JuJu Watkins Makes Feelings Clear on Major High School Honor Amid Injury-Ridden Season
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NCAA, College League, USA Womens Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-UNC Greensboro at Southern California Mar 22, 2025 Los Angeles, California, USA USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins 12 during the second quarter of an NCAA Tournament game against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Galen Center. Los Angeles Galen Center California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRobertxHanashirox 20250322_cec_wr6_092
The current season of NCAA Division I has been a distressing one for JuJu Watkins, however, the 20-year-old felt gratified after being honored by her high school recently.
Watkins used to sport No. 12 while playing for the Sierra Canyon School team, where she became a high school basketball All-American. A day ago, the Traliblazers authorities retired the No. 12 jersey to appreciate her extraordinary achievement.
Watkins expressed her elation on receiving such an honor, saying, “To be coming back and to be honored in that way, I don't really know how I feel—probably just overwhelmed with gratitude and being able to reflect on my time at Sierra Canyon... Just to know that I'm a part of kind of this sisterhood that'll last for so long, it's really a full-circle moment, and I'm very grateful.”
The No. 12 jersey retirement took place at halftime of the Mission League boys basketball showdown between Sierra Canyon and Notre Dame on ESPN2. It's pertinent to note that Watkins is the first-ever basketball player from the school to have her jersey retired by the authorities.
Watkins shared the credit for her accomplishments with the Trailblazers coach, Alicia Komaki, who reciprocated her appreciation.
“She raised our standards, which was hard to do because we had won four state championships. She was an incredibly talented player,” said coach Komaki.
But while Watkins' high-school tenure ended with time, her in-court skills only got better.
JuJu Watkins went from high school star to freshman icon
Watkins made an immediate impact after joining the USC Trojans in 2023. She scored 32 points in her debut and helped the Trojans defeat Ohio State. She carried that momentum throughout the season, averaging 27.1 points and 7.3 rebounds.
As a result, entering her second season, she had gained significant notoriety in the collegiate basketball community. She won the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year honors.
However, with Watkins crashing out of the current season of the NCAA Division I league due to the ACL injury, it remains to be seen if the Trojans can do equally well without her.
Written by
Yashika Dutta
Edited by
Souvik Roy