University Southern California Trojans
USC Women's Basketball's JuJu Watkins Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
October 01, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Watkins and Jazzy Davidson earn Preseason All-Big Ten honors, with Davidson standing as the lone sophomore selected.
ROSEMONT, Ill. - USC senior guard JuJu Watkins was named the 2026-27 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by both the conference's head coaches and a select media panel, the Big Ten announced Thursday, Oct. 1. Watkins and sophomore guard Jazzy Davidson were also selected to the coaches' and media Preseason All-Big Ten teams.
The preseason honors, which include an All-Big Ten Team and Player of the Year, were determined through separate voting by the conference's head coaches and a select media panel.
Watkins was named Preseason Player of the Year by both groups and was a unanimous selection to the coaches' Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Davidson joined Watkins on both the coaches' and media preseason teams as the only sophomore among the 10 honorees. USC and Michigan were the only two programs to place multiple players on both preseason teams.
Watkins returns to the court after missing the 2025-26 season due to injury. In her most recent season of competition, she swept the nation's top individual honors, winning the Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year award and AP National Player of the Year award following a standout 2024-25 campaign.
The Los Angeles native averaged 23.9 points, 3.4 assists, 2.18 steals and 1.76 blocks per game that season. She enters the 2026-27 campaign ranked ninth in career scoring at USC with 1,709 points.
Watkins previously earned Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year honors ahead of the 2024-25 season before going on to be named the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors that same season.
Davidson begins her sophomore season after earning USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year honors in 2025-26. The only Division I player to lead her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks last season, Davidson averaged 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while starting all 32 contests for the Trojans.
The Portland, Oregon, native was also the only player in Division I basketball (men's or women's) to average at least 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. Davidson earned All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team recognition and was the only freshman selected to the All-Big Ten First Team.
Watkins and Davidson will represent USC at the 2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Media Day Presented by TIAA on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Coaches and student-athletes from each of the conference's 18 women's basketball programs will participate, with Big Ten Network providing live coverage beginning at 9 a.m. PT.
The Women of Troy open the 2026-27 season on Sunday, Oct. 25 as the Trojans host longtime rival Cal for the First Look Women's Basketball Exhibition at 2 p.m. PT at the Galen Center.
For more information on the USC women's basketball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WBB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWBB on Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram.
The preseason honors, which include an All-Big Ten Team and Player of the Year, were determined through separate voting by the conference's head coaches and a select media panel.
Watkins was named Preseason Player of the Year by both groups and was a unanimous selection to the coaches' Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Davidson joined Watkins on both the coaches' and media preseason teams as the only sophomore among the 10 honorees. USC and Michigan were the only two programs to place multiple players on both preseason teams.
Watkins returns to the court after missing the 2025-26 season due to injury. In her most recent season of competition, she swept the nation's top individual honors, winning the Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year award and AP National Player of the Year award following a standout 2024-25 campaign.
The Los Angeles native averaged 23.9 points, 3.4 assists, 2.18 steals and 1.76 blocks per game that season. She enters the 2026-27 campaign ranked ninth in career scoring at USC with 1,709 points.
Watkins previously earned Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year honors ahead of the 2024-25 season before going on to be named the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors that same season.
Davidson begins her sophomore season after earning USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year honors in 2025-26. The only Division I player to lead her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks last season, Davidson averaged 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while starting all 32 contests for the Trojans.
The Portland, Oregon, native was also the only player in Division I basketball (men's or women's) to average at least 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. Davidson earned All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team recognition and was the only freshman selected to the All-Big Ten First Team.
Watkins and Davidson will represent USC at the 2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Media Day Presented by TIAA on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Coaches and student-athletes from each of the conference's 18 women's basketball programs will participate, with Big Ten Network providing live coverage beginning at 9 a.m. PT.
The Women of Troy open the 2026-27 season on Sunday, Oct. 25 as the Trojans host longtime rival Cal for the First Look Women's Basketball Exhibition at 2 p.m. PT at the Galen Center.
For more information on the USC women's basketball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WBB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWBB on Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram.
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