The USC Trojans missed Juju Watkins as much as anybody. The Trojans were No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament for consecutive years but then fell to No. 9 with Watkins out with her ACL injury. But now, Watkins is ready for her comeback arc. “I’ll be ready for next season,” Watkins confirmed at the Team USA Camp. Ahead of her return, the hype slowly built up on and off the court as Watkins switched from the basketball court to a more artistic side-hustle. 

Back in February, Nike announced the LeBron NXXT Gen by Juju. It was co-designed by Juju with the Lakers star. “Working with LeBron to co-create a first is wild,” JuJu says. “It’s built for my game, my story,” she said at the time. “Shaping something to share with the next generation of hoopers means everything.” Now, Nike has dropped its latest promo for the Silver Lining Colorway featuring Watkins igniting a reaction from USC. 

In the 22-second advert, Juju has a red hue across the face, which refers to the rising anticipation around her return. “I may be out, but I’m still locked in,” Watkins says in the spot. “They think my game is on ice, but I never stopped working.” James reposted it while writing, “Very much so!!!” alongside five flame emojis and one flex emoji. The shoe is reportedly dropping on May 27.

USC pitched in by writing, “🔥 incoming from our NXXT Gen ⭐️ The Place To Be.” That caption hits harder with the context of their upcoming recruiting class. 

The Trojans are set to surround Watkins with some elite talent, as they have the No. 1 recruiting class per ESPN. They have the No. 1 recruit for the third time in three years with Saniyah Hall joining the program. Lindsay Gottlieb has also added No. 5 ranked Sarah Okeke and Saniyah Fagan to the team. While that is a boost on the court for the program, it adds to their NIL value as well. 

With Juju Watkins And Co, USC Set’s The Bar For NIL 

USC has always been the place where some of the most popular athletes go to. From Cheryl Miller to Lisa Leslie to Kiki Iriafen, they have been the crème de la crème of women’s basketball. But now the brand is going to a different level altogether, adapting to the new NIL era with multiple players on lucrative contracts.

Juju Watkins signed one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball in 2024. Now, she is set to have her own shoe with LeBron James himself. She has other deals with brands like Fantics, Unrivaled, and United Airlines, among others, making her one of the most sought-after faces in women’s basketball. But the program has multiple faces that make it stand out. 

Jazzy Davidson has a Nike deal as well with her own logo and a Sabrina PE. Davidson had a brief cameo in the commercial introducing Sabrina Ionescu’s third signature Nike shoe. The Nike Sabrina 3 dropped in a colorway designed by Davidson. 

If two future faces of women’s basketball weren’t enough, they are bringing in Saniyah Hall. The No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2026, has a deal with Jordan Brand. She is one of the youngest athletes ever to join the iconic basketball label’s growing NIL roster. It’s a really healthy sign for USC who have multiple athletes receiving visibility players only dream of.

This has multiple indirect benefits for the program. The recruiting advantage is already evident with multiple top classes. Then, USC is also an attractive transfer portal destination, as the off-court success is another offering on the negotiating table. It helps with the marketing and promotion leading to filled coffers. In the new era of NIL, where teams are still adapting, USC is pulling ahead.