Juju Watkins breaks NCAA freshman scoring record in Elite Eight vs. UConn

Juju Watkins entered the NCAA record books Monday night as she set the NCAA women’s college basketball freshman scoring record. The USC star entered the Elite Eight contest against UConn with 891 points on the season, which was just eight shy of surpassing Tina Hutchinson of San Diego State, who set the previous record during the 1983-84 season.

Watkins didn’t take long to stake her claim to the record, nailing a 3-pointer with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter to enter history. Watkins finished the first half with 13 points and four rebounds as the Trojans entered halftime tied at 33.

Watkins averaged 27.0 points per game this season to rank second in the country behind only Caitlin Clark. She also put up 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game and was named Freshman of the Year according to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

High expectations were put on Watson coming out of high school as she was a five-star prospect and the Naismith High School Player of the Year as a senior. She won gold medals with Team USA at both the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

It’s safe to say that her freshman performance more than lived up the hype as Monday’s game only continued that trend.

Watkins went on to miss eight of her next nine shots as UConn pulled away in the second half. She managed to pick things back up eventually and finish with a game-high 29 points, though the Trojans lost 80-73.

Although the season ended short of the ultimately goal, Juju Watkins has plenty more basketball ahead of her at USC. It was still a great run for he first season and the record she set it just an example.

Juju Watkins on Elite Eight berth: ‘It means everything’

Juju Watkins carried the top-seeded USC Trojans women’s basketball team yet again on Saturday night, propelling them to their first trip to the Elite Eight in 30 years. She’s delivered time and time again in her historic freshman campaign for the Trojans.

And Watkins once again found the freon in her veins late in the fourth quarter of their Sweet Sixteen matchup in the women’s NCAA Tournament vs. No. 5 seed Baylor, lifting them to a 74-70 victory. Following the win, Watkins spoke with Angel Gray of ESPN on the floor.

She scored the final nine points in the fourth quarter. What was going through her head as she was able to will the Trojans to their first Elite Eight in 30 years?

“Yeah, I mean, I tried to win the game. That’s all I can do for my team. We deserve it. We’ve worked hard. So, I had to make sure that every minute counted. And I just tried to do my best on defense and on offense,” Watkins said.