Today, women’s college basketball is rapidly shifting, thanks to big NIL deals. And, at the center of it all, right now, is JuJu Watkins. Even while she sits out this season to recover from her ACL injury, her presence still hangs over the sport. So when early photos of a USC-colored GT Cut 3 Turbo surfaced (bright red, gold accents, even a tiny flower stitched in), it instantly felt like Nike’s quiet nod to her. They had her name written all over them. But JuJu, being JuJu, turned the moment around.

Instead of treating it like a personal milestone, she turned it into something bigger, using those very sneakers to show her teammates that they’re always the first people she wants to share her wins with.

In a now-viral social-media clip, Watkins walked into a team meeting with a pile of Nike boxes already waiting at the front, revealing her GT Cut 3 Turbo PE for the very first time. Not to the world, but to her USC teammates. “I wanted to surprise you guys,” Watkins told her teammates. “I did a shoe with Nike, and I wanted you to be the first to get it.”

Now, USC has always been a Nike school, but the women’s basketball team sits in an even more exclusive tier. They’re part of the select “Mamba Program,” one of only seven in the entire NCAA. That badge gives them early access to Kobe retros and special gear before anyone else even sees a release date. So it was already easy to imagine Trojans, and plenty of other college players, slipping into JuJu’s PEs as the season kept moving. But JuJu’s quiet, almost shy way of explaining the surprise, followed by her teammates’ wholesome reactions, just had everyone going aww!

Before her injury, Watkins had penned a major multi-year sneaker deal with Nike, one of the biggest endorsement packages ever given to a women’s basketball player. Part of that deal guaranteed that her own player-exclusive models would eventually hit retail shelves. And now, after seeing how her story continues to unfold, it’s pretty clear why Nike didn’t hesitate to invest in her so heavily.

Her newest shoe, the Nike GT Cut 3, appears to have been dipped straight into USC pride, featuring a deep maroon upper, a bold gold Swoosh that slices across the sides, and matching golden accents on the laces and tongue logo. But the detail that really gets people talking sits behind the tongue: a stitched flower graphic. Giving someone their flowers? Yes, it never felt this stylish.

Performance-wise, the shoe’s stacked, too, with ZoomX foam for serious bounce and cushioning, multicourt traction for those sharp stop-and-go moves, and a carbon fiber plate underneath to add power and stability.

Well, Watkins has been collecting big moments long before college. She was the McDonald’s All-American MVP in high school and carried that momentum straight into USC in 2024, helping lead the Trojans to the Elite Eight and earning national freshman-of-the-year honors. Her sophomore season had that same energy; she helped snag a regular-season Big Ten title before tearing her ACL in the second round of March Madness. Yet, even with the injury, nobody doubts where she’s headed next: she’s projected to be a top WNBA draft pick and a future star at the pro level.

Also, unlike most college PEs we see floating around each season, JuJu’s GT Cut 3 Turbo isn’t staying behind closed doors; it’s getting a full public release this holiday season. Fans can already find pairs at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and a wider Nike drop is expected in the coming weeks.

It’s clear that JuJu’s influence is growing rapidly beyond the court, and her blueprint is what many might want to follow.

Watkins became the first college athlete to invest in a pro women’s team

In a move that feels perfectly on brand for someone who keeps breaking new ground, USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins recently stepped into a whole new lane, as an investor. She’s officially part of the group backing the Boston Legacy Football Club, the NWSL’s newest expansion team set to kick off in March 2026. The announcement dropped on Nov. 6 through a press release, and it came with a historic note: JuJu is the first college athlete to buy into a professional women’s team.

“Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level,” Watkins said in the statement, “and I’m proud to be part of the movement pushing women’s sports forward.”

Well, yes, she’s joining an impressive roster of investors, too. Former USC standout and current Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Olympic champ Aly Raisman, WNBA star Aliyah Boston, and Boston Celtics GM Brad Stevens are all in the mix.

Talking about JuJu’s individual impact, though, Jennifer Epstein, the controlling owner of the Boston Legacy FC, said:

“Juju’s investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women’s sports and the power of NIL. As the first college athlete to directly invest in a women’s professional sports team, she’s showing that today’s student-athletes aren’t just building their own brands — they’re shaping the future of the game.”

So, this is how JuJu Watkins is carving space for herself in history and becoming an example for many young athletes.