"The JuJu Watkins show will take over college basketball": Former Lakers coach makes big predictions for USC guard entering 2024-25 season

JuJu Watkins has been projected as the next face of women's college basketball after Caitlin Clark. After leading the USC Trojans to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years, expectations for her next season have shot up.

Former Laker coach Phil Handy is the latest to bestow his praises on JuJu Watkins. During an appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast, Handy, who has coached Watkins since her high school years, made a bold declaration summarized in the caption on the podcast's Instagram post:

"The @jujubballin show will take over college basketball next season. And she’s just now scratching the surface of her potential, according to Phil Handy."

In the IG post, Phil Handy explained heaped praise on Watkins:

"She's a killer, bro. She is a straight-up killer. But the thing I love about her is ... her humility ... that carries over into her approach to the game, her attitude. She's trying to learn, man. She wants to be great; she wants to understand the nuances of 'How do I beat double teams? You know, teams are trying to force me. How do I get better at this? What does my base look like in the post?'

"She asked so many questions to make sure that she's like really trying to get her game right. ... I just think that she's still scratching the surface she still has so much more she's still a baby. ... She's just now entering into that realm of really starting to understand the nuances of the game. It's going to be a beautiful thing to continue to see her grow."

Caitlin Clark offers JuJu Watkins help in her upcoming challenge

No one understands the pressures of being the face of a sport better than Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa guard took women's college basketball to new heights, bringing more eyes and, consequentially, more revenue to the NCAA. With JuJu Watkins set to take over, Clark is her best source of support and guidance.

The Indiana Fever star reportedly offered Watkins her help when they met at the John Wooden award show. USC Coach Lindsay Gottlieb recalled the incident and said:

“She was like, ‘I had this attention for a year and a half, two years. You’re going to have it for the next three.’For JuJu, there’s not that many people who probably understand what her life might be like. And Caitlin’s one of them.” (via Orange County Register)

When the Fever played at the Galen Center, Clark even saved her number on Gottlieb's phone.

“I’m certainly going to utilize that as a resource if she’s this willing,” Gottlieb said. “I think that’s just a neat thing. And I do think it’s really cool on her part to be willing to pay it forward, so to speak, and help someone else.”