Is JuJu Watkins playing tonight? Exploring USC star’s availability vs UCLA (March 1)

JuJu Watkins is one of college basketball's most prominent names, and she's on a quest to bring a national championship to USC. The versatile superstar leads the Trojans in numerous statistical categories, and will be aiming to keep up her impressive form in March Madness.

However, before the start of the postseason, the Trojans gave a winner-takes-all game against the UCLA Bruins to maneuver. Let's see whether Watkins will be available for the crunch matchup.

Is JuJu Watkins playing tonight?

JuJu Watkins will play Saturday's game against the UCLA Bruins. The superstar guard enters the game without an injury designation.

Hence, Watkins will start in the Trojans' backcourt, barring any unfortunate occurrences in the warmups. The No. 3 Trojans will rely on her scoring and lockdown perimeter defense to come out on the top against the No. 2 Bruins.

Watkins has been ever present in the 2024/25 college basketball season. The Los Angeles-born star has played in all 27 of her team's fixtures this season and led the team in scoring in all but six games. She's averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals, and 2.0 blocks in 34.4 minutes of action.

What to expect from JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans vs the UCLA Bruins

JuJu Watkins is a certified bucket getter and one of the best players of her generation. Watkins has been USC's primary scoring option since her freshman year, and she continues carrying the burden in Year 2. However, the superstar guard added new tools to her game in her sophomore season as she averages more assists and blocks with less turnovers.

Watkins leads her side in points, assists, and steals. That's despite playing on a team with fellow ball dominant star Kiki Iriafen. Hence, the USC Trojans come into tonight's game with significant firepower.

Expect the Trojans to give their all in this tight game against the UCLA Bruins. The winner will be crowned Big Ten regular-season title while the loser will enter the postseason with a cloud over their head. Tonight's game has great ramifications for everyone involved.