USC Makes Juju Watkins Announcement on Friday
USC Makes Juju Watkins Announcement on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The USC Trojans women's basketball team had a memorable 2024-25 season, finishing 31-4 overall and going 16-1 in their first year of Big Ten play under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
Advertisement
USC reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual national champion UConn. The Trojans ended the year ranked fifth in the final Associated Press poll.
Despite the success, the season ended with a sense of what might have been. The team's top player, Juju Watkins, suffered a torn ACL in the second round of the tournament, cutting her sophomore campaign short. USC never got a shot at UConn at full strength. Watkins still finished as the fourth-leading scorer in the country.
Since the season ended, the Trojans have shared some uplifting news. On Friday, USC announced that Watkins was one of three players named to the university's Spring 2025 Dean's List:
"Congrats to Malia, JuJu & Laura on being named to the Spring 2025 Dean's List!"
Watkins was recognized along with teammates Malia Samuels and Laura Williams for their academic achievements. According to the university, the Dean's List honors undergraduates who earn a high GPA (usually 3.5 or above) while enrolled full-time with at least 12 credits.
Advertisement
Watkins added to her list of accomplishments with a trophy-filled season. She won the 2025 John R. Wooden Award, the Dawn Staley Award, and was named both the Associated Press and Naismith College Player of the Year. She averaged 23.9 points per game over 33 contests.
South California Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) © Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images
Her freshman season was even more explosive. She led the nation with 27.1 points per game and pulled down 7.3 rebounds over 34 games. Watkins is represented by Klutch Sports Group and has a major NIL deal with Nike, along with several other endorsements, making her one of the highest-earning players in women's college basketball.
As USC looks ahead to next season, Watkins' recovery will be a major storyline. But her academic and athletic excellence continues to set the standard for the program.
Advertisement
Related: Caitlin Clark Sends Clear Message to Lexie Hull in New Post on Wednesday
Related: WNBA Star Sends Clear Caitlin Clark Message After Fever Loss
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Miami Hurricanes Potential Playoff Berth in 2025 Hinges on Just one Player
Miami Hurricanes Potential Playoff Berth in 2025 Hinges on Just one Player originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Hurricanes defense, specifically their pass defense, failed not only coach Mario Cristobal, but they also failed the fans by missing a chance to win the ACC title and earn a berth in the expanded college football playoff in 2024. Advertisement But Cristobal addressed that issue in this offseason by raiding the transfer portal for talented players that can defend against the pass. According to Carter Bahns of the one player that is the x-factor for the Hurricanes to make the playoffs this season is, surprisingly, transfer cornerback Xavier Lucas. Lucas recorded just one INT to go with 18 tackles and two pass breakups at Wisconsin a season ago. Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) celebrates with cornerback Max Lofy (12) following an Hanisch-USA TODAY Sport With that said, the x-factor is not Lucas at all. That moniker should fall squarely on the shoulders (and the surgically repaired throwing elbow) of former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. Advertisement Beck passed for over 3,400-yards a season ago. He also threw 12 interceptions, eight of which were thrown over three consecutive games. Beck transferred after suffering the season-ending elbow injury. Then, Miami swooped in with millions and lured Beck to Florida. After an offseason of injury rehab and way-too-many distractions, Beck must step up and show what he can do at the most important position on the field during fall camp and during the season. Anything less than a conference championship and a playoff berth in 2025 will be a bust for the Hurricanes. Related: For Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes, Trouble Could Be Ahead in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top Steelers NFL draft prospect LaNorris Sellers passes up huge NIL deal
The top priority of the Pittsburgh Steelers scouting staff this college football season is to sort out what is already shaping up to be an elite quarterback class for the 2026 NFL draft. Thanks to the ridiculous nature of NIL money, the NFL now has another aspect of players to track and that's their loyalty to their team as opposed to making fast money in college football. One of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft is LaNorris Sellers out of South Carolina. News came out about Sellers this week and thanks to some intervention by his dad, Sellers chose to pass up $8 million over two years in NIL money to stay. According to Sellers' dad, there were multiple schools bidding for his services, but he showed maturity and loyalty by staying, which is a huge green flag for an NFL team. Advertisement From a football standpoint, Sellers is poised for a huge breakout season. His athleticism and mobility are already off the charts and as the season progressed, we saw his pocket presence and processing speed improve drastically down the stretch. Sellers and Clemson's Cade Klubnik are my top two options for the Steelers and this move by Sellers just helps his case. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers NFL draft prospect LaNorris Sellers passes up huge NIL deal
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Huge 2026 NFL mock draft update rebuilds Steelers offense
We are a month away from the start of NFL training camps and just after that, the college football season will kick off. So we thought now was the perfect time to update our five-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL draft. As things stand right now, we have five quarterbacks with a first-round grade and depending how the college season plays out, there should be a potential franchise quarterback on the board when the Steelers pick in the first round. This time around we utilized the mock draft simulator from Mock Draft Database that utilizes projected compensatory picks and very up to date prospect rankings. First round - QB Fernando Mendoza - Indiana The Steelers pick No. 15 overall in this mock and a run on quarterbacks leave them with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. He's not a household name yet but by the time the draft gets here, he should be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board. Second round - CB Jalon Kilgore - South Carolina Kilgore has prototypical NFL size and athleticism and showed a ton of growth last season in his coverage technique. Third round - TE Max Klare - Purdue We are rooting for Darnell Washington but if tight end becomes a bigger part of the offense, a pick like Klare as a receiving weapon makes a lot of sense. Third round - WR Nic Anderson - LSU Anderson is healthy and getting a fresh start at LSU. He is good at everything and has no real glaring weaknesses to his game. Third round - RB Jonah Coleman - Washington If Jaylen Warren leaves after the season, the Steelers will need to add a back to go with Kaleb Johnson. Coleman is a powerful, squatty back with impressive balance truly elite vision with sneaky athleticism. Fourth round - OT Drew Shelton - Penn State Massive powerfuly run blocker who just overwhelms defenders with his size and power. Fourth round - S Keon Sabb - Alabama Exceptional developmental safety who might end up going much sooner than this if he can develop more in coverage Fifth round - IOL - Febechi Nwaiwu - Oklahoma Nwaiwu transfered to Oklahoma last season and after he got up to speed, really looked good as the team's starting right tackle. We expect him to make another big jump in 2025 and he could be Isaac Seumalos' replacement. Fifth round - WR Germie Bernard - Alabama Alabama is Bernard's third FBS team in four seasons. He's not spectacular in any area but he's found a way to develop as a really reliable possession receiver if he can just have some stability in coaching and scheme. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft lands Steelers Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
