National reaction to JuJu Watkins’ dominant women’s basketball debut at USC
Well, now! That was quite a way to make an entrance for JuJu Watkins.
The USC freshman played her very first regular-season game as a Trojan on Monday. She did so in Las Vegas, a city of dreams and aspirations. She faced the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes, a team with big dreams of its own. The Buckeyes are expected to battle Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Big Ten championship this season. USC, ranked in the top 25 in the preseason polls but just outside the top 20, faced a very big challenge.
JuJu Watkins was going to need to do something special in her first game in order to beat the Buckeyes and give USC women’s basketball a great start to its season.
Does 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting sound good enough for you? What about six rebounds and five assists as well?
Watkins dominated a top-10 opponent in her first USC game. She didn’t need a warm-up game against Long Beach State or Cal-State Bakersfield. She was thrown into the fire against Ohio State and immediately played like a No. 1 recruit.
Social media reaction was swift and clear: USC has something very, very special on its hands.
Let’s see how people responded to this electric collegiate debut for JuJu Watkins:
REAL DEAL
JuJu Watkins at the half in her first college game:
16 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk
No. 1 player in the nation is the real deal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nqb43qcxOM
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 6, 2023
EMPHATIC
Juju Watkins ‼️‼️ #legit
— Chris Sylvester (@ChrisSylvester_) November 6, 2023
PLAYING WELL BEYOND HER YEARS
It isn’t just JuJu Watkins’ 30 points. Her poise and basketball IQ would be considered off the charts for a junior. This is her first college game. USC has been a different team with her in the game vs. her on the bench.
— Charlie Creme (@CharlieCreme) November 6, 2023
PERIOD!
JUJU. WATKINS.
📺: @truTV pic.twitter.com/XJX2Q8bokV
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) November 6, 2023
BODY CONTROL
JuJu Watkins’ footwork + body control, more than anything, is what I think is going to make her generational in college. She thrived in HS just being bigger, but can utilize size against tougher collegiate defenders like here: keeping defender on hip + elevating. Special https://t.co/tk3BytksR4
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) November 6, 2023
JUST STAY OUT OF FOUL TROUBLE!
Both JuJu Watkins and Isaiah Collier are so central to USC basketball this season.
If either of them gets into foul trouble, it will be hard for USC to beat good teams.
Exactly what played out in that third quarter.
— USC Trojans Wire (@TrojansWire) November 6, 2023
STONE COLD
JuJu Watkins is too cold pic.twitter.com/T6iV8fr1fu
— Aidan Berg (@AidanBerg_) November 6, 2023
BIG TIME
Juju Watkins is a PROBLEM!!
— Jade Rogers (@JRogers32) November 6, 2023
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!
Caitlin Clark should stay one more year at Iowa so we can watch her and Juju Watkins go back and forth.
— Kyla (they/she) 🏳️⚧️ 🐓❤️🖤 (@TipsfortheCis) November 6, 2023
NOT BAD
Juju Watkins drops 30 in her debut?? Whew. And beating a top 10 team so far.
— Darrias (@ImJustAce) November 6, 2023
HYPERBOLE OR TRUTH?
JuJu Watkins could be top 3 pick in this years W Draft. Her NIL deals bout to be CRAZY!!!!!! She on some Cheryl Miller type stuff
— BEAN 🏁🏁🏁 (@MGRADS) November 6, 2023
BUT WE HOPE SHE WILL STAY FOR FOUR YEARS
Juju Watkins don’t need four years of college. She’s different!
— The9450 (@The9450) November 6, 2023
THE JUJU STANDARD
A 30 ball by Juju Watkins is TUFFF in her rookie debut. Sheesh.
— Tykera Carter (@tykeracarter) November 6, 2023
SMOOTH
JuJu Watkins already killin.. She so smooth wit it ✌🏾 #USC #Hoops
— Eric Wright (@EWrighteous21) November 6, 2023
WE LOVE IT
Juju Watkins dropping 30 in her first college game vs Ohio St is wild #WNBA gotta hurry up and adjust these rules. These girls becoming too good.
— Joseph (@Jospitta) November 6, 2023
HOLD ON -- LET'S ENJOY HER BASKETBALL AT USC
JuJu Watkins is 1 and done. Can play right now in the WNBA
— Jermaine Cushnie (@JermaineCush) November 6, 2023
CRAZY GOOD
Juju Watkins going crazy for SC
— Lex (@alexussaragonn) November 6, 2023
STATEMENT GAME
@USCWBB walking teams down all season long march madness goes through JUJU Watkins y’all been warned don’t come to LA ✌️✌️ #Fighton✌️ pic.twitter.com/XOSR3ydhzt
— KWON🌹 (@Aceboykwon) November 6, 2023