USC Trojans Star JuJu Watkins’ NIL Brand Deals Rank Among Top in Women’s Basketball

USC Trojans women's basketball guard JuJu Watkins has had a quick rise to stardom. Watkins is ranked in the top ten women's basketball Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Valuations. She joins star players like UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers and LSU Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson.

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) takes to the court on Jan. 22, 2025, ahead a game against the Purdue Boilermakers. / Alex Martin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC Trojans women’s basketball guard JuJu Watkins had a quick rise to stardom as a freshman. Watkins has signed numerous NIL deals in the past two seasons and is among the top women’s basketball players in NIL valuations.

Watkins ranks No. 6 in NIL valuations at $576K, per On3. On3’s NIL Valuation determines the projected annual value of athletes by combining Roster Value and NIL Value. 

Above Watkins is No. 5 TCU guard Hailey Van Lith, No. 4 Miami guard Hanna Cavinder, No. 3 Miami guard Haley Cavinder, No. 2 UConn guard Paige Bueckers, and No.1 LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson. Though Watkins is not in the top five, she is the youngest as a sophomore compared to the players above her. Aside from Johnson as a junior, the other four are seniors.

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) takes to the court on Jan. 22, 2025, ahead a game against the Purdue Boilermakers. / Alex Martin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The two players to reach an NIL valuation of at least one million are Bueckers and Johnson. Watkins is the only USC Trojans women’s basketball player to be ranked in the top 100 in NIL Valuations.

When Watkins was in high school, she signed with Klutch Sports for NIL representation, a sports agency that represents players such as Lakers LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Watkins’ first reported NIL deal was on Oct. 10, 2022, with Nike. Nike signed five basketball players to NIL deals, including Bronny James, Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, and DJ Wagner. Watkins was just a senior in high school when the deal was signed. 

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Since 2022, Watkins’ NIL deals have only grown. On Oct. 24, Watkins and Nike agreed to a multi-year historic extension. She has also signed deals with State Farm, Funko, Gatorade, NYX Professional Makeup, and many more.

Watkins' deal with NYX Professional Makeup made her the first college basketball player to sign with a beauty line. 

“I am thrilled to partner with NYX Professional Makeup to help further amplify their mission to inspire beauty enthusiasts around the world and embrace their own personal style. NYX is all about breaking boundaries and celebrating individuality, which resonates deeply with me both as an athlete and as a person,” Watkins said on her Instagram. “I’m looking forward to working with a brand that embraces creativity and encourages everyone to feel confident in their own skin.”

In addition to NIL deals, Watkins joins Johnson and Bueckers as the three college players to be linked to the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, Unrivaled. Johnson and Bueckers both signed deals while Watkins invested in the league.

Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Watkins has 1.2 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. The majority of her followers are on Instagram at 967K. Watkins came to USC as a five-star recruit and has lived up to her expectations.

As a freshman, Watkins ended the season as the second-leading scorer, only behind Clark. She helped lead the Women of Troy to the Elite Eight and is hoping to go further in the 2024-2025 season. This season, the Trojans are 19-2 and Watkins leads the team averaging 24.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals.

USC senior forward Kiki Iriafen as discussed how playing with Watkins has made her a better player.

“I think one, playing with JuJu, she’s like very infectious with the way she plays so when she’s going hard, when she’s like, you know amped up, it kind of like flows with the rest of the team,” Iriafen said.

At just 19 years old, Watkins has made major NIL deals and has become a star for the Trojans. Watkins is one of the players having a strong impact on women's basketball. This is just the beginning of what Watkins will accomplish in her career.

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