JuJu Watkins joins elite company of Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore and Courtney Paris after receiving AP Player of the Year honor

On Thursday, the Associated Press named USC star JuJu Watkins its women's college basketball Player of the Year. She is the fourth sophomore to receive the AP Player of the Year award.

Watkins joins the elite company of Courtney Paris, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart, sophomores who have been given the award.

Paris became the first sophomore to be named Player of the Year in 2007 at Oklahoma. The center led the Big 12 in points, with 23.5 per game, rebounds, with 15.9, and blocks, with 3.4. She was a first-round pick in the 2009 WNBA draft and played professionally until 2019. Paris now serves as an assistant coach for the Chicago Sky.

NCAA Women's Basketball: Oklahoma at Texas - Source: Imagn

Moore was named AP's POTY in 2009 at UConn. In the NCAA tournament title season, the sophomore forward averaged 19.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 3.3 apg. Moore served as a two-way force, averaging 1.9 spg and 1.5 bpg. She would go on to receive the honor again as a senior.

The Huskies star was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft and had a strong professional career with the Minnesota Lynx. Moore was a four-time WNBA champion and a six-time All-Star. She had her number retired by the Lynx.

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Stewart became the third sophomore to win the honor of AP POTY and the second from UConn. She received the award in 2014 after averaging 19.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 3.1 apg for the Huskies. Stewart showed her defensive depth with 2.8 bpg and 1.6 spg.

UConn won the national championship in each year of the four years Stewart played there. Further, the forward was named Player of the Year in her junior and senior seasons.

Stewart was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft and currently plays for the New York Liberty. She is a two-time MVP, a three-time WNBA champion, and a six-time All-Star pick.

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As the fourth-ever sophomore to receive the AP Player of the Year honor, Watkins has achieved an impressive feat and joins an elite group of ballers.

JuJu Watkins' sophomore season at USC

Coming off of a freshman campaign in which she was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year, Watkins did not disappoint as a sophomore. She led USC in points, with 23.9, and assists, with 3.4. Watkins helped the Trojans remain one of the top teams in the country all season and be named a No. 1 seed in March Madness.

The talented young guard showed her rebounding excellence with 6.8 per game and served as a two-way force for USC, putting up 2.2 spg and 1.8 bpg.

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Watkins' sophomore season ended abruptly when she tore her ACL in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but the injury can't minimize her dominance this season. Along with being named the AP POTY, Watkins was named Player of the Year by Naismith and the USBWA.