IN PHOTOS: USC's JuJu Watkins shares snippets from her 'away' time before kick-starting the upcoming women's basketball season

After a fierce last season, JuJu Watkins shared snippets from her time during the offseason. It is the time of the year when players take some time off-court, especially after the conclusion of the thrilling March Madness.

On Monday, Watkins posted three pictures before the commencement of the upcoming basketball season and captioned the post:

"Been away."

As a freshman, Watkins was the key player for the USC Trojans women's basketball team in the last season.

She was part of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team in her first collegiate season. The prolific scorer averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season, shooting 40.1% from the field and 31.9% from beyond the arc. She converted 85.2% of her attempts from the foul line, making it 7.1 out of 8.3 per game.

On her debut for the Trojans, Watkins scored 32 points against Ohio State. She was a key player in the team's Elite Eight run, the first since 1994, in the 2024 March Madness. She surpassed the Division I freshman scoring record, previously held by Tina Hutchinson, by scoring 920 points. At the end of the season, she was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Watkins was ESPN's number-one recruit in the class of 2023. She will look to go further in the NCAA tournament next season after the Elite Eight 90-73 loss against UConn in 2024.

"I mean, I'm so motivated by the loss. It was definitely something for me to reflect on, for the team to reflect on," Watkins said while making an appearance on the NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart.

"We had a great year, we had a run, but at the end of the day, it's about what's next and it's just fuel to the fire for us to want to get a national championship because that's always the goal."

What did JuJu Watkins feel about the new heights of women's basketball?

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Women's basketball, particularly at the collegiate level, witnessed a rise in its level last season. This resulted from a record-breaking season from players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and JuJu Watkins.

On the NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart, Watkins talked about the new heights their sport has reached.

"It's definitely so exciting. I mean, just to see the crowds. We're getting the support, the media attention, it just inspires me to keep working harder, and the attention is very well deserved," Watkins said.

"So many great players, um, in the W and in college right now on the women's side, and we're all just killing it honestly, so I'm excited to see how well my peer and I do."

Clark's departure to the WNBA has left Watkins as the representative of women's basketball for the 2024-25 season.