University Southern California Trojans
October 27, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Two-time award winner selected among 20 players for national preseason shooting guard of the year honor.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. —USC senior guard JuJu Watkins has been named to the 20-player preseason watch list for the 2027 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Now in its 10th year, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award recognizes the top shooting guard in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The award is named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer, who became the first player, regardless of gender, to earn All-America honors in four consecutive college seasons.
Watkins is seeking an unprecedented third Ann Meyers Drysdale Award after becoming the first two-time winner in the award's history. She claimed the honor in each of her first two collegiate seasons, earning recognition as the nation's top shooting guard in both 2024 and 2025.
The Los Angeles native returns to competition after missing the 2025-26 season while recovering from an injury sustained during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. In her most recent season, Watkins 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.
Watkins averaged 24.6 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign and was a unanimous AP All-America First Team selection, joining Courtney Paris and Maya Moore as the only players in history to earn first-team honors as both freshmen and sophomores. She was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.
The 6-foot-2 guard returned to the court for the first time in 580 days during USC's exhibition against Cal on Oct. 25, scoring 18 points while adding three rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 23 minutes to help the Women of Troy secure a 78-76 victory.Â
Watkins enters the 2026-27 season as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason AP All-American.
Fan voting will be available during each of the award's three rounds beginning Friday, Oct. 30. The 20-player watch list will be narrowed to 10 candidates in February and five finalists in March. In late March, the finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, which is composed of women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner will be announced alongside the other four members of the Women's Starting Five on a date to be determined. Fans can visit hoophallawards.com for additional information and award updates.
Watkins and USC women's basketball officially open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2 when the Trojans travel to Las Vegas to take on UNLV at T-Mobile Arena. The Women of Troy and Lady Rebels will clash at 1 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
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.Â
2027 ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Now in its 10th year, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award recognizes the top shooting guard in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The award is named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer, who became the first player, regardless of gender, to earn All-America honors in four consecutive college seasons.
Watkins is seeking an unprecedented third Ann Meyers Drysdale Award after becoming the first two-time winner in the award's history. She claimed the honor in each of her first two collegiate seasons, earning recognition as the nation's top shooting guard in both 2024 and 2025.
The Los Angeles native returns to competition after missing the 2025-26 season while recovering from an injury sustained during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. In her most recent season, Watkins 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.
Watkins averaged 24.6 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign and was a unanimous AP All-America First Team selection, joining Courtney Paris and Maya Moore as the only players in history to earn first-team honors as both freshmen and sophomores. She was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.
The 6-foot-2 guard returned to the court for the first time in 580 days during USC's exhibition against Cal on Oct. 25, scoring 18 points while adding three rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 23 minutes to help the Women of Troy secure a 78-76 victory.Â
Watkins enters the 2026-27 season as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason AP All-American.
Fan voting will be available during each of the award's three rounds beginning Friday, Oct. 30. The 20-player watch list will be narrowed to 10 candidates in February and five finalists in March. In late March, the finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, which is composed of women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner will be announced alongside the other four members of the Women's Starting Five on a date to be determined. Fans can visit hoophallawards.com for additional information and award updates.
Watkins and USC women's basketball officially open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2 when the Trojans travel to Las Vegas to take on UNLV at T-Mobile Arena. The Women of Troy and Lady Rebels will clash at 1 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
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.Â
2027 ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
- JuJu Watkins, USC
- Ruby Whitehorn, Arizona State
- Taliah Scott, Baylor
- Delaney Gibb, BYU
- Lulu Twidale, Cal
- Riley Weiss, Columbia
- Riley Nelson, Duke
- Dani Carnegie, Iowa
- Asia Boone, Kentucky
- Tajianna Roberts, Louisville
- MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU
- Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland
- Syla Swords, Michigan
- Talaysia Cooper, Ole Miss
- Taryn Barbot, Pitt
- Hannah Wickstrom, Purdue
- Tessa Johnson, South Carolina
- Donovyn Hunter, UCLA
- Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
- Avery Howell, Washington
Players Mentioned
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