Carlos Boozer drops 1-word reaction as Juju Watkins wins Naismith National Player of the Year honor after sensational season

Juju Watkins made a mark on women's college basketball in her sophomore season. Watkins led her USC Trojans to a number one seed for the NCAA Women's Tournament with a 28-3 record before tournament play.

Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks, stuffing the stat sheet on her way to being named the Naismith National Player of the Year for her efforts.

Former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer noted Watkins's season and her accolades, leaving a one-word reaction to Nike's post about Watkins' newest hardware:

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Carlos Boozer shouts out Juju Watkins after she was announced Naismith National Player of the Year (Image via Instagram @nike)

"EARNED" Boozer commented.

Watkins is already one of the most exciting and promising players in women's college basketball and was putting on a show in the NCAA Women's Tournament.

However, her tournament ended early as she suffered a torn ACL in her right knee in USC's round of 32 game against Mississippi State. Watkins was considered done for the season and would miss USC's next two games.

No recovery timeline has been listed for Watkins, but she will likely miss some, if not all, of her Junior year while she rehabilitates.

Juju Watkins reacts to being named 2025 Naismith National Player of the Year

The Naismith National Player of the Year award is given to the best college basketball player for that particular season, with a men's and women's winner. For the women, the 2025 Naismith National Player of the Year is Juju Watkins.

Watkins' to the news of winning the award was posted on the Naismith Awards X account where she was at a loss for words after hearing the news:

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"Wow, I'm at a loss for words right now. What an incredible honor. I want to sincerely thank Naismith for this amazing recognition. This is truly special and I feel blessed to be selected amongst the best in the game... This is just the beginning and I can't wait for what's ahead"

A very touching speech from Juju Watkins, who was unable to accept the award in person as she is currently recovering from a torn ACL. As Watkins said, this is just the beginning, and the basketball world looks forward to seeing her back out on the court again in the future.

About the author

Wes Laufert is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a BAH in Economics, Politics, and Philosophy and over three years of experience in the field with publications including The Maple Minute.

His experiences working with varsity basketball teams as well as essay writing helped Wes hone his skills and put him on the road to sports journalism.

Born and raised in Canada, Wes has always looked to get involved with all levels of basketball, whether it's playing, writing or coaching. If it involves the game, Wes wants to be a part of it.

Wes' favorite team is the Toronto Raptors as he grew up watching them and they are the only Canadian team in the NBA. His favorite past player is Julius Erving due to the impact he had on the game in the 70s and 80s.

Growing up, Wes always loved watching the KD and Russ era OKC Thunder because they were one of if not the most exciting young duos in the league.

Wes lives for sports, so when he isn't writing about basketball, he loves watching other sports.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash