WATCH: JuJu Watkins had a special surprise for the entire USC squad as Trojans inch closer to NCAA tournament berth 

Juju Watkins and the USC Trojans defeated UCLA 80-70 this past Friday for a berth in the Pac-12 Conference tournament final. In her freshman year, the guard has cemented her spot on the Trojans roster with excellent performances.

Before the game, Watkins had a special gift for her teammates. As a token of her gratitude and appreciation, Watkins gifted all her teammates and support staff the Nike Zoom Vomero 5 Yellow Ochre shoes.

The USC players cherished the freshman's gift as they were all seen hugging her in the video shared by the USC Women's Basketball Twitter account.

This is not the first time that she has used her NIL deal with Nike to gift some goodies. During the holiday season last December, Watkins, in collaboration with her brand partner and The Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), gave away Nike shoes and accessories to high school basketball players from Crenshaw, Jordan, and Finish First Academy.

In a recap video of the event posted to her Instagram, Watkins says:

"This is what it's all about. Just giving back to my community and inner city."

Juju Watkins signed an NIL deal with Nike in 2022 along with four other student-athletes: Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, D.J. Wagner, and Bronny James. Her other NIL deals include Taco Bell, Wells Fargo, Fletcher Jones Mercedes, and USC's collective House of Victory, among others.

Juju Watkins prepares for her first March Madness appearance

On Sunday, the Trojans will tip off against the Stanford Cardinal for the Pac-12 conference title. Watkins previously scored a career-high 51 points against Stanford on Feb 2nd during USC's 67-58 win. If the Trojans manage to pull off a win in the final, it will be their first since 2014.

After that, USC will appear in its 18th NCAA Tournament, hoping to end a 40-year championship drought. As per ESPN's latest bracketology (March 10), the Trojans are predicted to be the No.2 seed.

Juju Watkins has been averaging 27.6 points with 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season. Her performances in the forthcoming games are important to help the team have its first successful postseason run under coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

What are your thoughts on Juju Watkins' performances so far? Let us know in the comments section below.