USC Star Guard JuJu Watkins showed out with a tremendous game in No. 6 USC’s upset win, 71-60, over its crosstown rival, No. 1 UCLA, at the Galen Center southwest of downtown Los Angeles on Thursday evening. Watkins, 19, led USC in scoring with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in 39 minutes of play. Kiki Iriafen, a 22-year-old forward, followed up with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in 36 minutes.
Watkins, a sophomore point guard and shooting guard is among the biggest names in USC and NCAA women’s basketball. Watkins’ latest achievement thrust her back into the national spotlight, as she made NBA, WNBA, and Division I men’s and women’s history as the only player to achieve such a feat. Read on for further details regarding her achievement.
JuJu Watkins’ Tremendous Game
JuJu Watkins’ tremendous game on Thursday night helped pull off the upset against No. 1 UCLA. Watkins’ game also helped her make general basketball history, a first for a women’s basketball player in her second year of college — and a men’s basketball player, for that matter.
OptaSTATS posted on X, formerly Twitter, “JuJu Watkins of @USCWBB is the only NBA, WNBA or Division I men’s or women’s player this century to have a game with: 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists, 5+ blocks, [and] 5+ threes made. She did it against the No. 1 team in the country.” OptaSTATS’ post attracted lots of attention with one user writing, “She’s better than Caitlin Clark.” and another writing, “She is a STAR! Fight on!”
Watkins’ Stats
JuJu Watkins is an up-and-coming guard, and her stats prove her success on the court. Watkins has been averaging 24.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, while shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.2% from downtown in the 2024-25 NCAA season. During Watkins’ freshman season in 2023-24, she averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 40.1% from the field and 31.9% from downtown.
In 40 minutes on Thursday night, Watkins rested exactly 43.6 seconds in the first half and showcased every facet of her game for one of her best games of the season. She totaled 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and a game-changing eight block shots. She’s now the first Division I player with at least 35 points, five blocks, and five assists in a game in the past 20 seasons.
USC’s Next Steps
After Thursday night’s 71-60 win, No. 6 USC moved into first place in the Big Ten. USC Senior Center Clarice Akunwafo told ESPN, “Honestly … JuJu is amazing.” No. 1 UCLA dropped to 23-1. These crosstown rivals play again on Saturday, March 1.
In the meantime, No. 6 USC will take on the unranked Washington Huskies in the Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle on Sunday, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific. It’s unclear if JuJu Watkins will have another tremendous game, but won’t be a surprise if she follows up. After all, Watkins is widely known for her prolific scoring as she glides through defenses with relative ease making her look like she’s playing in slow motion and scoring at will.
