Dawn Staley Lauds 'Nightmare' JuJu Watkins After USC Star's NCAA Award Win

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley had high praise for USC star JuJu Watkins after she won a NCAA award that's named after Staley.

Oct 19, 2023; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks with the media during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

On March 14, it was announced that South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball star MiLaysia Fulwiley was one of four finalists for the NCAA's Dawn Staley Award, which "recognizes the NCAA Div. I women’s basketball player who exemplifies the skills that Staley possessed throughout her career – ball-handling, scoring, ability to distribute the basketball and the will to win."

While Fulwiley is undoubtedly deserving of this award, she faced some extremely stiff competition among the other finalists. The three other players up for the award were UConn Huskies superstar Paige Bueckers, Notre Dame's point guard Hannah Hidalgo, and USC Trojans star sophomore JuJu Watkins.

On April 4, it came out that JuJu Watkins (who suffered a torn ACL earlier in the 2025 NCAA Tournament) was the winner of this award.

JuJu Watkins is the recipient of this year's Dawn Staley Award!

The award is given annually to a player who exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed throughout her career. pic.twitter.com/9xV84hNB5w

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 4, 2025

In a subsequent X post, the USC women's basketball account quoted Staley saying, “JuJu Watkins is more than a gifted athlete; she is a transformative player who has elevated our sport at an incredibly early stage in her career. A passionate competitor, her creativity and athleticism make her a must watch player and her basketball IQ and ever-expanding skill set make her a nightmare for opponents every second she is on the court.

"I couldn’t be more honored to have her name etched alongside this award," Staley added.

Dawn Staley on JuJu:

“JuJu Watkins is more than a gifted athlete; she is a transformative player who has elevated our sport at an incredibly early stage in her career. A passionate competitor, her creativity and athleticism make her a must watch player and her basketball IQ and… https://t.co/D7Snf7MEcC

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 4, 2025

It doesn't seem likely that JuJu will be back on the court when her team faces Dawn Staley's Gamecocks on November 15, 2025. But the two teams also play again on November 15, 2026, so fans can look forward to Watkins and Staley facing off during that contest.