JuJu Watkins reacts to fans cheering for the USC star on Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement night: "It's just a testament to what Caitlin's done"

USC guard JuJu Watkins was grateful as Iowa fans briefly cheered for her during Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement ceremony. The Women of Troy stayed on the sidelines at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday night to witness how the Hawkeyes raised Clark's jersey number.

Then, the fans cheered for the 6-foot-2 Trojans guard in appreciation of her big-time performance against the Hawkeyes despite losing 76-69. During the postgame interview, she expressed gratitude to the fans for being a part of the event. She also thanked them for supporting women's basketball in its rise to global popularity.

"It's just a testament to what Caitlin's done and the direction that the sport is headed in," Watkins said (2:17). "I'm super grateful to have a part in it and be able to showcase my talent and what the women's game can do."

Watkins, who is deemed by many as the closest challenger to break Clark's all-time scoring mark, finished with 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

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USC coach appreciates the playoff-style atmosphere in Iowa

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb appreciated the playoff-style atmosphere in Iowa, despite it being mainly for the appreciation of Hawkeyes legend Caitlin Clark.

Gottlieb pointed out that the Women of Troy will benefit from the experience of playing in jam-packed arenas, as this will be the case in March or in April when March Madness begins.

"I was really impressed by the atmosphere," Gottlieb said (2:46). "I think all of these situations ... This is what we want when we get to March and April. I think we had done this a number of times, and our goal is to make our team better throughout these experiences."

The Iowa crowd and the appearance of Hawkeye legend Caitlin Clark, who cheered for her former team, seemed to have affected USC's performance, especially in the first quarter, where it only scored four points.

Although the Women of Troy took the lead in the second period, thanks to a 25-10 turnaround, Iowa matched its rival's intensity, responding to USC's surge and retaking the advantage in the third frame 51-50.

The fans' intensity turned up a notch in the payoff period, giving the Hawkeyes their second wind. Lucy Olsen, the transfer from Villanova who was expected to fill up the void left by Caitlin Clark this season, played her best game of the season, scoring 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

Olsen and Addison O'Grady combined for 23 of Iowa's 25 points that helped put away USC, who fell for its second loss in 21 games this season. O'Grady played off the bench and scored 13, while Sydney Affolter and Hannah Stuelke combined for 21 points for Iowa.