JuJu Watkins, Cooper Flagg, Paige Bueckers Star In Gatorade's NCAA Tournament Commercial

Before the NCAA Tournament, Gatorade released a new commercial that will run throughout March Madness. Gatorade's latest ad is part of a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with USC Trojans women's basketball star JuJu Watkins, UConn Huskies' Paige Bueckers, and Duke Blue Devils' Cooper Flagg.

Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

With the NCAA Tournaments for men's and women's college basketball about to tip off, Gatorade has released a new commercial that features USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins, UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers, and Duke Blue Devils freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.

Watkins, Bueckers, and Flagg took turns narrating the commercial, talking about life in the spotlight as college athletes.

"I could talk about what I gave to be here. My work. My sweat. My talent. But what about everything I took? I took their stomping, their yelling, their noise, takes, time, comments. Their love. I took everything from them. And now when I'm out there, all I hear is ball," they read.

Give everything to the game and take what’s yours ⚡️@jujubballin, @Cooper_Flagg & @paigebueckers1 are ready to leave their mark this month. pic.twitter.com/Et896NIDDA

— Gatorade (@Gatorade) March 17, 2025

All three athletes have name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with Gatorade, and this new ad is expected to run throughout March Madness. Watkins and the USC earned the fourth No. 1 seed in the women's bracket, and the No. 2 seed in their region is none other than Bueckers and UConn.

As a result, the Trojans and the Huskies appear to be on a collision course for the Elite Eight as only one team can advance to the Final Four. Will both teams make it there and set up a rematch? Earlier in the season, USC beat UConn 72-70. In a nationally televised game on Dec. 21, both Watkins and Bueckers shined, scoring 25 and 22 points, respectively. Watkins also showed off her defensive abilities, picking up three blocks in the win.

Should Watkins and Bueckers survive the first few rounds of March Madness, they could stand in each other's way of a potential National Championship. Once the bracket was revealed, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb revealed some of her frustrations about the Trojans overall seeding. USC was ranked behind UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas.

MORE: No. 1 USC Trojans vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro: NCAA Tournament Betting Odds

MORE: USC Trojans, LSU Tigers Emerge as Favorites for California 5-Star Recruit Havon Finney Jr.

MORE: What Bronny James Said About Dalton Knecht After Los Angeles Lakers Loss To Denver Nuggets

"For me, I never thought I'd be a one-seed and feel disrespected, but I feel the committee, I just thought there would be very little chance we would be the number four overall number one. And so you know we've got a big game here on Saturday against UNCG and we'll handle it accordingly," said Gottleib. "I can't think for the players, I think they're excited to play, but this was not on my bingo card to be a little bit, you know, frustrated after being a one-seed."

Mar 8, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb communicate with her player as they play against UCLA Bruins during the first quarter for the Big Ten Conference Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. / Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

Gottlieb didn't elaborate much further besides questioning the selection committee. The UCLA Bruins received the No. 1 overall seed despite USC beating the Bruins twice during the regular season. However, UCLA got the last laugh, beating the Trojans in the Big Ten Championship Game and ultimately earning the No. 1 seed.

In the men's tournament, Duke is a No. 1 seed led by Flagg and coach Jon Sheyer. The Blue Devils have a number of talented scorers, including small forward Kon Knueppel, guard Tyrese Proctor, and center Khaman Maluach. However, Flagg has certainly been the most marketable of the group, even during his high school days.

feed