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After Hyping Up Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, Vanessa Bryant Joins WNBA Legend in Support of 18YO Starlet

Published 11/12/2023, 12:52 AM EST

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Vanessa Bryant’s recent court appearance has bolstered the image of the 18-year-old college star creating buzz in the basketball world with her sensational debut. This show of support from the Mamba’s spouse came weeks after she threw her weight behind Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Behind her latest support is a promising resume that the teen sensation built during preseason games.

Vanessa earlier uploaded a photo of Reese slaying her opponents on LSU’s official Facebook page. Notably, Kobe 6 Grinches were handed to each member of the LSU women’s basketball team early this year. Byrant also posted comparable pictures of other collegiate athletes including Angel’s nemesis Caitlin Clark wearing the new Kobe sneakers at work. And now her court outing has shifted focus toward the emerging star.

A historic home game

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JuJu Watkins scored eighteen points in her home debut to help No. 21 USC upset Florida Gulf Coast 67-51. She grabbed seven rebounds in her home debut to lead No. 21 Southern California to defeat Florida Gulf Coast 67-51 on Friday night.

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The most interesting part of the game was the star-studded spectatorship. Vanessa Bryant and Candace Parker showed their support for JuJu Watkins with their children, as she’s been casting quite a basketball spell these days.

The highly anticipated rookie was coming off a 32-point outburst in her first collegiate game, an 83-74 triumph against seventh-ranked Ohio State. Rayah Marshall scored an additional 18 points despite USC’s four fouls. The Trojans were behind early in the game, going behind 9-0, but they responded with a 14-2 run to take the lead. During the first-quarter run, Watkins scored four points and Marshall scored six.

Rise of JuJu Watkins

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In the season’s first game, the USC Trojans defeated Ohio State. And the main attraction of the match was JuJu Watkins’ college debut.

The fact that JuJu scored 32 points in her rookie debut—two more than Trojans great Lisa Leslie—is even more noteworthy. Her performance has improved the USC Trojans, for sure, this season.

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Watch This Story: How Many NBA Stars Did Late Legend Bob Knight Coach?

After the historic back-to-back victory banger, will JuJu Watkins be able to shine in the stardom of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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Written by:

Nima Murugan

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Nima Murugan is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master's in English Literature, she provides detailed analysis of the games. Nima developed an interest in the NBA after witnessing the greatness of LeBron James and she continues to support the Los Angeles Lakers with passion.
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Edited by:

Bilal Handoo