USC women's basketball star nominated for ESPY award

The ESPYS have been the premier college and pro sports awards ceremony for several years. This year, a rising USC women's basketball star will attend the festivities.
Mar 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) shoots the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half of the Pac-12 Tournament women's championship game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) shoots the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half of the Pac-12 Tournament women's championship game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Juju Watkins has been nominated for the ESPY award for "Best Breakthrough Athlete" of 2024. An ESPN press release listed the USC women's basketball star will fellow nominees: Haleigh Bryant, C.J. Stroud, and Victor Wembanyama.

Watkins undoubtedly deserves her ESPY nomination after a breakthrough college basketball season. The freshman led USC to an Elite Eight appearance, the Trojans' furthest women's NCAA tournament run since 1994. Watkins finished second to Caitlin Clark in average points per game (27.1), including 27.5 PPG during the postseason.

The guard from Los Angeles made an immediate impact when she dropped 32 points, grabbed six rebounds, and contributed five assists in her first college game. The casual women's college basketball crowd started to notice Watkins' incredible play after USC broke into the AP top 10 rankings in mid-February.

The Trojans vaulted as high as No. 3 and finished the 2024 season as the AP's No. 5 team, the program's best final ranking since 1986.

USC women's basketball is expected to make a bigger NCAA tournament run in Watkins' sophomore season. When they do, Juju will have no shortage of attention. With sports media mainstays like Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink now in the WNBA, we expect the attention to turn to Watkins and UConn's Paige Bueckers.

The Trojans have a proud history of ESPY winners. Former quarterback Caleb Williams won the ESPY for "Best Male College Athlete" in 2023. Reggie Bush won the same award in 2006, after Matt Leinart in 2005. USC also shared "Game of the Year" honors with Texas in 2006.

Hopefully, Juju can bring home USC's first non-football ESPY award next month.

Story Link. A look back at USC women's basketball tournament run. dark. Next

The 2024 ESPYS, Presented by Capital One, will air on ABC on July 11 at 8 p.m. ET / PT.