USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins receives high praise from Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James after 6-0 start
A new women’s college basketball star is emerging in USC Basketball’s Juju Watkins. The freshman is just six games into his collegiate career and is already catching the attention of the basketball world.
The latest person to shout out to Watkins is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. James retweeted a post praising Watkins on Instagram, adding: “I don’t want to just listen to the Freshman of the Year speech. Also the National Team Player of the Year. She is that person,” James said via his IG Stories said.
Although it’s still early in the 2023-2024 season, Watkins certainly qualifies to be in the National Player of the Year discussion. It won’t be easy for her to surpass Iowa star Caitlin Clark, the reigning national player winner and the only player averaging more points per game than Watkins this year, but Juju Can certainly provide a challenge.
Given that Watkins is off to such a historic start, it’s no wonder she’s getting so much attention. With Watkins’ help, the USC women’s basketball team rose to No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, their best ranking in 29 years. The five-star recruit is considered the nation’s top prospect graduating from high school in 2023, averaging 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
She has scored 30 points four times in just six games, breaking former USC basketball star Lisa Leslie’s school record for most 30-point games by a freshman. . Leslie’s record is three 30-point games, which Watkins has already completed after his fourth such performance. With more than 20 games left in the season, Watkins has a good chance to continue breaking school records.