Who runs LA? Well, now, we surely know it’s JuJu Watkins! The USC star just took over Pauley Pavilion, clinched the Big Ten regular-season title, and sent the Bruins packing. For all the talent USC has, it hasn’t quite gotten the respect it deserves—maybe because of that early loss to Notre Dame or the tough L against Iowa. But that lit a fire under the Trojans, and they haven’t looked back since. Seven straight wins later, including two against their cross-town rivals, USC is making sure everyone remembers who’s boss.

Saturday’s game had everything—high stakes, a sold-out crowd, Hall of Famers Cheryl and Reggie Miller sitting courtside, and a whole lot of tension. UCLA was out for revenge, hoping to claim the conference title and finally get one over on USC after the beatdown last month. 

But from the moment the ball tipped off, it was clear—this was JuJu Watkins’ show. The Trojans led from start to finish, shutting down any hopes of a Bruins redemption arc with a dominant 80-67 win. 

Watkins followed up her 38-point explosion from their last meeting, that ended Bruins winning streak, with another jaw-dropping performance. This time, she dropped 30 points—23 of them in the first half alone—along with five assists, three rebounds, and three blocks. 

Oh, and in the last four meetings against the Bruins, she’s averaged 33.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3.5 assists. That’s not just dominance; that’s owning your rival. Even when she missed a few shots, UCLA fans tried to get in her head, but that actually fire her up.

And she showed it, shaking off those misses and imposing her will on the game. She played through contact and drilled tough shots. When she called for the ball, you just knew something was about to go down. A jumper here, a dagger three there—she even scored over UCLA’s 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts to close out the third. 

And then, to really drive it home, she assisted on back-to-back threes in the fourth to stretch the lead to 20. As if her offense wasn’t enough, she swatted a Gabriela Jaquez shot late in the game just to remind everyone she’s got defense too.

And while Watkins was out there putting on a masterclass, well, Lauren Betts, not so much. The internet absolutely lit her up after this one, and it wasn’t pretty. 

Internet fumes over JuJu Watkins’ rival

One fan bluntly stated, “UCLA will not win many games against top-ranked teams with Lauren Betts only scoring 11 points.” And that’s the real issue—Betts, UCLA’s leading scorer, was averaging 20 a game before this but managed just 11 here, with a brutal 1-of-4 from the free-throw line and five turnovers. 

It’s one thing to have an off night, but doing it in the biggest game of the season? This makes fans question if the bruins will survive post-season. Another fan chimed in, “Lauren Betts played scared and disappeared. Kiki was the only player to show up. Coach Close is overrated. Huge disappointment.” And honestly, it did feel like Kiki was the only one putting up a real fight with her 16 points. Betts, meanwhile, just never looked aggressive. 

Fans were so frustrated that they started turning on head coach Cori Close too, questioning whether she was really the one to lead this team forward. And then, well, some fans didn’t even hold back. “Lauren Betts is so trash lmao,” one wrote. 

Now, Betts is a legit NPOY contender and has earned her respect all season, leading UCLA to the No. 1 spot and staying undefeated for so long. But this performance had people wondering if she was really built for these moments. “Lauren Betts, how many times in a row have you lost to JuJu??” another asked.

And that’s the thing, it’s not just one bad game. This is two straight losses to USC this season, the first by 11, now by 13. How do you go from leading the No. 1 team in the country to getting shut down twice by the same squad? 

“Absolute disaster class from Lauren Betts tn,” someone else wrote, summing up what a lot of people were thinking. This was supposed to be a battle between two NPOY contenders, but it sure didn’t feel like it. Watkins owned the moment, while Betts struggled to make an impact.

But anyway, do you know what this means? The Trojans’ sophomore just made a strong case for the NPOY award. Meanwhile, Betts needs to figure things out—quickly. The regular season was impressive, but it’s the postseason where legacies are made, and she can’t afford another performance like this.