The bun is back, fam, and so is the smile and that butter-smooth jumper. JuJu Watkins, the star guard who tore up the league for 25.6 points per game in her first two seasons, is officially back on the court for Southern California after missing last season rehabbing an ACL tear. With Watkins leading the charge, the third-ranked Trojans are laser-focused on bringing home their first national championship since 1984.
The Comeback Kid And Her Stacked Squad
It’s been a long road back for Watkins, who got sidelined with that ACL injury in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. But you know she’s got that championship on her mind every single day. “So much anticipation has gone into this year. I want it really badly, but also in a healthy way. I just want to have fun and really enjoy this year,” Watkins said. She’s even dreaming about her first bucket back, confessing, “I’ve had dreams about that every night. I might shed a tear, honestly, I can’t lie. That’ll be a really amazing feeling for me.” Well, if her exhibition win over California was any preview, those tears might be of pure joy. Watkins put up 18 points in just 22 minutes. That’s efficiency, baby.
She’s not alone either. USC is absolutely loaded, and Watkins is now rocking the backcourt alongside Jazzy Davidson, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year who averaged 17.9 points last season. These two already built some serious chemistry while Watkins was sidelined, with JuJu even encouraging Davidson from the sidelines during games. Davidson felt that connection, saying, “She saw me being hard on myself and I think she saw a little bit of her in me, and so she kind of knew what it was like going through that. Being able to build the friendship that we were able to build, it’s a huge blessing.” Davidson was a beast last season, leading the Trojans in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game as they went 18-14 overall, 9-9 in the Big Ten, and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Now imagine what they can do together.
More Talent, More Leadership, More Expectations
And it doesn’t stop there. The Trojans’ roster is absolutely stacked with talent. You’ve got guard Saniyah Hall, who dropped 23 points, six rebounds, and five steals in that exhibition game. Then there’s forward Sara Okeke, one of three five-star recruits who joined the squad. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb is clearly hyped, saying these new players “have proven that they’re going to be really impactful players at a high level.”
The expectations on Watkins are through the roof, as they always are. She was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, and she’s embracing it. “I’m just trying to be myself and peak at the right time,” she explained. “I’m definitely a smarter player coming back. I know more about the different reads and was able to study a lot and assert myself in different situations when I wasn’t playing.” Missing time on the court actually molded her into a stronger leader too. She’d set up chairs for team talks on the road, taking on a role she admitted she hadn’t fully owned before. “Being able to do that and also see the game from a different perspective and seeing how can I help my team really helped grow my IQ and leadership skills,” Watkins added. That’s the kind of growth you love to see in a star.
Get ready, because the Trojans kick off their season Monday in Las Vegas against UNLV in the Hall of Fame Series. It’s not an easy start, either. Their early schedule includes a visit to top-ranked South Carolina on November 15, and then facing #13 Notre Dame and #4 Duke in the Players Era Showcase in Las Vegas in mid-December. Associate head coach Beth Burns put it perfectly: “We’re going to get hit in the mouth. The good thing is when you get hit in the mouth you either cower or you bite back, and we got a lot.” This team is ready to bite back, and it’s going to be an absolutely wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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