Former NBA champion makes bold claim regarding JuJu Watkins after USC star outshines Paige Bueckers

JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans picked up a narrow 72-70 win over Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies on Saturday. With Bueckers expected to be the top pick of the 2026 WNBA draft and Watkins expected to make the jump to the WNBA level after the 2026-27 season, all eyes were on the two standouts when they went head-to-head.

Watkins shined with 25 points, while Bueckers logged 22. The way former NBA champion Stephen Jackson sees things, Watkins is already ready for the pro game. On "All The Smoke" on Tuesday, Jackson and his co-host Matt Barnes discussed Watkins' WNBA eligibility.

Currently, women are required to be graduating seniors or 22 years old before being eligible for the WNBA draft.

"Well, I think you know me; I look at it differently," Jackson said (Timestamp: 5:00). "I think she's definitely ready for the WNBA now. She could be the face of changing that rule. Why shouldn't she be? ... I've always felt like if you can go to war at 18 and put your life on the line, you should be able to take care of your family and play a sport at 18 as well."

"She's really special," Matt Barnes agrees about JuJu Watkins

While it will be another two-and-a-half seasons before fans have a chance to see JuJu Watkins compete at the WNBA level, her play has already generated tons of talk.

In addition to NBA players like Ja Morant tuning in to see Bueckers and Watkins battle it out, longtime TV personality Stephen A. Smith has gone so far as to say that Watkins deserves the same kind of coverage that former Iowa legend/current Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark gets.

To Matt Barnes JuJu Watkins is a special player, who is a rarity in today's NCAA given that she hasn't been held back and hasn't redshirted.

While other NCAA players competed at the collegiate level for more than four years, Watkins is competing against players her age.

"You gotta think, too, she's, like, the legitimate age in this day and age where there are holdbacks and double holdbacks, and super redshirts. ... She's her actual age and in the right grade," Barnes said.

"To see her talent, she's really special. I'm really excited to continue to see what this season holds for college basketball and the women's side."

Saturday's game was the first and only meeting between the two teams, meaning if fans want to see Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins play again, the stars will have to align for a March Madness showdown.