Although the 2024-2025 NCAA women’s basketball season may not have ended the way that USC women’s basketball star sophomore guard JuJu Watkins envisioned, she came away with some impressive hardware to showcase all her hard work.
On Wednesday, Watkins was awarded the women’s 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, adding to her collection of accolades. She became just the third USC player to win the award, joining Lisa Leslie and Cheryl Miller atop the list.
This season, Watkins averaged an impressive 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists, leading USC to a record of 31-4 (16-1 in the Big Ten) and helping the team secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Against AP top-10 opponents, Watkins played even better, averaging 26.2 points , 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range. She became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a single game with her work for the Trojans in their win over No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center.
In addition to winning the Naismith award, Watkins has also been named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year. She is one of four finalists for the Wade Trophy, one of five players in the running for the Wooden Award and was also a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
Watkins was one of four finalists for the Naismith award, competing with Notre Dame sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo, UCLA junior center Lauren Betts and UConn redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers.
Hidalgo was named the ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25. Betts was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference. Bueckers was named the 2025 Big East Player of the Year for the third time after winning in 2021 and 2024.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards – the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Naismith Awards recognize the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches.
Watkins was chosen by leading media members from around the country, current and former head coaches, and former award winners and conference commissioners. All members of the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy based their vote on outstanding on-court performances throughout the 2024-2025 college basketball season.