After 588 days away from regulation NCAA basketball, JuJu Watkins returned to the court as USC opened its 2026–27 season against UNLV at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The senior guard’s comeback followed a torn ACL suffered during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, which forced her to miss the entire previous season.
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Watkins made an immediate impact in her return, helping the Trojans secure a 100–68 victory over UNLV. She finished with 21 points in 25 minutes, shooting 9-of-22 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. She also contributed five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block, giving USC an encouraging look at its returning star.
The third quarter provided one of Watkins’ strongest stretches of the night. She scored 11 points as USC outscored UNLV 31–10, extending its advantage after taking a 52–39 lead into halftime. Alongside Jazzy Davidson and Saniyah Hall, who scored 23 and 22 points respectively, Watkins helped the Trojans’ three leading scorers combine for 66 points.
However, Watkins’ return also attracted attention beyond the court. Several prominent members of the Las Vegas Aces organization were spotted watching the USC guard’s first game back, adding another layer of intrigue to the season opener.
According to on-site reporting from The IX Basketball, Aces head coach Becky Hammon and assistant coach Nola Henry were spotted courtside. They were joined by assistant coach Larry Lewis, team president Nikki Fargas, and veteran guard Chelsea Gray.
Watkins’ professional future is also drawing attention as she enters her senior season. USC’s official roster lists her as a senior after she redshirted the 2025–26 campaign because of her injury. She turns 22 on July 15, 2027, meeting the age requirement for that year’s WNBA Draft. She would also need to have no remaining college eligibility or renounce any future eligibility to enter. ESPN’s Oct. 27 mock draft projected her as the No. 1 overall selection, although the actual draft order remains to be determined.
Fans Speculate About Hammon’s Presence at JuJu Watkins’ Return
A video shared by Sports on Prime and TerpsWBB on Instagram brought Hammon’s appearance into the online conversation. The clip prompted fans to speculate about what her presence could mean for Watkins’ professional future.
One viewer summarized the speculation with a brief comment, writing, “Planting the seed.” The remark suggests that the fan interpreted the Aces’ significant representation, particularly Hammon and general manager Nikki Fargas, as a possible early effort to establish a connection with Watkins. The idea is that simply showing up for her return could put Las Vegas on the guard’s radar as she considers her professional future.
Another fan wanting to see Watkins in the Aces uniform wrote: “I been saying this. This is my wish but I know the odds are not in my favor but still.”
Wishing isn’t an issue, but the Aces have no direct path to acquire Watkins in the 2027 WNBA Draft because they aren’t a part of the seven teams in the lottery. Though they could try to acquire a lottery pick through a trade, that is not being spoken about right now.
“Aces are not getting nowhere near the lottery for this to happen,” one fan simply put it.
Commenting with this as the premise, another fan amusingly wrote how Hammon was there to figure out Watkins’ game to nerf her if the team faces her in the WNBA next year.
“She already figuring out ways to stop Juju,” they wrote.
And well, there were some who chose to steer clear of the theories linking Hammon’s presence to an actual interest from the Aces to sign Watkins.
“She may have been watching UNLV.. it is Vegas you know?!? Posts are silly!” one fan wrote.
For now, the Aces’ presence is the confirmed part of the story, while the meaning behind it remains open to interpretation. Hammon and other members of the organization watched Watkins return to the court, but their attendance alone does not establish a recruitment plan or a future move.
With Watkins beginning her senior season and already projected at the top of the 2027 draft, speculation about her next step is likely to continue. And it is not guaranteed that she will actually head to the WNBA Draft and not stay for one more year of college eligibility in 2027-28.