JuJu Watkins Mom's Stance on Secret Behind USC Star's Iconic Bun Turns Heads

While USC Trojans superstar sophomore JuJu Watkins' quick ascent to becoming one of the sport's brightest young stars is owed to her success on the court, one aspect of her appearance has certainly helped bring her to new heights, both literally and figuratively.

We're talking about the iconic bun on the top of Watkins' head, which she has in during every game and has become notorious for during her two seasons spent in college basketball.

This bun made headlines earlier this month when Watkins said, "Well, I don't really wear hats, because I got the bun," when asked about her lack of Big Ten title gear after her team beat the UCLA Bruins to secure the Big Ten Conference regular season championship.

JuJu Watkins smiled and pointed to the bun when asked why she’s not wearing a Big Ten Championship hat.

“I don’t really wear hats,” she said with a laugh. pic.twitter.com/qqt0c4hKuS
— Keely Eure (@keelyismyname) March 2, 2025

Watkins' bun was on full display during her team's March 7 game against Indiana, which the Trojans won 84-79.

Before the game (in which Watkins scored 31 points on 10 of 19 shooting while adding 10 rebounds), NBC Sports' On Her Turf caught up with Watkins' mother, Sari, who does her daughter's bun before every game. Among the questions they asked her was, "What's the secret behind the bun?"

"The secret behind the bun is don't tell the secret behind the bun," she answered with a laugh.

JuJu Watkins’ mom, Sari, discusses her daughter’s stardom and the secret behind her famous bun. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Q7z8DHZCqi
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) March 7, 2025

Just like how a master chef doesn't divulge the secret recipe behind their most iconic meal, one must respect JuJu's mother for not wanting to share this highly classified hair information.

What's for sure is that Watkins' bun will continue to draw attention as her basketball career progresses.

Recommended Reading: