USC’s Big 10 Supremacy Clouded by Serious Red Flag Involving JuJu Watkins

USC is soaring at the top of the Big Ten conference, but their success isn’t without concern. Their 95-73 win against Penn State was an offensive masterclass, yet even this dominant victory carries a question mark—why can’t the Trojans hit from deep? It seems JuJu Watkins, despite her stellar play, hasn’t quite done her part in that area either.

A tweet from the X account USC Trojans Wire highlights this concerning fact perfectly. The article shared in the post praises the Trojans’ performance but also calls them out for their struggles beyond the arc. “However, we are not seeing — and have not generally seen — the very best from USC women’s basketball. We have seen really good basketball, but not great basketball.” The article from the USA Today group said. “That sounds like nitpicking, and we get it. If Lindsay Gottlieb thinks that statement is too harsh, we understand why.”

Furthermore, the article goes on to point out very bluntly the reason why USC is not hitting its potential. “It’s not controversial to bring up this point because no one can dispute it: USC is not a good 3-point-shooting team.” Which is true. Their stats in this particular category are lackluster to say the least. USC, as a team, is shooting 31.9% from three as of Jan 13th. Definitely no where near what they want to be, and not where they should be either. If they really want to strengthen themselves for a title run, the Trojans must increase their shooting splits.

It all starts with JuJu Watkins. She’s the player with the highest usage rate and the most touches on the team, so her performance is key. Out of the 102 three-pointers she’s attempted, she’s made 36, which puts her at just over 35%. While it’s “not terrible but not amazing,” as mentioned in a recent article, she definitely needs to improve. If she can bump that shooting percentage up a bit, it would make a huge difference for the Trojans.

Then there’s Kayleigh Heckel, a sharp-shooting guard from New York, who’s hitting 37% of her threes. The problem is her attempts are pretty low, averaging under two per game. So, if USC can get more consistent shooting from players like Heckel, it could really help their offense moving forward.

If USC can improve their three-point shooting, they’ll continue to dominate in ways fans might not expect. The modern game is all about the three-ball, and any team with solid shooters will go far. It’ll be interesting to see if Watkins can maintain her recent efficiency from deep—she made 2 out of 3 attempts against Penn State. Next up for Watkins and the Trojans is Indiana on January 19th, and they’ll be looking to keep their momentum going.

JuJu Watkins puts on a show amidst crisis in LA

Watkins hasn’t lost a step heading into her sophomore year at USC, and it definitely showed! The six-foot-two guard from Los Angeles put on a clinic on Saturday against the Lady Lions, finishing with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals. JuJu Watkins was all over the court in the high-scoring game against Penn State. While LA fans had their share of struggles, this performance was a welcome bright spot for the thousands who attended the game.

In a post-game interview, JuJu Watkins had a bit to say about playing in her hometown amidst all the chaos. “It means so much man. The fact that we’re able to draw a crowd with everything that’s going on. My heart is heavy, everybody on the court feel it as well.” She further continued, “It’s just great that we’re able to do something that’s positive.”

While recording the 12th double-double of her college career, Watkins must have been going through a lot. The Trojans guard is an LA native, and her friends, family, and even coaches were directly affected by the wildfires as well. Even though she was hooping her heart out, the thought of helping LA out was on her mind. “We’re gonna do the best we can to help off the court as well, and just to help everybody in need.” said Watkins in the post-game interview.

If Watkins and the USC Trojans can keep the momentum rolling and improve their shooting, they might just become one of the favorites to win it all this year. Up next, they’ll take on Indiana on Jan 19. What do you think? Can they keep their winning streak going and make a run for the title? We’ll find out as the season plays out.