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USC Trojans star Juju Watkins is women’s college basketball’s next big star, and Nike is paying her a handsome sum because of it.
ESPN reports Watkins, ahead of her sophomore season, is set to sign one of the richest shoe endorsements in women’s basketball. The report adds that Nike officials “finished discussions Tuesday on the deal.”
Watkins originally signed with Nike in 2022 when she was one of the top prospects set to come out of high school.
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USC guard JuJu Watkins takes a question at the podium during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. (Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images / IMAGN)
It’s unknown what the financials are for the deal.
Watkins comes into this season as the AP Preseason Player of the Year, and rightfully so after finishing second behind Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark in points scored per game with 27.1 last year.
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That was a record from Watkins, as she became the all-time leading scorer among freshmen in Division I women’s basketball history. She totaled 920 points, which surpassed San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson, who finished the 1983-84 season with 898 points.
But more important for the Trojans’ program, Watkins helped lead USC to the Elite Eight last season for the first time in the last three decades.
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) shoots a jump shot during the second half against UConn Huskies forward Aaliyah Edwards (3) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center. (Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN)
Watkins, along with UConn’s Paige Bueckers and LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson among others, is among the next wave of women’s basketball stars that are expected to be top picks in the WNBA Draft when they are eligible.
However, WNBA requirements say players must be at least 22 years old, to have completed college eligibility, have graduated from a four-year college or be four years removed from high school to enter the Draft.
At just 19 years old, Watkins would be able to enter the draft once she’s done with her collegiate career, just as Clark and many others did before extending their stardom in the W.
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during an NCAA Women’s Tournament 2nd round game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Galen Center. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN)
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So, as the likes of Clark, Angel Reese and many others continue to grow the game professionally, Watkins will be leading the charge on the collegiate level and she’ll be wearing Nike gear to do so.
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