CBS broadcast uses unfortunate 'fire' analogy for JuJu Watkins, city of Los Angeles

USC’s JuJu Watkins has been one of the best players in women’s basketball over the past two seasons. That said, CBS Sports could have used a different way to describe her and her impact on the sport than what they did during the Big Ten Championship on Sunday.

With Watkins at the free-throw line towards the end of the second quarter, Lisa Byington was discussing her and the affect she had on their game and in Los Angeles. The problem was the reference about the city being “lit…on fire” probably didn’t go over well in the area.

"JuJu Watkins has caught the women's basketball world by storm. Certainly lit the world of Los Angeles on fire."

(h/t: @EclassLopez) pic.twitter.com/aVK7h78h81

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 9, 2025

“JuJu Watkins has caught the women’s basketball world by storm. Certainly lit the world of Los Angeles on fire,” said Byington.

The intention was in nothing but the right place for Byington. The use of her words, though, was unfortunate considering the wildfires there back in January that killed multiple people and destroyed the homes and property of several thousand more.

To be fair, Watkins, just with better phrasing, has meant that much through two years with the Trojans. She has, in his collegiate career, averaged 25.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks in doing it all for ‘SC. With that, Watkins has already earned many conference and national honors, including some this last week as Big Ten Player of the Year and a unanimous selection as All-Big Ten First Team.

Watkins has been everything and more so far as an underclassman at USC. It’s just that any references to fire over the coming months of this year will be touchier for those out on the west coast.

2025 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament: Updated matchups, results

The 2025 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is over after the conference’s title game on Sunday. Below is the up to date bracket for the 2025 Big Ten Tournament:

Round 1

Game 1: No. 12 Washington 79, No. 13 Minnesota 65

Game 2: No. 10 Nebraska 84, No. 15 Rutgers 60

Game 3: No. 11 Iowa 81, No. 14 Wisconsin 54

Round 2

Game 4: No. 9 Indiana 78 No. 8 Oregon 62

Game 5: No. 5 Michigan 66, No. 12 Washington 58

Game 6: No. 10 Nebraska 74, No. 7 Illinois 70

Game 7: No. 11 Iowa 74, No. 6 Michigan State 61

Big Ten Quarterfinals

Game 8: No. 1 USC 84, No. 9 Indiana 79

Game 9: No. 5 Michigan 98 vs. No. 4 Maryland 71

Game 10: No. 2 UCLA 85, No. 10 Nebraska 74

Game 11: No. 3 Ohio State 60, No. 11 Iowa 59

Big Ten Semifinals

Game 12: No. 1 USC 82, No. 5 Michigan 70

Game 13: No. 2 UCLA 75, vs. No. 3 Ohio State 46

Big Ten Tournament Finals

Game 14: UCLA 72, USC 67

In the title game of the Big Ten Tournament, an in-city, west-coast matchup lived up to it between the bracket’s top two seeds in USC and UCLA. The Trojans built up as much as a thirteen-point lead with a double-digit one going into halftime. The second half was all for the Bruins, though, as they outscored ‘SC by 15, as the top seed scored just 22 points in the second half, to win it by five and claim their first-ever Big Ten Championship.