Freshman Juju Watkins impresses in USC debut, downing No. 7 Ohio State

USC freshman Juju Watkins dominated to help the Trojans take down No. 7 Ohio State in her college debut

Juju Watkins has been heralded as the next big thing in women's basketball, and she showed why in her college debut Monday in Las Vegas.

The USC freshman tallied 32 points, six rebounds and five assists in the No. 21 Trojans' 83-74 win over No. 7 Ohio State.

Watkins was 11 of 18 from the field with one 3-pointer and added a steal. Her 32 points surpasses Lisa Leslie's 30-point performance in her freshman debut at USC in 1990.

"It's an honor." Watkins said in the postgame interview on TruTV. "A lot of practice led to the game. Lisa Leslie is a big part of USC's legacy, and I'm just glad to be part of it."

Watkins sat a majority of the third quarter with four fouls while USC let up a big lead and went into the fourth quarter trailing 58-56. The freshman avoided fouling out and scored seven points in the final frame.

"We're underrated and all we wanted to get the dub," Watkins said.

"Don't underestimate USC."

USC women's basketball freshman Juju Watkins has the Trojans in the AP Top 25 :: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY

The McDonald's All-American out of Sierra Canyon High in Los Angeles had a stretch in the second quarter where she scored 12 of the team's 15 points.

Watkins was a phenom in high school. She averaged 27.3 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game as a senior while leading Sierra Canyon to a 31-1 overall record and the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship in February of 2023.

She etched herself into San Fernando Valley lore when she scored 60 points and notched 21 rebounds in an 88-39 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 31, marking the second-best scoring performance in area history, according to Cal-Hi Sports.

Watkins went on to be a two-time Gatorade California Player of the Year honoree and was named the 2023 Gatorade and Naismith National Player of the Year.

USC's next game will serve as Watkins' home debut at the Galen Center against Florida Gulf Coast University on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.

Feature photo by Kirby Lee of USA TODAY