JuJu Watkins says she has one goal she keeps in the back of her mind.
That goal is to break the all-time NCAA scoring record, currently held by Caitlin Clark. It’s a realistic goal for her, statistically.
“Naturally, I always keep the rhythm in mind,” Watkins told Pak Gazette Digital in an exclusive interview. “The goal is to continue producing at this level and do it in the most efficient way possible.”
Watkins played the 50th game of his college career Wednesday night in a 79-74 victory over Maryland, bringing his career point total to 1,318 in those first 50 games. Clark scored 1,328 points in the first 50 games of his college career. Watkins was leading Clark in career scoring after a 40-point game against California Baptist on December 3, but slowed down over the next eight games compared to the same stretch in Clark’s second season.
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Still, Watkins has the benefit of possibly playing more games in his career with an expanded Big 10, compared to the one Clark played, and potentially more postseason games.
However, even at that competitive pace, Watkins only “wishes” he could play like Clark, who is by far the best 3-point shooter.
“I’d like to play like her,” Watkins said.
JuJu Watkins, center, is defended by Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen during the second half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at the XL Center on December 21, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
Watkins also has multiple opportunities to do what Clark never could in college: win the national championship. That first opportunity could come as early as March of this year. Watkins has led his team to a 15-1 start and a top-four national ranking. They just have to get past the city’s big sister, as their number one rival, UCLA, is undefeated and has two matchups against Watkins left at the end of the season.
Clark’s direct interference may or may not influence whether Watkins ends up doing any of that. At some point this season, or in the future, Watkins has the option to ask Clark a question.
“I met her once,” Watkins says. “She offered me her number and said if I ever had any questions, she would answer them.”
Watkins added: “It’ll probably be a spontaneous thing” when she reaches out.
JuJu Watkins of the USC Trojans waits to enter the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena on January 5, 2025 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
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There are many things I could ask when that time comes. It may not even have anything to do with playing basketball. At just 19 years old, Watkins has already been anointed as a subcultural icon.
She has a devoted and visible following in her home community of Southern California and has taken the reins as the most popular player in the college game nationally following Clark’s departure for the pros.
On her first road trip to the East Coast as a Big Ten Conference player for USC’s inaugural season, Watkins made a stop in New Jersey to lead a 50-point victory against a Rutgers team reeling from dysfunction. of a team mysteriously sitting on the bench. star player. However, almost the entire crowd stayed throughout the game to watch Watkins.
On Thursday at Maryland, he scored 21 points before fouling out of the game, beating an undefeated top-10 team in front of a devoted crowd of many of his own fans, while a national audience watched on Fox Sports.
“The attention wasn’t always there, so just to see eyes on it and people respecting the sport more and young girls getting more involved in the sport, it’s a dream come true,” Watkins said, crediting Clark to attract attention.
Before playing in front of home crowds thousands of miles from home, Watkins’ dream had many more difficult moments along the way.
Controversial NBA star Draymond Green made Watkins vomit with overwhelming high school workout
Watkins remembers all the tough times. One particularly glaring moment came during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020. Watkins was just a sophomore in high school and admitted she was probably out of shape due to lifestyle restrictions during the pandemic.
“I was out of shape, I was very out of shape,” Watkins said.
Then Golden State Warriors player Draymond Greene came knocking with a coaching offer.
“I’ll never forget it,” Watkins said of the experience.
Watkins said Green’s training had her dribbling up and down the court and throwing the ball over and over until she vomited.
“I’m done,” Watkins said, adding that he didn’t even talk to him after practice. “Honestly, I don’t even think I could talk.”
Green discussed this training with Watkins during an episode of his podcast in February.
Draymond Green and JuJu Watkins at the 2024 ESPY Awards held at the Dolby Theater on July 11, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
“It’s not your typical NBA workout,” Green said.
“You go to film some points and you move on to the next one like we do and she came to our training and the first day you could tell that her ability was there and she liked all the things, but she was struggling a little bit to complete the training and and like You know I’m pushing her like ‘hey, come on, Ju, you got this, come on.'”
Green said he had seen other athletes refuse to return the day after their first session, but Watkins returned for more punishment.
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“I’ve had NBA players come to my practices, throw up and not come back, you know. I’ve had, I’ve seen all the different types, and she came back the next day, and I was like, ‘it.'” The young girl has a future in this game,” he said.
What happened next?
Sierra Canyon guard JuJu Watkins, top, and La Jolla Country Day guard Jada Williams fight for a loose ball during a high school basketball game between Sierra Canyon and La Jolla Country Day at The Chosen- 1’s Invitational at Galen Center on January 7, 2023. in Los Angeles. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Watkins had such a strong sophomore season amid a pandemic crisis that she won Sports Illustrated Kids’ Sports Girl of the Year for 2020. Her reputation really started to spread. She went on to win Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith Prep Player of the Year, and became the highest-rated college recruit in 2022.
She shocked the nation when she turned down an offer to play for Dawn Staley at South Carolina and stayed in Los Angeles to play at USC.
Then came what she calls the hardest experience of her life.
“Adjusting from high school to college and getting used to the rigorous schedule of it all was just a big adjustment for me. It was a big change,” he said. “It gave me a new perspective on life.”
Watkins didn’t go into too much detail about what that adjustment was like. However, the numbers say that he was able to adapt in time for the start of his first season. He put himself on track to potentially break Clark’s record right away with a historic first year and has stayed the course ever since.
Watkins is a descendant of a prominent labor rights leader; Generations later she wants to see players like her get more out of the game.
A period of growth for women’s basketball is also a time of diligence for players like Watkins. She is well aware of the importance of players maintaining their influence as they negotiate their dues, rights and privileges with the WNBA and NCAA.
“It is very important to defend our rights, especially in this field as women,” she said. “That’s where real change comes, being able to express our opinion and change things that don’t seem right to us.”
In 2024, WNBA players had access to charter flights for the first time. Now the players union, the WNBPA, is bringing the league back to the negotiating table. The union voted to opt out of its current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in October, and the league could face a work stoppage if a new agreement is not met by the end of the 2025 season.
Southern California guard JuJu Watkins signs autographs after an NCAA women’s basketball game against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
The next collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union will determine how many rights and benefits Watkins will get as a player when she enters the WNBA in 2027 or later. So he supports the union getting everything it can, especially after the wait for charter flights.
“Charter flights have been needed for a long time,” Watkins said. “It’s what these women deserve, they work so hard that the least they can get is to be hired for their games.”
Watkins’ passion for this is rooted in his family history. His great-grandfather, Ted Watkins, organized and founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) in 1965. He organized it just months before the infamous “Watts Rebellion,” also known as the “Watts Uprising” and the “Watts Riots.” “. In this incident, thousands of residents of the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles rioted over issues including employment discrimination and poverty.
After the riots, Ted organized young people to clean up blighted vacant lots, plant grass and flowers and turn them into pocket parks, according to the WLCAC website.
The Ted Watkins Committee rose to prominence as a community self-help agency helping thousands of residents obtain employment and essential services. He was involved in building a financial institution and hospital in Watts, as well as developing low-income housing and youth programs.
“My great-grandfather is a big part of our family and one of my role models for my city of Watts and for so many people,” JuJu said.
However, he also understands the importance of growing the sport as a whole to ensure it can provide as much as possible for those players.
The WNBA has not been profitable in a single season in its history.
Clark’s arrival in 2024 appears to be the league’s best chance to change that for the first time. Clark’s arrival, and the new wave of fans and media attention she has brought to the game, has also generated controversy and criticism from veterans and former WNBA players.
Watkins, now seeing the spoils of all the attention Clark brought to the college game, is ready to take it all.
“I don’t think anyone has changed the trajectory of the sport that much,” Watkins said of Clark.
As Watkins looks to break Clark’s scoring record, she hopes many of the new women’s basketball fans, even those who give her “headaches” and “sometimes don’t know what they’re talking about,” will come cheer her on. . But Watkins will also embrace these fans and call them out if they “hate” her.
“I love the fans and I love the haters too.”
