the actual most important thing is getting a great shot.
Her assist numbers are better this year, which is important.
Because they've added other pieces that need to score and facilitate for her.
I think that's why Juju is so spectacular, because you can't necessarily say that about all the other pieces around her, and you know that she is a focal point.
If Juju doesn't have a good game, USC is not having a good game.
I would vote for Jui Watkins, and why I think Jui Watkins will eventually be the Wooden Award winner, the Women's Player of the Year.
Big time players make big time plays in big time games.
Hannah Hidalgo's team in Notre Dame was the number one team in the nation.
The first game they played, they lost to NC State.
Juju Watkins took on the #1 team in the country and had 38 points.
And 11 rebounds, 8 blocks, 5 assists, and shot 6 for 9 from 3 against the number one team in the country.
One of the biggest games of the entire season, UCLA at USC, Jui Watkins stole the So, that could be the difference, what you do in these big time games.
Yeah, I, I think back to what Geno Auriemma said about Paige Beckers a couple of weeks ago after they lost to Tennessee before that South Carolina win, and he said, you know, P Paige loves to have the ball in her hands until she's double teamed, until she's triple teamed.
Late game.
And then it's like, uh, what are we doing?
Juju doesn't have that.
Juju almost to a fault, is going to shoot the basketball to make the game winning play, even if she's quadruple teams, because she knows that that's the expectation that she has as a generational talent to make it happen.
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