USC women's basketball recruiting news: Juju Watkins earns All-Star Game MVP

March Madness is quickly coming to an end. The Women’s NCAA tournament concluded last night when LSU dominated Iowa, 102-85. This means basketball season is over and it’s time to turn the page toward next season. However, the future of USC’s women's basketball team may be shining a little brighter after a big performance by an incoming freshman.

On March 28th, the McDonald’s All-American Games hosted the top high school basketball players in the nation. USC was well represented by Judea “Juju” Watkins.

The Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year comes in from Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, CA. She has been considered the number 1 player in the 2023 class according to multiple recruiting services for over a year. The 6’0” guard is a 5-star recruit, and it was noticeable why she is considered the nation’s top player during the all-star game.

Her natural shot-making ability was on full display during the game. She finished with a game-high 25 points, five rebounds, and 5 steals. This performance helped lead Team West to victory by a score of 110-102. She was also named MVP of her team.

Watkins looks to help improve the Lady Trojans this upcoming year. USC finished 11-7 in conference play with an overall record of 21-10. It was an improvement from last season but saw the hopes of a program’s third national championship fade in the first round of the tournament. With the addition of Watkins, this team should be fun to watch.

Fight On!