The Nike Extension
USC Trojans star Juju Watkins is women's college basketball's next big star, and Nike is compensating her accordingly. ESPN reports that ahead of her sophomore season, Watkins is set to sign one of the richest shoe endorsements in the sport. Nike officials finalized discussions on the deal Tuesday. Watkins originally signed with Nike in 2022 as one of the top high school prospects. Financial details of the extension remain undisclosed.
Freshman Season Achievements
Watkins enters this season as the AP Preseason Player of the Year after a remarkable freshman year. She averaged 27.1 points per game, placing second behind Iowa's Caitlin Clark. Watkins established a new Division I women's basketball freshman scoring record with 920 points, surpassing San Diego State's Tina Hutchinson's 898 from the 1983-84 season. Her performance propelled USC to the Elite Eight, the program's first appearance there in three decades.
Future Prospects and WNBA Path
Watkins joins UConn's Paige Bueckers, LSU's Flau’Jae Johnson, and others as the next generation of women's basketball talents projected as top WNBA Draft picks. WNBA rules require players to be at least 22 years old, have exhausted college eligibility, graduated from a four-year college, or be four years removed from high school. At 19, Watkins can enter the draft after completing her collegiate career, following the path of Clark and others. As predecessors like Clark and Angel Reese elevate the professional game, Watkins will lead at the college level while donning Nike gear.
