She began the game by nailing a three-pointer in less than a minute, calmly dribbling into the teeth of a swarming UCLA defense and throwing it down with a shrug.
She ended the game by blocking a Gabriel Jaquez shot so fiercely, the ball bounced back off Jaquez’s head and out of bounds.
Moments later, USC’s JuJu Watkins added a final stroke to another masterpiece after being joyfully removed from an eventual 80-67 blowout.
She danced to the bench, hugged everyone in sight, then marched purposely in front of a UCLA student cheering section that had been serenading her with, “Air-ball” chants for most of the second half.
Facing her tormentors, she stuck out both arms, screamed, and curled her hands sarcastically asking for more noise. Then she walked away shaking her fist and pointing to her team as if to tell everyone to shut up and listen.
Don’t you know that JuJu Watkins is the best women’s college basketball player on the planet?
Can’t you see that USC is headed for its first national championship in 41 years?
Yes, and yes, and hang on for what could be a JuJumping March.
“The work speaks for itself,” said Watkins.
It certainly did on a Saturday night amid a filled and deafening Pauley Pavilion setting that the Trojans handled like an afternoon at Venice Beach.
“We’re not done,” said Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb after her team clinched its first conference championship of any sort in 31 years. “There’s a lot more.”
That “more” should include a national No. 1 ranking and a tourney No. 1 seeding for a fourth-ranked team that is better than the three teams above it — including a UCLA team it has beaten twice by a combined 151-127 score.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts, left, and USC’s Rayah Marshall go after a rebound during the second half Saturday.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
The Trojans beat the Bruins so soundly that during the postgame news conference, Jaquez had tears in her eyes and coach Cori Close had anger in her voice.
“Just really pissed off we didn’t show up and do our jobs,” said Close, who literally crumpled up the stat sheet and left it in a mangled ball in front of her.
Even though the Bruins have lost just twice, it feels like they’re seriously trending downward, their coach questioning their commitment and their best player Lauren Betts once again barely showing up in a big game.
On the other hand, it feels like USC is going in the opposite direction, heralded transfer Kiki Iriafen finally feeling comfortable as Watkins’ sidekick, Rayah Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo dominating inside, and Talia von Oelhoffen running the show.
Their only losses are to Notre Dame in November — does any college basketball game count in November? — and at Iowa during the Caitlin Clark celebration game.
On a neutral floor, this team is probably not going to lose again, not with the NBA-style adjustments of former pro Gottlieb and enough depth that nine women made big contributions Saturday night.
And, of course, they have JuJu.
USC guard JuJu Watkins (12) gets a shot off despite the best efforts of UCLA center Lauren Betts, left, and guard Kiki Rice on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
She scored 30 on Saturday night, scored 38 in their first meeting this season and, according to ESPN Stats & Info, she is only the second player in 25 years to score 30 or more in at least four straight games against an opponent.
The other player? Caitlin Clark, of course.
But Watkins is bigger than Clark, she handles contact better than Clark, and she just uses more of the court than Clark.
This isn’t saying JuJu Watkins has had a bigger impact than arguably the biggest star in women’s basketball history. But she’s certainly this season’s Caitlin Clark, and absolutely worthy of being named player of the year ahead of leading candidate Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame.
If nothing else, JuJu Watkins is the coolest player in America. In her second season under the national spotlight, emerging from cult hero status to mainstream downtown murals, she has matured into a thoughtful and engaging force of nature. Her confidence is only outdone by her humor. Her intensity softened only by her smile.
After Saturday’s game, she was asked why she wasn’t wearing a Big Ten championship baseball cap like her coach.
“I don’t really wear hats,” she said, pointing to the trademark hairstyle on the top of her head. “Because I’ve got the, uh, bun.”
She was asked about playing better in big games, and she gave a disarmingly honest answer.
“I think I’d be remiss to say that playing UCLA doesn’t motivate me extra,” she said. “That’s an aspect.”
When is the last time you’ve heard a college kid use the word “remiss?”
I asked her if the fans tagging her with the name “Airball” fired her up. She began laughing before I even finished the question.
“That definitely did fire me up,” she said. “When I airballed, I couldn’t help but smile. I love the atmosphere here, even though they’re not on our side.”
Just don’t ask her to explain her greatness. Like all the great ones, she won’t, or she can’t.
“You learn to do your best. You don’t want to let anybody down. I didn’t want to let coach down,” she said. “So whatever I can do to do that and just go out there and have fun. I’m just out there playing, really.”
Just out there playing. Right.
USC guard JuJu Watkins, left, gets a slap on the behind from former USC star Cheryl Miller after making a shot against UCLA.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Whenever things felt tense Saturday, she took over. Whenever the crowd was at its loudest — louder than any UCLA men’s game has been in several years — she is the 6-foot-2 finger to the lips.
She flows like Kobe. She forces like LeBron. She’ll think nothing of taking the ball the full length of the court between five defenders for a layup. She’s unafraid to dribble into traffic and jack up a three-point attempt just seconds into the shot clock. And when she shoots an airball like the third-quarter miss that inspired the crowd to rename her? She shrugged and smiled in disbelief as she hustled back down the court to play defense.
She breaks all the rules. She makes all the rules. And in what should scare any other team with title aspirations, this season she has serious help.
When the Trojans lost to UConn in the Elite Eight last season, Watkins scored 29 and the other four starters were 13-for-44 shooting from the field.
On Saturday night, Watkins scored 30 and the other four starters shot 17 for 31.
Her supporting cast makes a difference. In particular, the roaming, rangy Iriafen makes a difference.
“These two are unguardable,” said Gottlieb. “I think they’re both playing their best basketball now, which is scary. We just know there’s no matchups for them.”
There’s at least one team out there that cannot match up, and that would be UCLA.
After spending most of the season as the top-ranked team in the country, the Bruins aren’t even the best in their own neighborhood.
USC women’s basketball once again owns Los Angeles, and is led by a star who could soon own the basketball universe.
Like the Trojans coach said, they’re not done, there’s a lot more.
A lot more.
More to Read
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
