USC Women's Basketball: Lindsay Gottlieb Shares Hilarious JuJu Watkins Hazing Story

Alex Kirschenbaum | Mar 31, 2024

Mar 25, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) hugs head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

USC Trojans women's basketball freshman wing JuJu Watkins has emerged as one of the best players in the nation. The All-American First Teamer's a finalist for both the Wade Trophy and the Naismith Trophy, and she's the primary reason the Women of Troy are 28-5 and in their first Sweet Sixteen in a good long while.

Per Lindsay Schnell of USA Today, despite Watkins' standing on the team, she remains a freshman, obligated to certain hazing prerequisites.

“They made her ride in the back in the car on the way here,” head coach Lindsay Gottlieb chuckled during an interview Friday ahead of the Trojans' Sweet Sixteen matchup Saturday against the No. 5-seeded Baylor Bears.

Watkins, 18, certainly isn't playing like a freshman this season. Through 32 games thus far, the 6'2" wing out of Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth is averaging 26.9 points on a .407/.326/.843 slash line, 7.3 boards, 3.3 dimes, 2.4 swipes and 1.6 rejections. She is the second-leading scorer in the country, behind only Iowa superstar point guard Caitlin Clark.

Watkins and the Trojans' next game, this Elite Eight bout with UConn, tips off at 6:15 p.m. PT in Portland's Moda Center.