USC star JuJu Watkins won the 2025 NCAA Player of the Year shortly after tearing her ACL, which kept her out for 588 days. An injury such as an ACL tear is one of the most dangerous an athlete could suffer and can sometimes even be career-ending. However, returning to the hardwood for the 2026/27 NCAA season, Watkins looked like she barely missed a step. Against UNLV, Watkins scored 21 points in 25 minutes, as USC won 100-68. Watkins’ return couldn’t have started better, especially since she’s eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. But while many positives surround Watkins’ return, a former college basketball player has her doubts.

“A lot of people are speculating that she’s (Watkins) likely going to go to the league. She looks like she didn’t miss a step. And this was kind of a small sample size of JuJu because the team that they were playing was really, really bad. And I do actually think that JuJu was going to get a lot better, even as the season goes on, like coming off of an ACL injury, it takes a little bit of time. Her body might be 100%, but I don’t think we’re going to see the best of Juju,” Rachel DeMita said, per a Courtside Club clip on X.

Watkins has only just returned to action after a 19-month absence, so it remains to be seen whether DeMita’s prediction will eventually prove accurate. However, based on Monday’s performance, DeMita’s assessment certainly holds weight. Although Watkins finished with 21 points, her efficiency left plenty to be desired. She struggled to find her rhythm early, missing eight of her 12 attempts in the first half. While she found her footing in the third quarter, scoring 11 points, Watkins still ended the night shooting just 9-of-22 from the field. Moreover, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb sat her on the bench after the third quarter because he wants Watkins to take it easy after returning from an ACL tear.

“We are still putting a restriction on JuJu’s minutes and being intentional that she has the chance to ramp up,” said Gottlieb.

But Watkins’ lower-than-desired shooting efficiency drew criticism from analyst Mick Curely. With all the conversations surrounding Watkins and the WNBA, Curely believes Watkins is overhyped and doesn’t belong in the same conversation as Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.

“Am I the only person that’s not entirely sold on JuJu? She’s going to be a great player, but I just don’t see her on the same stratosphere offensively as Paige/Caitlin. She’s a 40% shooter at the NCAA level. Just because her buckets look pretty doesn’t change that fact,” Curely wrote on X after Watkins shot 40.9% against UNLV, with teammate Jazzy outscoring her by two points with a 90.9% shooting percentage.

Both Clark and Bueckers entered the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick. In their last NCAA seasons, Clark averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game. As for Bueckers, the UConn Huskies product won the national championship after averaging 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. ESPN’s October 27 mock draft projected Watkins as the No. 1 overall selection, so she has some big shoes to fill.

With Watkins slowly regaining form after her ACL injury in addition to having minutes restrictions, Curely’s criticism ties to what DeMita suggested about Watkins’ return. But again, with Watkins’ potential WNBA move next year, the former college basketball player added that Watkins’ “WNBA version” will arrive at the tail end of the season, not now.

Watkins will turn 22 on July 15 next year, meaning she is eligible for next year’s WNBA draft. USC’s official roster lists her as a senior after she redshirted last season due to her ACL tear. The hype for Watkins in the WNBA only grew on Monday, as Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon, guard Chelsea Gray, assistant coach Larry Lewis, and team president Nikki Fargas were all present at T-Mobile Arena, according to on-site reporting from The IX Basketball. With such significant representation, fans on social media have already started speculating that the three-time WNBA champions are trying to establish a connection with Watkins.

After a long road back to the hardwood, Watkins enters the season with plenty of expectations surrounding her. However, for now, the 21-year-old is simply grateful and emotional to have the opportunity to step onto the court again.

“It was great to just be out there with my team again and to see the first one fall through,” Watkins told CBS’s Jordan Giorgio.