JuJu Watkins spent 588 days waiting to get back on the court. It took her just two games to start rewriting the record books. After tearing her ACL in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the USC star sat out all of last season. Now she is back, and she has already done something no Big Ten player has done in a quarter century, with a conference award to go with it. 

“In just her second game back, our 2025 @jerseymikes Naismith Women’s College POY, JuJu Watkins, became the first Big Ten player in the last 25 years to record 30 PTS, 16 REB, 5 AST and 5 STL. Her 16 rebounds also marked a new career high. She’s back on our 2027 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College POY Watch List. and she is also JuJu Watkins is your Big Ten Co-Player of the Week!” posted by Naismith Awards on X.

It happened on Sunday, Nov. 8, in USC’s home opener at Galen Center. The third-ranked Trojans beat Utah State 118-40, and Watkins finished with 32 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and five steals in just 27 minutes. She shot 10-of-19 from the field, hit four of seven 3-pointers and made eight of nine free throws. 

When a reporter told her after the game that the 16 rebounds were a career high, she said, “Oh wow, I didn’t even know that.”

She had plenty of help. Six Trojans scored in double figures, led by freshman Saniyah Hall, who had 20 points for the second straight game. USC shot 60%, handed out 29 assists with just seven turnovers and won the rebounding battle 56-19. 

The 78-point win was the second-largest margin in program history, behind a 124-39 win over Cal State Northridge in November 2024. It was also the first time USC scored 100 points in back-to-back games since 1986. 

The run started a week earlier. In the season opener, she scored 21 points in 25 minutes in a 100-68 win over UNLV, her first game since the injury. Since then, the numbers have kept stacking up. 

Sunday was her 18th career double-double and her 22nd game with at least 30 points, which leaves her three short of Cheryl Miller’s school record of 25. 

Before the season, she said of her comeback, “I want it really badly, but also in a healthy way. I just want to have fun and really enjoy this year.”

USC Eyes a Title While Watkins Builds Back Up

Those numbers have raised the stakes for USC, which is going after its first national championship since 1984. Watkins was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, and the schedule gets tough soon. The Trojans visit top-ranked South Carolina on Nov. 15, then face No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 4 Duke in the Players Era Showcase in Las Vegas in mid-December.

Still, her team is not rushing her back. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the UNLV game, “We are still putting a restriction on JuJu’s minutes and being intentional that she has the chance to ramp up.” That is why she played 27 minutes against Utah State.

Some analysts think her best is still to come. Former college player Rachel DeMita said on a Courtside Club clip, “I don’t think we’re going to see the best of Juju.” She argued that even after an ACL injury, a player’s body can be at 100% while it still takes time to get back to full form.

The preseason predictions, meanwhile, lean her way. The Guardian’s writers made their picks before the season. Ella Brockway, Stephanie Kaloi and Nicholas Levine each chose Watkins as national player of the year, while Bryan Armen Graham went with UConn’s Sarah Strong. 

All four had USC in their Women’s Final Four, and Levine picked the Trojans to win the title. The other three went with South Carolina.

Her next chance to add to the numbers comes on Tuesday, Nov. 10, when USC hosts Charleston at Galen Center. The early signs say Watkins is close to her old form, even if the full version is still on the way.