“Freak of nature”: USC star JuJu Watkins hypes KiKi Iriafen’s outstanding dunk

JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans welcomed former Stanford player, KiKi Iriafen in April. After an Elite Eight exit in the March Madness, the Trojans strengthened their roster with transfer portal additions like Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen along with high school recruits.

With practice starting again, KiKi Iriafen has been hitting the gym at USC and the team recently posted a video of her dunk to Instagram.

JuJu Watkins reacted to the move as she reposted the video to her Instagram story with the message:

"Freak of natureeeee"

JuJu Watkins reaction (Credit: Instagram/@jujuballin)

Watkins has been excited about the prospect of Iriafen joining the Trojans for her final college season. The power forward along with von Oelhoffen, Rayah Marshall and Clarice Akunwafo, will be the veteran presence on the team.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb expressed her excitement at KiKi Iriafen moving to USC. In a statement, the coach said:

“Kiki is a next-level talent. An established star in women’s college basketball already, she comes to USC looking to help us win at the highest level and to continue to expand her capabilities.

She’s a dynamic scorer and rebounder who will flourish in our style and with those around her. She is a magnetic personality who gets to come home and be special. The Galen Center crowd will want to have a front-row seat to support her in doing that.”

---

Can JuJu Watkins and the Trojans finally win the championship?

The last NCAA title for the USC Trojans came in 1984 under the leadership of Cynthia Cooper. Since then, they have had a title game appearance in 1986, which was also when they played their last Final Four game.

However, now with JuJu Watkins at the front, the Trojans are hoping to end their 40-year championship drought. USC is ranked No. 1 in recruitment for the 2025 season as they signed freshmen Avery Howell, Kennedy Smith and Kayleigh Heckel to the team.

The Trojans also prepare for a conference change as they move from Pac-12 to Big Ten. This could help them with picking some wins in the regular season.

The scheduling changes in the new conference will also help Watkins and her team stay healthy throughout the season without the risk of injuries. The Trojans enter the season as one of the favorites to win but will face heavy competition from South Carolina and UConn.

Watkins is also set to be the face of the league as she tries her best to bring more attention to women's college sports and help grow the game.

What do you think of JuJu Watkins teaming up with KiKi Iriafen? Do you think they have a shot at the championship? Let us know in the comment section below.