JuJu Watkins is still three years away from hearing her name called at the top of the WNBA Draft.
In the meantime, the rising sophomore will continue turning heads nationwide at USC, further establishing herself as arguably the most talented player in women’s college basketball.
Asked for her NBA comparison earlier this week, Watkins sheepishly shrugged off her obvious on-court resemblance to Kobe Bryant, insisting the Los Angeles Lakers legend is “too great.” Instead, she name-dropped another dynamic star with multiple ties to Los Angeles. “I get Paul George sometimes a lot,” Watkins said, “and that’s just like the best compliment ever. So yeah, I’ll say Paul.”
George has been one of the NBA’s best players for more than a decade, with smooth three-level scoring prowess and disruptive, multi-positional defense making him the modern-day archetype for two-way wings. After spending the last five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer in free agency.
At 6’2” with rare athleticism and the on-ball scoring and playmaking exploits normally reserved for point guards, Watkins took the NCAA by storm during her freshman season with the Trojans. She earned First Team All-American and Pac-12 All-Defense honors, and also took home the Best Breakthrough Athlete Award at the ESPYs last week. Watkins averaged a whopping 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game last season. Expect her to be even more impactful going forward, following in the footsteps of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers as the next household name in women’s college basketball.
