Juju Watkins has quickly become one of the most recognizable names in women’s college basketball. The Los Angeles native built her reputation at Sierra Canyon before becoming a standout guard for USC. At 6 feet 2 inches, Watkins combines size, scoring ability, and versatility on the court. She is also a major NIL personality, with commercial opportunities adding another dimension to her career. USC lists her as a senior communication major for the 2026–27 season.
Juju Watkins – Quick Bio Table
| Profile Detail | Juju Watkins |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Judea “JuJu” Skies Watkins |
| Date of Birth | July 15, 2005 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Age | 21 years old |
| Nickname | JuJu |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | College basketball player |
| Position | Guard |
| Famous For | USC women’s basketball and her decorated college basketball career |
| Current Team | USC Trojans |
| Jersey Number | 12 |
| Weight | Not reliably confirmed by USC’s current roster |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Not reliably documented |
| Parents | Robert Watkins and Sari Watkins |
| Siblings | Mali, Dami and Mar |
| Education | Sierra Canyon High School; University of Southern California |
| College Major | Communication |
| Hobbies / Interests | Fashion, travel and golf |
| Marital Status | Not married |
| @jujubballin | |
| Estimated Net Worth | Not officially disclosed; public estimates vary |
| NIL Profile | Major college-athlete endorsement and NIL presence |
| Career Start at USC | 2023 |
| 2024–25 Points Per Game | 23.9 |
| 2024–25 Assists Per Game | 3.4 |
| 2025–26 Season | Redshirted because of injury |
| Major Honors | Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year and USBWA National Player of the Year |
| USA Basketball | Youth national-team experience and continued involvement with USA Basketball |
| High School | Sierra Canyon High School |
| Career Highlight | Established herself as one of the leading players in women’s college basketball |
| 2026–27 Status | Senior at USC |
JuJu Watkins Career Timeline
| Year | Career Milestone | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | USA Basketball U16 | Represented Team USA at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship, helping the U.S. win gold. Watkins was named tournament MVP and averaged 20.0 points per game. |
| 2022 | Sierra Canyon & USA Basketball | Named Gatorade California Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Player of the Year. She also helped Team USA win gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup and was named MVP. |
| 2022 | USC Commitment | Signed with the University of Southern California (USC) as one of the nation’s top high-school recruits. |
| 2023 | Sierra Canyon Senior Season | Led Sierra Canyon to a 31–1 record and a CIF-Southern Section Open Division title. She averaged 27.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. |
| 2023 | High School Honors | Named Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year, USA Today Girls Basketball Player of the Year, MaxPreps Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American. |
| 2023–24 | USC Freshman Season | Began her college career with USC and immediately became a leading scorer, averaging 27.1 points per game. |
| 2024 | Freshman Records | Finished with 920 points, setting the national Division I women’s freshman single-season scoring record. She also scored a USC-record 51 points against Stanford. |
| 2024 | USC NCAA Tournament Run | Helped USC reach the NCAA Elite Eight, the program’s deepest tournament run since 1994. |
| 2024–25 | USC Sophomore Season | Averaged 23.9 points and 3.4 assists per game, while starting all 33 games she played. |
| 2025 | National Player of the Year Honors | Won the Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, AP National Player of the Year and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year. |
| 2025 | Season-Ending Injury | Suffered a season-ending injury during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. |
| 2025–26 | Recovery Season | Announced that she would miss the entire 2025–26 season while focusing on recovery. |
| 2026 | USA Basketball | Selected for the USA Basketball Women’s National Team April training camp after returning to the national-team pool. |
| 2026–27 | USC Return | Returned to competition for USC after missing the previous season and entered the campaign as a senior. |
| October 2026 | Big Ten Preseason Honor | Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year ahead of the 2026–27 season. |
JuJu Watkins Awards & Honors
| Year | Award / Honor | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FIBA Americas U16 MVP | Named MVP and selected to the All-Star Five while helping USA Basketball win gold. |
| 2022 | FIBA U17 World Cup MVP | Named tournament MVP and selected to the All-Star Five as Team USA won gold. |
| 2023 | Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year | Received one of the top national honors in high-school basketball. |
| 2023 | Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy | Won the 2023 Naismith high-school award. |
| 2023 | WBCA High School Player of the Year | Named the WBCA’s top high-school player. |
| 2023 | McDonald’s All-American Co-MVP | Selected as a Co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game. |
| 2024 | WBCA National Freshman of the Year | Became the first USC player to receive the WBCA National Freshman of the Year award. |
| 2024 | USBWA Tamika Catchings Award | Named National Freshman of the Year by the USBWA. |
| 2024 | Pac-12 Freshman of the Year | Earned the conference’s freshman honor during her USC debut season. |
| 2024 | Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year | Won the national shooting-guard award. |
| 2024 | First-Team All-American | Selected to first-team All-America squads by AP, USBWA, The Athletic and Sporting News. |
| 2025 | Naismith Trophy | Won the Naismith Trophy as the nation’s top women’s college basketball player. |
| 2025 | John R. Wooden Award | Won the Wooden Award. |
| 2025 | AP National Player of the Year | Named Associated Press National Player of the Year. |
| 2025 | USBWA National Player of the Year | Received the national player-of-the-year honor from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. |
| 2025 | Sporting News National Player of the Year | Named National Player of the Year by Sporting News. |
| 2025 | The Athletic National Player of the Year | Selected as The Athletic’s National Player of the Year. |
| 2025 | Dawn Staley Award | Won the Dawn Staley Award. |
| 2025 | Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year | Won the award for the second consecutive season. |
| 2025 | Big Ten Player of the Year | Named the conference’s Player of the Year in USC’s first Big Ten season. |
| 2025 | Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year | Selected as the 2024–25 Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year. |
| 2025 | ESPYS Best Female College Athlete | Received the ESPYS honor for Best Female College Athlete. |
| 2025 | AP All-America First Team | Named to the AP First-Team All-America squad. |
| 2025 | Big Ten All-Defensive Team | Selected to the conference’s All-Defensive Team. |
JuJu Watkins Net Worth
| Year / Period | Financial Detail | Information |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | First Major NIL Deal | Nike signed Watkins while she was still in high school. |
| 2024 | NIL Valuation | $555,000, according to On3’s valuation reported by Forbes. |
| 2024–25 | Endorsement Portfolio | Partnerships included Nike, Gatorade, AT&T, Mielle, Wells Fargo, Ritz, Celsius, Dove and other brands. |
| 2025 | On3 NIL Valuation | $739,000 according to On3. This represents estimated NIL market value, not her total personal wealth. |
| 2025 | Reported NIL Earnings/Value | On3 figures cited by AS USA placed her NIL value at approximately $765,000 at that time. |
| 2026 | Current On3 NIL Valuation | $739,000, updated July 7, 2026. |
| 2026 | Estimated Net Worth | Exact personal net worth is not publicly disclosed. Public NIL valuations should not be presented as her net worth. |
| Main Income Sources | NIL & Brand Partnerships | Brand endorsements, NIL agreements, sponsorships and commercial partnerships. |
| Net Worth Status | Official Figure | No verified official net-worth figure is available. |
JuJu Watkins Famous Matches
| Date | Match | Performance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2, 2024 | USC vs. No. 4 Stanford | 51 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals; set the USC single-game scoring record | USC won 67–58 |
| Dec. 21, 2024 | USC vs. UConn | 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists | USC won 72–70 |
| Dec. 29, 2024 | USC vs. Michigan | 31 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists | USC won 78–58 |
| Jan. 12, 2025 | USC vs. Penn State | 36 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists | USC won 95–73 |
| Jan. 19, 2025 | USC at Indiana | 22 points, 6 rebounds | USC won 73–66 |
| March 1, 2025 | USC at No. 2 UCLA | Key performance in USC’s victory over a top-two opponent | USC won |
| March 7, 2025 | USC at Indiana | 31 points | USC won 83–65 |
| Dec. 3, 2024 | USC vs. California Baptist | 40 points, one of her highest-scoring USC games | USC won |
