Loss vs Iowa will be JuJu Watkins and USC’s wakeup call, women’s hoops analysts discuss: “Much needed one, rather it now than in March”

JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans were sent crashing back to earth on Sunday, losing 76-69 to the Iowa Hawkeyes to snap their 15-game winning streak. College basketball analysts Meghan McKeown and Zora Stephenson discussed that showdown at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during Monday's episode of "Got Next with Meghan and Zora."

Stephenson noticed the Trojans having another poor start in the loss to Iowa, with USC trailing 23-4 in the first half. They managed to recover from that early deficit and even took a five-point lead late in the third quarter, but a decisive fourth-quarter run from the Hawkeyes doomed USC's chances on Caitlin Clark's jersey retirement day.

McKeown and Stephenson believed the defeat might be a blessing in disguise for the Trojans, who have bigger games to tackle in the coming weeks.

"One more thing about USC to put a bow on it. I hope and I imagine this will be a wake up call for them," McKeown said (Timestamp 19:41).

"Yeah, and maybe a much-needed one. You rather it now than [in] March," Stephenson replied.

"You still got UCLA twice on the schedule, girl," McKeown pointed out.

The defeat proved costly for the USC Trojans, who dropped to No. 7 in the latest Associated Press rankings. However, the Iowa Hawkeyes still remain outside the top 25.

JuJu Watkins' shooting struggles continue in loss to Iowa

JuJu Watkins led the USC Trojans in scoring for the 18th time this season, finishing with 27 points against Iowa. She wasn't efficient, though, on the offensive end, shooting just 8-for-22 from the field. It was the fourth consecutive game that Watkins shot 40.0% or below from the floor.

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (#12) drives the ball late during the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes as guard Avery Howell (23) looks on at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Photo: Imagn

In particular, Watkins has struggled with her outside shooting lately. She shot a combined 4-for-21 from beyond the arc in USC's last three games against Purdue, Minnesota and Iowa. She played the full 40 minutes against Iowa but shot just 1-for-7 from the 3-point line.

Despite her shooting woes, Watkins has managed to keep her place in the top 3 of the NCAA scoring charts. She is third in the nation, averaging 24.7 points in 21 games this season. Watkins trails Florida State star Ta'Niya Latson (26.1) and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo (26.1).