“It was just such an adjustment from high school to college,” shared JuJu Watkins. For the 19-year-old, all it took was a few games to adjust to collegiate basketball. After that, she began dominating the scoreboard mercilessly. She’s USC’s sixth-ever First Team All-American and the 2024 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year. But what did it take to reach these heights?

It’s something Watkins learned along the way. “In general, I think for any student, for any athlete, it’s the same. A lot of last year was just the first time for everything for me,” she shared in a recent interview with Broadroom TV, gracing their October cover at just 19 years old. And she’s right. From learning the ropes to becoming an AP Preseason All-American and the unanimous 2024-25 Big Ten Coaches Preseason Player of the Year, it was no easy feat.

But she is embracing it all now, having started all 34 games she played to set a few freshman records.“I think now I know what to expect and can actually set more goals for myself because I’m more familiar with the space,” Watkins adds.

Despite whatever nerves she had last year, the 19-year-old scored at least 30 points in 14 games—a USC single-season record. She even broke the single-game scoring record with a 51-point performance against Stanford, earning likes from big names like LeBron James and Candace Parker. And that’s not all—she set an all-time national freshman scoring record with 920 points.

Now considering that and her new-found confidence, JuJu wouldn’t be wrong when she says she is helping build a new era with the USC Trojans and expects quite the audience to be a part of it.

“I think that everybody has a different version of why they come to SC… Looking at the trajectory of it, I think we are setting the standard. We’re building a new era of USC women’s basketball, so I think people would be crazy not to be a part of it,” Watkins added. For her, entering her sophomore season with the Trojans feels exciting, especially after the previous season’s success. Sound familiar?

If you’re thinking about Caitlin Clark, then you’re right. Clark herself might think it too

Watkins’ journey resembles Clark’s. Just like Indiana Fever’s 22-year-old guard, Watkins felt the pressure of adjusting in the beginning. In her first four games of the season, she scored below average in two. Although she’s averaging 27.1 points per game, she scored less than 20 in these two games.

Well, Clark, too went through a similar experience. She scored fewer than 20 points in three of her first four games. But gradually, both players found their footing and began to dominate. While Clark shattered records for assists, scoring, and three-pointers, Watkins followed closely behind.

Though still trailing Clark, Watkins is the nation’s second-leading scorer, with her 27.1 points per game just behind Iowa’s standout. However, she’s successfully stepped into the spotlight left by Clark when she moved to the WNBA. Clark herself agrees that Watkins is ready to continue the legacy.

“She was like, ‘I had the attention for a year and a half, two years,‘” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb shared with ‘Orange County Register.’ “She told Juju, ‘You’re going to have it for the next three.’” After meeting Gottlieb at USC’s Galen Center before a game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Clark even gave Watkins her number, offering to help her handle the upcoming pressures. And it seems like Watkins has taken that advice to heart. What do you think?