It was one of those nights the sports world won’t soon forget. Amid the bright lights and the increased stakes, what JuJu Watkins did was put on a show, pacing 6th-ranked USC to a 71-60, groundbreaking upset of top-ranked UCLA. She was spectacular, with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 blocks. Watkins owned every definition of dominating. But just as Trojan fans began to picture showers of confetti, ESPN’s Gary Striewski dropped a reality on their heads that came out of the blue.

Striewski, an influential analyst on ESPN’s SportsCenter, did more than marvel at Watkins’ brilliance—he identified a glaring problem. “Kiki Iriafen had 13; nobody else was in double digits. This is good, but this is also an issue. This is the only sport where you can’t have your cast of characters help you supplement your performance, and you can get away with being great because they have the best player in the country; one of the best players in the country is at USC”, said Striewski.

So Watkins is a generational talent, but what if she has an off night? Who else is going to step up?

And he didn’t stop there. Striewski dug deeper, analyzing the numbers in a way that further raised alarms. “However, I see a couple of issues,” he added. “One starter was held scoreless, two other starters had three points and seven points, and their bench had only seven points total. That’s an issue for me. I’m not trying to be a hater.”

Here’s the thing — every team would love the benefit of having a superstar like Watkins. But over-reliance on one player? That’s where it gets dangerous. 

Basketball history is littered with examples of teams with one superstar who come up short in March Madness because the supporting players aren’t up to snuff. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but one that USC must chew on before they get too happy.

Can USC Rely Solely on JuJu Watkins?

The national women’s basketball expert at ESPN, Charlie Creme, has yet to upgrade the Trojans into a No. 1 seed despite the win over UCLA. That hesitation says a lot. 

Talent is not the question — USC has plenty of it. It’s about balance. Same for Striewski and Creme: Trojans are a little too one-dimensional for their own good when it matters.

With March Madness just around the corner, the heat is on. USC has proven they can hang with the best of the best, but can they push it all the way to the end? You don’t build championship teams around a single star. It requires depth, clutch play from more than one player and the ability to bounce back when things go awry. USC is at a crossroads right now. The team has to find a way to lighten the load on JuJu Watkins, or their championship dreams will fade.

The next weeks are critical. JuJu Watkins has done all she can to carry this team, but at a certain point she’s going to need some help. If her teammates step up to the challenge, USC will have a real chance at net-cutting. If no, well — March has a way of putting even the best in their place.