JuJu Watkins passes Cheryl Miller for single-season USC scoring record
USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins has already established herself as one of the greatest players to ever suit up at the school. On Saturday in the Trojans’ first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament vs. Texas A&M Corpus-Christi, Watkins added yet another impressive accolade to her profile. In the first half, she shattered USC’s single-season scoring record. The previous record holder was Cheryl Miller, the sister of former NBA star Reggie Miller. The Hall of Famer set the record back in 1986, so it stood for nearly forty years.
Here’s the clip of the layup she made to break the record. Cheryl Miller was in attendance to watch Watkins break her record.
Watkins finished with 15 points in the first half, draining 5 of 11 of her shots from the field. The Trojans had no problems with Texas A&M CC on Saturday, coasting to a 87-55 blowout victory. Next up, USC will face the 8th-seeded Kansas Jayhawks. The time for that game has not been announced yet. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Watkins finished the game with 23 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. The Trojans also got 23 points, four assists, and two rebounds from McKenzie Forbes.
With 833 total points, Watkins now ranks third in NCAA history for scoring by a freshman, trailing Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell (873 points) and San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson (898 points).
Cheryl Miller was courtside with the ESPN announcers and chatted with them for a few minutes about Watkins and the USC basketball program. “She’s just special. And you’ve seen it. The poise….She’s courageous to stick around and come to SC of all places,” Miller said.
Joining Cheryl Miller is special company. Her No. 31 jersey is retired by USC. She’s not only one of the greatest players in USC women’s basketball history, but women’s basketball in general. Miller was not only a two-time national champion during her time with the Trojans, but she won Naismith Player of the Year honors three times (1984-1986). She’s got one of the most impressive resumes from any woman ever to play the sport.
Watkins has already accomplished remarkable things this season, including erupting for 51 points against Stanford on February 2nd. She scored 51 of the Trojans’ 67 total points that night, setting the USC single-game scoring record in the process.