Jay-Z gives JuJu Watkins shoutout on FaceTime call, accepts invitation to watch USC
USC superstar women’s basketball player JuJu Watkins exploded onto the scene in her first year with the Trojans, posting historic numbers. She stuffed the stat sheet with 27.1 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game this year for the Trojans. Watkins guided the Trojans to the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the UConn Huskies. And as you might imagine with her newfound fame, Watkins has gotten to meet many different celebrities.
She got to meet one of her lifelong heroes on Friday via FaceTime. She posted a video of her FaceTiming with one of the titans of the music industry, rap legend Jay-Z.
This season, Watkins set the NCAA Division I single-season freshman scoring record with 920 points scored this past season. That’s a record that Watkins reflected on setting following USC’s Elite Eight loss to UConn.
“It’s definitely an honor. I mean, of course, like I said, not really the terms I would like to end on, on my season,” JuJu Watkins said. “I mean, I’m just blessed. This program has offered me a lot. I’m so grateful for it. It’s just been a great season.”
“The record is great. Just the moments that I’ve got to spend with this team have meant everything to me. I’m just excited for next year, yeah.”
Prior to JuJu Watkins, Tina Hutchinson of San Diego State held the freshman scoring record with 898 points that she scored in the 1983-84 season.
Watkins’ best offensive game came in one of the most important that USC played all season, against Stanford on the road. That game came back in early February when she scored 51 points. It was, in many ways, that game, that established JuJu Watkins as a name to watch nationally.
She also stacked up numerous other accolades and honors, including setting the USC single-season scoring record. Watkins broke a record that stood for nearly 40 years, passing one of the greatest players in the history of her sport in the process.
Watkins racked up an extensive amount of hardware her freshman year including Pac-12 All Defensive Team honors and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors. She was named first team All-American by multiple different media outlets.
As a high school prospect, Watkins was one of the most decorated players in the country, earning Gatorade National Player of the Year honors and Naismith Prep Player of the Year honors in 2023. She played her final two seasons with Sierra Canyon School (Los Angeles, California).
On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.