USC women's basketball star JuJu Watkins secures 2025 Naismith Women's College Player of the Year after ACL tear
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USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins has added more hardware to her collection. After Watkins tore her ACL in the NCAA tournament, she won the 2025 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year.
The sophomore guard led the Trojans to first place in the Big Ten, as well as the regular season title. She also helped USC women’s basketball secure a No. 1 seed for the tournament.
Her efforts cannot be understated. On the season, she averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. She led the Big Ten in points per game, marking the second season she led a conference in points per game.
Although her team is eliminated from the tournament, Watkins has two more years of eligibility. She’ll likely make a comeback and be even better than before.
Plenty of stars like Caitlin Clark and fellow Naismith Trophy winner Paige Bueckers have supported Watkins during her ACL recovery. Furthermore, this is a reminder of how great she is, and how much of an impact she’s making.
While her head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb has tried to downplay the injury, it’s hard to ignore the impact it has. Watkins has an unbelievable skill set. She can score at all three levels, and has a surprising level of grit and toughness.
JuJu Watkins wins Naismith award with USC women’s basketball
Watkins made more history in her own right. She became the first player from USC women’s basketball to win the Naismith Trophy since Lisa Leslie in 1994.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and now Watkins is holding up the trophy. However, there was one other player who represented the Trojans who won the award.
Cheryl Miller.
Miller and the sophomore guard have bonded ever since she arrived at the university. Funny enough, the two had a fun interaction during the final matchup with UCLA and USC.
The former guard was hyping up Watkins after she hit the game-sealing shot. That competitive fire is something that the greats have appreciated. They knew it would be a matter of time before the accolades would pile up.
Although Watkins is nursing her ACL tear, it might just be a bump in the road. Going back to Bueckers, the latter had an ACL tear after winning the 2021 Naismith Trophy.
Since then, she has rehabbed and will likely be the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. If Watkins has those aspirations, the two could have a similar trajectory in their collegiate careers.
Regardless of what happens, the USC women’s basketball star is rising and will continue to pile on the achievements once she is fully healthy.
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