Photo by: Katie Chin
USC’s JuJu Watkins Selected To Wooden Award All-America Team
April 01, 2025 | Women's Basketball
The sophomore earns her second spot on the awards list and is a Top 5 pick for the John R. Wooden Award.
USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins has secured another spot on the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team and is also one of five players in the running for the Wooden Award, as announced today (April 1) by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Watkins, who sustained a season-ending injury on March 24 in the NCAA Second Round, has also been named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year by the USBWA and is one of four finalists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Wade Trophy. A finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Watkins could become USC's third player to win the Naismith Trophy and second to claim the Wade Trophy.
Already named the Sporting News National Player of the Year and an All-America First Team pick by the AP, USBWA and Sporting News, Watkins went big in the seven games she played against AP top-10 opponents this season in particular. Watkins posted her 20th career 30-point game to help propel her Trojans to an 80-67 win over rival No. 2 UCLA to claim the Big Ten regular-season championship. The Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins is averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range against top-10 opponents. That's better than her overall and also impressive season averages of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in USC's push to a 30-3 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Also this year, Watkins became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a single game with her work for the Women of Troy their win over then-No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center. The Athletic's National Player of the Year, Watkins also earned a nod as a 2025 Sullivan Award semifinalist and is on the Wooden Award Top 15 Ballot. Recently she was named a finalist for the Dawn Staley Award, which is given annually to a player who exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed throughout her career, ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win.
In the USC record books, Watkins ranks No. 9 all-time in career scoring with 1,709 points — having become the fastest Trojan to score 1,000 career points in program history earlier this season — and with the second-most 30-point games by a Trojan. With 38 points and 30 points vs. USC rival UCLA this season, Watkins now has 21 career 30-point games — four shy of Cheryl Miller's career record of 25.
Earlier this season, Watkins collected AP Preseason All-America status along with spots on the Wade Watch List, Naismith Trophy Watch List and Wooden Award Watch List, as well as numerous USBWA Drysdale Player of the Week, AP National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week selections. This is Watkins' second season on the AP, USBWA and Sporting News All-America First Teams.
The Wooden Award winner and top five All-America Team members — including Watkins — will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club's "John R. Wooden Awards Show presented by Principal," streaming on ESPN+ on Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m. PDT.
ABOUT THE JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD®
Founded in 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Program™ represents the highest honor in college basketball. It recognizes the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player for both men and women, the Wooden Award All America™ Teams, and annually selects the Wooden Award® Legend of Coaching recipient.
Wooden Award All America Team members must meet or exceed the standards set forth by Coach John Wooden and the Wooden Award® Steering Committee. These qualifications include academic progress toward graduation and maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Past Wooden Award winners include some of the greatest names in basketball history: Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07, '08), Maya Moore ('09, '11), Breanna Stewart ('15, '16), and the most recent winners, Caitlin Clark of Iowa ('23, '24) and Zach Edey of Purdue ('23, '24).
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed nearly one million dollars in charitable donations in the names of its All America Team members and has provided more than 1,000 underprivileged children with scholarships to week-long college basketball camps. Wooden Award All America Team members are also invited to celebrate their philanthropic efforts, with the John R. Wooden Award Foundation making contributions in support of their charitable initiatives.
Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award® partners annually with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) to host the Wooden Award® Special Olympics Basketball Day. This event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All America Team members, and coaches during Wooden Award® Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Watkins, who sustained a season-ending injury on March 24 in the NCAA Second Round, has also been named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year by the USBWA and is one of four finalists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Wade Trophy. A finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Watkins could become USC's third player to win the Naismith Trophy and second to claim the Wade Trophy.
Already named the Sporting News National Player of the Year and an All-America First Team pick by the AP, USBWA and Sporting News, Watkins went big in the seven games she played against AP top-10 opponents this season in particular. Watkins posted her 20th career 30-point game to help propel her Trojans to an 80-67 win over rival No. 2 UCLA to claim the Big Ten regular-season championship. The Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins is averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range against top-10 opponents. That's better than her overall and also impressive season averages of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in USC's push to a 30-3 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Also this year, Watkins became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a single game with her work for the Women of Troy their win over then-No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center. The Athletic's National Player of the Year, Watkins also earned a nod as a 2025 Sullivan Award semifinalist and is on the Wooden Award Top 15 Ballot. Recently she was named a finalist for the Dawn Staley Award, which is given annually to a player who exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed throughout her career, ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win.
In the USC record books, Watkins ranks No. 9 all-time in career scoring with 1,709 points — having become the fastest Trojan to score 1,000 career points in program history earlier this season — and with the second-most 30-point games by a Trojan. With 38 points and 30 points vs. USC rival UCLA this season, Watkins now has 21 career 30-point games — four shy of Cheryl Miller's career record of 25.
Earlier this season, Watkins collected AP Preseason All-America status along with spots on the Wade Watch List, Naismith Trophy Watch List and Wooden Award Watch List, as well as numerous USBWA Drysdale Player of the Week, AP National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week selections. This is Watkins' second season on the AP, USBWA and Sporting News All-America First Teams.
The Wooden Award winner and top five All-America Team members — including Watkins — will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club's "John R. Wooden Awards Show presented by Principal," streaming on ESPN+ on Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m. PDT.
ABOUT THE JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD®
Founded in 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Program™ represents the highest honor in college basketball. It recognizes the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player for both men and women, the Wooden Award All America™ Teams, and annually selects the Wooden Award® Legend of Coaching recipient.
Wooden Award All America Team members must meet or exceed the standards set forth by Coach John Wooden and the Wooden Award® Steering Committee. These qualifications include academic progress toward graduation and maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Past Wooden Award winners include some of the greatest names in basketball history: Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07, '08), Maya Moore ('09, '11), Breanna Stewart ('15, '16), and the most recent winners, Caitlin Clark of Iowa ('23, '24) and Zach Edey of Purdue ('23, '24).
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed nearly one million dollars in charitable donations in the names of its All America Team members and has provided more than 1,000 underprivileged children with scholarships to week-long college basketball camps. Wooden Award All America Team members are also invited to celebrate their philanthropic efforts, with the John R. Wooden Award Foundation making contributions in support of their charitable initiatives.
Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award® partners annually with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) to host the Wooden Award® Special Olympics Basketball Day. This event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All America Team members, and coaches during Wooden Award® Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
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