Honored by Caitlin Clark’s Praise, JuJu Watkins Reflects on the NCAA Fame

The halls of the University of Iowa would echo the name of Caitlin Clark for many years to come. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer left a huge mark on the collegiate basketball. One of the biggest accomplishments that she achieved was bringing the crowd and popularizing women’s basketball. However, before leaving the NCAA for good, the 22-year-old seemingly passed the torch to freshman JuJu Watkins. Many believed that she would succeed Clark as Watkins also earned a lot of plaudits. And who better to bring this news to the reigning Freshman of the Year but the WNBA legend Sue Bird?

JuJu Watkins sat down with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe for the recent episode of A Touch More. The soccer legend reminded the USC Trojans talent what Caitlin Clark had said about her future before transitioning to the WNBA. Rapinoe said, “Caitlin Clark said to your coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, that she’s had the attention for a year and a half- two years. Now, you, JuJu, are gonna have it for the next three. It’s getting bigger and bigger.”

The guard appreciated the words and understood the weight of the task. Watkins reflected on her successful freshman season and said, “It’s really just a dream come true. I think that my team is a big part of my success. I think they’re great, I’m always grateful to be out on the floor with them. So, they really keep me sane and help distribute the burden of it all. But yeah, my main goal is to just win. I just want a championship regardless of everything else.”

Although the topic of JuJu Watkins carrying forward the torch for Caitlin Clark will keep returning, she had already mentioned that she does not wish to be her successor.

JuJu Watkins shares her thoughts on being the next Caitlin Clark

Watkins had a history freshman year. Many entities related to the basketball world have already spelled their verdict on her future as well. It was her playing style, which does not match any female player, why most, including Dawn Staley, believe she will be the one to break Caitlin Clark’s all-time scoring record in the NCAA. However, this is not what she wants.

During the NCAA tournament, JuJu Watkins showed off her ball-handling skills and on-court talents to the world with her 51-point performance. Then, the sideline reporters compared the freshman with the No. 22 of Iowa. She stopped the chain of thought by saying, “Ah nah, don’t do that. Don’t do that. Much respect there.”

While the two never came face-to-face, Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins were quite neck-to-neck in numbers. In fact, the Trojan only trailed the 2x National Player of the Year in average scoring. The back-to-back Honda Trophy awardee led the NCAA with 31.6 points and 8.9 assists. On the other hand, Watkins was in the second spot with 27.1 ppg. Although she has a handful of years to create her own legacy in the NCAA, it is exciting to see her clear on her aim to grab a National Championship.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.