USC Trojans Guard JuJu Watkins recently reached 1,000 career points. Watkins, 19, is a Los Angeles, California, native who attended the Windward School and the Sierra Canyon School, both located in Los Angeles, for high school, and USC, also located in L.A., for college. The 19-year-old is the youngest daughter of former college athletes, Robert Neal-Watkins and Sari Watkins, and the great-granddaughter of Ted Watkins, the founder of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, a non-profit to improve the quality of life for the residents of Watts, Calif., and neighboring communities.
Watkins’ recent accomplishment took the world by storm. The popularity of women’s basketball has skyrocketed this past year or two, thanks to the Caitlin Clark effect. Watkins’ reaching of the 1,000-point plateau occurred as No. 3 USC blew out Santa Clara 81-50 in the Galen Center to remain undefeated at 4-0. Watkins led the Trojans with 22 points while shooting 8-of-20 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line. Here’s what you need to know about her accomplishment.
JuJu Watkins’ Accomplishment
JuJu Watkins’ 1,000-point accomplishment was impressive, to put it mildly. ESPN recently posted on X, “1K FOR JUJU. It only took 38 games for JuJu Watkins to score her 1,000th career point, tied for the fourth-fewest games to reach that mark in D-I WBB history.” ESPN’s recent post was arguably an eye-opener, as some fans commented on the post that this was scary for other women’s basketball teams, as she’s not only good at scoring at different levels but also only a sophomore.
Watkins’ stat line in USC’s blowout win over Santa Clara included 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Watkins committed only two turnovers in the blowout home win. The 19-year-old achieved the 1,000-point milestone in the process — and just 38 games into her college basketball career. The 19-year-old’s third-quarter scoring helped her become the fastest player in USC women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points.
Watkins’ Accomplishments
Aside from USC history, JuJu Watkins also made national history. Watkins tied for the fourth-fastest woman to reach the 1,000-point mark in NCAA history. The Los Angeles, California, native shares her 38-game achievement with women’s basketball legend Elena Delle Donne. The 37-game record is held by LSU’s Maree Jackson, Oregon State’s Carol Menken, and New Orleans’ Sandra Hodge.
Previously, USC’s Cheryl Miller scored her first 1,000 career points in 48 games. Miller, 60, played for the USC Trojans women’s basketball team from 1982 to 1986 as a Small Forward. The now 60-year-old is a Riverside, California, native who attended Riverside Polytechnic High School. The now-60-year-old’s post-retirement life included a college coaching career from 1986 to 2019, along with sideline reporting and sportscasting stints for ABC Sports, TBS Sports, ESPN, TNT Sports, and NBA TV.
JuJu Watkins’ 1,000-point mark stood out, as Watkins can come charging at Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark, who became the only women’s basketball player to score 1,000 points in back-to-back NCAA seasons. Clark, 22, scored 1,055 points as a junior and 1,234 points as a senior at Iowa. Clark’s an incredible player, just like Watkins, so if the latter surpasses the former in college basketball, congratulations will be in order.
Watkins’ Career Highlights
JuJu Watkins’ college basketball career remains a work in progress, but so far so good. Watkins’ career can continue to thrust her into the local and national spotlight in the future. Watkins signed endorsement deals with Klutch Sports Group in high school and AT&T, Celsius, Dove, Nike, NerdWallet, Ritz, and Wells Fargo, in college. The USC star is one of the most popular stars in Southern California and beyond — and the 1,000 points add to her existing resume en route to the WNBA.
