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JuJu Watkins sends defender flying with highlight reel ankle-breaker, hits 3-pointer

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs01/27/24grant_grubbs_
JuJu Watkins
Photo via @SportsCenter | X

It isn’t easy to stay in front of USC guard JuJu Watkins. On Friday evening, Washington State’s Jenna Villa learned this lesson the hard way.

With less than five minutes left in the game, Washington State put the pressure on Watkins on the left wing. Watkins shook the pressure off and the Villa’s ankles followed suit. With her foe nearly five feet away, struggling to get back to her feet, Watkins drained a 3-pointer with ice-cold composure.

If the game wasn’t over already, that ended it. USC walked away with a 70-62 win over the Cougars, halting a two-game losing streak. Watkins led all scorers, tallying 29 points and seven rebounds while shooting 10-27 from the field.

Watkins will look to keep her positive momentum going as the Trojans square off against Washington on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

Another day for JuJu Watkins

A 29-point performance is a drop in the bucket for JuJu Watkins. The 6-foot-2 freshman averages 26.1 points per game, the second-most in the country behind Iowa standout Caitlin Clark. During a special edition of College GameDay earlier this week, Carolyn Peck raved about the USC talent.

“JuJu Watkins, No. 2 in the country. She averages 26.1 points per game, seven rebounds a game. It’s a big reason why USC is on the map and in the conversation right now,” Peck said. “This young freshman has a pro body, she has the confidence, the mentality. She’s a winner.”

Boosted forward by Watkins, USC is now 14-3 and 4-3 in conference play, placing fifth in the Pac-12. While Watkins has now amassed six 30-point games to set a new record for such performances by a USC true freshman, she can do more than score.

Watkins also leads USC in assists (3.4 per game) and steals (2.6 per game) and is second on the team in rebounding (7.0 per game) and blocks (1.7 per game). She was recently picked as the AP National Player of the Week and is a two-time USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week.

After USC defeated No. 2 UCLA nearly two weeks ago, Watkins explained how she feeds off her team’s energy.

“As a team we just were just so eager on defense,” Watkins said. “I fed off my teammates’ energy. You just want to be a part of that. On the defensive end, we played a great game. The whole team did it.”