JuJu Watkins makes her feelings clear on potentially breaking Caitlin Clark's scoring record

USC guard JuJu Watkins on Sunday spoke about the possibility of breaking the all-time scoring record set by Iowa Hawkeyes legend Caitlin Clark. The Trojans star made it clear that her primary objective is to help her team win instead of accumulating as many points as possible.

Watkins and the No. 4-ranked Trojans (19-2, 9-1 in Big Ten) were stunned by Iowa (15-7, 5-6) 76-69 in their Big Ten clash that was capped by the jersey retirement ceremony of Iowa's scoring machine and two-time national finalist Caitlin Clark.

In a postgame interview, JuJu Watkins was asked about the possibility of surpassing the all-time points mark after reaching her 1,000th point on her 38th game, outpacing Clark by two games. The 6-foot-2 guard said she was setting aside the record for the team's benefit.

"I don't really think about it that often," Watkins said (6:46). "I just try to maximize every game and go in with the same mindset of trying to (help the team) to the best of my ability."

The USC superstar also emphasized her main objective and added she will go with the flow of things and enjoy her collegiate stint.

"I think the ultimate goal is to win, and we'll know what history holds when it's said and done," Watkins, who scored 27 points in the loss to the Hawkeyes, said (6:59).

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JuJu Watkins' numbers slightly dipped this season, but USC is performing well

JuJu Watkins is playing in her second season with the Trojans, and her offensive output appeared to have dropped a notch this year. In 21 games (including the Iowa game), she averages 24.7 points per game, 2.4 ppg lower than the previous season.

The main reason for the decline is the transfer of Kiki Iriafen this season. Iriafen's addition to the Women of Troy affected Watkins' averages as the Stanford transfer also demanded touches of the ball, being the team's second option.

However, JuJu Watkins' field goal shooting percentage benefitted from Iriafen's pickup. Her figures ticked up significantly, making 44.2% of her attempts, up from 41.5% the previous season.

The superstar guard also pointed out that her ultimate goal is to win one game at a time and give USC its first title — and third overall — in 41 years. So she'll do whatever it takes to claim the title that Clark never had in her collegiate career.

As for her chase of Clark's all-time scoring record, the 6-foot-2 guard's pace had dipped a little, as her two-season average of 26.1 ppg is 0.5 ppg lower than Clark's 26.6 ppg during her second season.

Fortunately for JuJu Watkins, she still has at least 10 games this season (the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament not yet included) to pick her averages up and be on pace to that revered record.