JuJu Watkins has been going through a bit of a sophomore slump recently, and the timing is rough for USC. The Trojans are about to host No. 1 UCLA in their first Battle of Los Angeles as Big Ten opponents on Thursday. The Bruins are the last undefeated team in the nation, and USC would benefit from getting the best version of their star player in Watkins.
Before diving deeper into Watkins’ play, it’s important to point out this is a “slump” in relation to the elite standards she has already set for herself. This also doesn’t mean the Trojans don’t have other key players to keep them competitive.
Where to watch USC, JuJu Watkins vs. UCLA, Lauren Betts: TV channel, tip time, live stream for Big Ten duel
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Without further ado, here is a closer look at what is going on with Watkins.
Identifying the inefficiency
Watkins is leading USC with 23.9 points per game, but she has not been efficient on offense in the past month. Since scoring 35 points on an impressive 86.7% from the field in USC’s 95-73 win over Penn Sate on Jan. 12, Watkins has not shot above 40%.
The Trojans suffered a shocking loss to Iowa on Feb. 2 in a game in which Watkins scored her team’s first field goal with 26 seconds remaining in the first quarter. She went on to finish the day with 27 points, but 10 of those came from the free throw line as she went 8 of 22 from the field.
As a team, USC bounced back with a 22-point victory over Wisconsin in its next game. However, Watkins had her lowest scoring game of the season — and second-lowest of her career — with 14 points on 4 of 11 shooting, and she didn’t notch a single assist.
The struggles continued as Watkins started 0 for 11 in the next game against Ohio State. She eventually finished the day with 17 points, but had her worst field goal percentage of the season at 5 of 21 (23.8%). Her second-worst shooting day came a week earlier, when she went 7 of 24 (29.2%) in a 82-69 win over Minnesota.
Shot selection an issue
Watkins struggles with shot selection, and some of that is because of the pressure opponents put on her. She made her name known in women’s college basketball early in her freshman year, but teams have had more time to learn her game. Watkins is still the top player on opponents’ scouting reports, which guarantees she’ll face significant defensive pressure on a nightly basis.
Yes, Watkins faced pressure last season, but expectations are much different for freshmen compared to sophomores, from both outsiders and themselves.
However, Lindsay Gottlieb made a good point after the Ohio State game, saying this USC roster is different from last season’s in that Watkins doesn’t have to carry as much weight offensively as she did before.
In 2023-24, Watkins averaged 27.1 points per game and broke the all-time freshman scoring record. That was the second-best scoring average in the nation behind Iowa legend Caitlin Clark. Even with her current slump, Watkins is not completely far off from where she was, as she is averaging 23.9 points per contest. The key difference now is she doesn’t need to average 27 points.
Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen is a talented midrange shooter and also gives USC a boost in the paint. She gives the team 18 points per game while making 51.5% of her shots. There is also freshman guard Kennedy Smith, who contributes 10.2 points per contest despite a month-long absence earlier this season due to a surgical procedure.
USC has seven players who average more than six points per game. The game against Wisconsin was a good example of players stepping up around Watkins, as Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel gave the Trojans a combined 24 points off the bench.
It’s not time to panic
Watkins is still very much going to be a key piece for the Trojans in March. Her whole season has not been a struggle, as she has registered 19 games with 20+ points — including a 40-point game against California Baptist in which she shot 66.7% from the field. In the biggest win of the season for USC, a 72-70 victory over UConn, Watkins registered 25 points on 56.3% shooting.
Watkins had some impressive games as a freshman, including a 51-point performance. However, she was not the most efficient player even then as she shot 40.1% as a freshman. Even with the sophomore slump, Watkins is still shooting better than that at 43%.
While it might not be the flashiest way to score, Watkins also knows how to get points by getting to the free throw line. She is in the top five nationally with a total of 151 made free throws.
The Trojans are No. 9 in scoring offense with 83.2 points per game, but the reason their scoring margin is top five in the nation is because they also have solid defenders. Watkins is one of them thanks to her versatility and basketball IQ.
