The college basketball may be on a halt now after an incredible March Madness. However, that does not mean that college superstars cannot enter into another field. And JuJu Watkins chose something very familiar. She joined the standup comedian Kevin Hart to talk about herself and watch the Celtics take down Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals. When asked about who she mirrors her games, the Trojans guard quickly shushed Hart down to choose Candace Parker.

Talking about her idol on the NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart, JuJu Watkins confessed who she has been watching for a long time and tries to match them. But before she could respond, Hart jumped in to say, “She saw me play a lot.” To this, the USBWA National Freshman of the Year quipped, “I guess I try to be, I model Candace Parker a little.” Adding a response to the Laugh Out Loud Productions, LLC founder’s question if he has any influence on her, she said, “Very funny Kevin!”

It is quite apparent why Watkins chose to go with the recently retired 3x WNBA champion. Amongst the many things, everyone knows Parker for her positionless playing and competitiveness. Watkins, who led her team to regional finals this year before losing to Geno Auriemma’s UConn has also displayed similar behavior. In fact, her average of 27.1 points per game single-handedly boosted USC on many occasions. Moreover, her stellar numbers of 7.3 rebounds per game also relate to the 2x Olympic Gold medalist.

There is one more aspect where the two align with each other. That is, the influence they have had on the basketball world.

How has JuJu Watkins impacted the basketball world?

Many have already argued that JuJu Watkins will be the next Caitlin Clark for the NCAA. Many even debated that she could be the one to break even Clark’s standing all-time leading scoring record of 3,527 points. And while the young hooper has already denied being something like her, she did trail the Fever rookie in average points per game last year.

However, when influence is the focus, JuJu Watkins too has been a boon for college basketball. With just one season at USC, the 5-star recruit has breathed a new life into the Trojans. In fact, her 42-point performance in the 2023-24 regular season made the team interesting again. Apart from sweeping the freshman honors everywhere, she also surpassed her all-time idol and USC legend Cheryl Miller for most points. She also inked her name on most points scored by a freshman with her brilliant display on the floor.

NBA big names like Gil Arenas have even called her out for playing men-like basketball with a high IQ. It will be interesting to see if JuJu Watkins truly adopts the powers of the 7x WNBA All-Star and bags National titles for her home team. Until the NCAA season begins again, you can follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.