The date was Nov. 6, 2023, and the USC Lady Trojans took the floor at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with then-freshman phenom JuJu Watkins set to make her collegiate debut.
But as the Trojans walked off with an 83-74 win over Ohio State, Watkins looked more like a seasoned veteran, pouring in 32 points on 11 of 18 shooting – 10 of 16 from 2-point range – to go along with six rebounds, five assists, one steal and a block.
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Watkins was far beyond the nation’s top incoming freshman. College-ready with a top-tier IQ, something coach Lindsey Gottlieb reminded everyone whenever the question arose, of how special Watkins was at the time.
Two years later, it’s her basketball IQ that’s coming full circle as she sits out her junior year after suffering a knee injury during the NCAA Tournament in March.
Not only has Watkins become an extension of Gottlieb by mentoring this year’s freshman phenom, Jazzy Davidson, but an invitation to the USA Basketball’s senior team’s first camp also has her learning from coach Kara Lawson and her three assistants, WNBA coaches Nate Tibbetts, Natalie Nakase and Stephanie White.
“It feels great to be here, I’m surrounded by a lot of great basketball, a lot of great players and great people,” Watkins said during Friday’s media availability. “It’s always been a dream of mine to be in this atmosphere. So to live out those dreams, even though it looks a little different, I’m still blessed to be here and happy.”
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Watkins, named the AP Player of the Year as a freshman, said that although it was only the first day of camp, she was excited to absorb everything she could by the time she returns to Los Angeles.
“I think there’s so much to learn,” said Watkins, a career 25.5 point per game scorer for USC. “I think just from an observing standpoint, just the attention to detail, the leadership, the communication, it’s unmatched, and definitely something that I can get better at and can continue to get to grow in.”
Lawson said even though Watkins is still rehabbing her knee, it was imperative to have someone of her caliber – someone who will be one of the faces of the national team – present for all activities.
“We wanted her here … I think you can see that there’s a great deal of talent there, and that’s somebody that is going to be in the conversation, obviously, in the future,” Lawson said. “We were really intentional about inviting her here and having her be a part of it. I think there’s great value in having her observe and be around the group, and then just the connectivity.
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“Juju is another one I hadn’t spent any time with, right? So, for me, from a familiarity standpoint, it was good to have a conversation with her today and talk about that. My plan is to have a conversation with her every day, because I don’t get to be with her on the court.”
Lawson didn’t share what the two talked about – “that’s between us,” she said – but did say it’s more about Watkins’ growth while being inspired and motivated by an atmosphere that includes the present and future of USA Basketball.
The camp features 2024 Olympic gold medalists Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, plus, Dearica Hamby, who won a 3×3 bronze medal at the Paris games. Also there are some of the youngest and brightest names in women’s basketball, including Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
“You get in this environment and, man, there’s a physical reaction to it,” Lawson said. “If you’re someone that loves the game, like she loves it, you want to be out there. But you’re inspired by seeing that level that some of these players are at, and you want to get to that, and you want to be out here.
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“So, yeah, I’m hoping that by being around some of the top players in the world, she’s getting, maybe through some osmosis, some really good lessons from these veterans, and getting a chance to talk with them and eat with them. See what they do for pre-practice. See what they do for post-practice. See what they do for recovery, all of those things you want a talented young player to kind of put into their arsenal.”
For Watkins, she’s more than ready to bolster her weaponry
“Hearing everybody’s voices, the communication, the leadership, I mean, it’s just something that you can see and automatically, it brings up your standard,” Watkins said. “So I’ll definitely be taking some of those lessons back to SC to kind of continue to grow as a leader and as a player.”
