One would be hard pressed to watch JuJu Watkins' performances in USC's wins over UCLA and not come away thinking she is the best player in the country. Not that the award is about two games, but high profile showings like Watkins had against the Bruins can certainly serve as the exclamation point to her case.
The USC star followed up her historic stat line from the first meeting between the two squads with another dominant display, bullying the Bruins in putting the Trojans up early. Watkins finished the contest with 30 points in an 80-67 win for USC, but that point total doesn't truly convey how she set the tone given that she dropped 23 in the first half alone. UCLA simply had no answer for her power drives and she also punished them from the perimeter and defensively, seizing control of the National Player of the Year race in the process.
Juju Watkins has had a terrific season overall. The two stellar performances against UCLA will go a long way towards winning her national player of the year.
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) March 2, 2025
Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo had been our frontrunner for the award; however, she has struggled a bit at an inopportune time, with the Irish losing two games in a row after a brief stint ranked as the country's top seed. While Lauren Betts of UCLA was the other player who had a strong argument, one that likely will crumble given the head-to-head results against Watkins.
JuJu certainly came into the season with plenty of hype after a year that saw her break the scoring record for a freshman campaign. But after enduring a bit of a slump from late January into early February, Watkins has bounced back in a big way.
Her season averages (24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists coming into the game) speak for themselves. But her impact on the court has spoken even louder. Because anyone who saw Watkins' two displays versus UCLA will have a tough time arguing for any other player in the country being better.
