JuJu Watkins was born on July 15th, 2005, in Los Angeles and is a basketball prodigy. He grew up playing in the Watts neighborhood. She is from a very renowned family when it comes to community work and helping society. 

So let’s get to know her more. What was her upbringing like? What is her ethnicity and heritage? 

Where is JuJu Watkins from? All about her nationality? 

JuJu Watkins was born as Judea Skies Watkins on July 15, 2005, in Los Angeles. She was raised by Robert and Sari. She began playing in a park league at age seven and gained recognition for her dominant play against older boys.

Her nationality is American, and she grew up with three of her siblings in Los Angeles. She also grew up around the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), a community organization founded by her great-grandfather, Ted Watkins Sr., a noted civil rights leader.

She started taking basketball seriously when she was 12 years old and often trained with her parents in the backyard. Interestingly, her parents were very supportive of whatever career path she chose, and even encouraged her to pursue other fields, such as modeling.

However, she chose to be a famous basketball star and is the basketball guard for USC Trojans women’s basketball team. She attended Windward School and Sierra Canyon School, both in her hometown of Los Angeles. In her first season at USC, Watkins was named a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. She received national freshman of the year recognition and set the NCAA Division I freshman scoring record.

What is JuJu Watkins’s ethnicity?

JuJu is African-American and often highlights her ethnicity and heritage while talking about the deep roots in her community. She often speaks about her family’s history, including her great-grandfather, Ted Watkins, who founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee(WLCAC).

Episode two of “On the Rise: JuJu Watkins”, the new documentary series shown by State Farm, depicted the importance of Watkins’ hometown of Watts, Los Angeles, and how family supports her basketball journey.

“JuJu comes from two families with such strong women on both sides,” Watkins’ aunt, Tracee, says in the episode. “And she has learned from both sides of the family how to carry herself.”

Watkins is also very proud of her hometown Watts and always makes sure the people of the whole time whenever she’s collaborating with something. “Whenever I do brand partnerships or have conversations about potentially partnering, I want to make sure that whatever we do, it somehow ties back to Watts,” Watkins explains. “Being from Watts, I always root for other people from Watts. I just want to inspire them. If that means being here to inspire some hope, then that’s what I have to do.”

She loves her natural hair, which is also a part of her ethnicity and culture, and takes a lot of care and time to tie it into a bun before breaking records on the basketball court. 

What is JuJu Watkins’s religion?

Watkins has always shown her gratitude to God and spoken about her faith pretty often. She is a Christian, and her faith is at the center of her life. 

She believes her basketball talent is a blessing. “I put in the work, but honestly, some things are just God- given,” she said. Her faith keeps her grounded, even with all the spotlight she gets. Her parents always taught her to be humble, and it’s something that comes naturally to her. “My parents always made sure I stayed humble. That’s just who I am,” she said.

Faith is a part of her family. From her great-grandfather’s activism to her parents’ values, having faith has always moved her forward. Her journey is not just about basketball but also about her heritage, her connection to Watts, and her legacy.