JuJu Watkins of the USC Trojans is the next face of women’s college basketball after former Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark made the jump to the WNBA.
Watkins is coming off a historic freshman year. She became the all-time leading scorer among freshmen in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history after scoring 920 points to surpass the 20-year record held by San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson (898 points).
She recently signed a massive extension deal with Nike, ESPN reported on Tuesday, in negotiations led by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and Watkins’ team, including agent Jade-Li English, head of marketing Eric Eways and vice president of basketball marketing Brittany McCallum.
Watkin’s fellow Klutch Sports client and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James gave her a big shoutout on Instagram.
“Gotta keep you right, Ju,” James posted on his Instagram story with a photo of Watkins doing rope exercise.
During the Big Ten media day on October 3, Watkins dismissed the pressure of carrying the torch of women’s college basketball from Clark.
“I wouldn’t really say pressure,” Watkins said, per Associated Press. “So many great teams in this league, and I think my main focus is just winning with my team. And wherever that takes us, we’re grateful. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”
Watkins hopes to lead the Trojans deeper than their Elite Eight run last year.
