Juju Watkins waited 588 days to play basketball again. On Monday afternoon, the wait was over.
USC star Juju Watkins returned in the Trojans’ 100-68 victory over UNLV at Thomas & Mack Center, finishing with 21 points on 9-of-22 shooting, five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.
Photo courtesy espnW
But the numbers weren’t the most memorable part. Afterward, Watkins appeared to choke up while discussing her return and playing alongside her friend Jazzy Davidson in an interview with CBS Sports Network’s Jordan Giorgio. When Giorgio asked whether she was choking up, Watkins denied it, but her reaction told another story.
The last time we saw Watkins on the court, she tore her ACL in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament. The injury ended her season and kept her out for the following season, too.
Without her, USC fell to eventual national champion Connecticut, 78-64, in the regional final, and Watkins could only watch as the Trojans’ pursuit of a Final Four berth ended. On Monday, she finally got to do more than watch.
Seeing her play again was special. She had worked so long for this opportunity. She delivered, too, right from the get-go, getting the opening tip to Davidson, who scored on the play.
Watkins missed her first two shots before breaking through with a three-point play midway through the first quarter. She followed with a layup off a pass from Kennedy Smith, who had stolen the ball from UNLV’s Jayla Constant.
Watkins finished the first quarter with six points on 2-of-5 shooting, two rebounds and a steal in seven minutes.
She had her strongest scoring quarter in the third, finishing with 11 points. She used a crossover to create an opening, then found Davidson for a basket. Twenty-two seconds later, she scored off a steal and assist by Davidson.
It shouldn’t be surprising that Watkins showed rust, but here’s what’s encouraging: She made Jasmyn Lott work for her eight points. Her midrange jumper was fine. Instead of forcing shots after early misses, she kept looking for Davidson. She also beat defenders to the paint and scored.
Watkins didn’t have to make every shot to influence the game. Her passing, defense, and ability to attack gave USC something beyond the points beside her name in the box score. That distinction matters when evaluating her performance. The missed shots were part of the afternoon, but so were the connections with teammates and the emotion. Her return offered more than one way to measure progress.
The Trojans’ scoring balance gave Watkins room to work her way back. Davidson led with 23 points, Saniyah Hall added 21, and Smith finished with 12. Watkins didn’t have to carry the offense on her first day back.
USC’s starters already showed chemistry. The Trojans’ scoring depth offered reason to believe they can challenge South Carolina and Connecticut. But the championship conversation can wait. This game was about a player getting another chance to do what she had missed for so long.
Time will tell her rhythm and what this team can become. Monday offered a starting point, not a final verdict.
