Women's basketball’s new fans can give a “headache a bit,” JuJu Watkins presents her opinion

JuJu Watkins has benefitted from more fans tuning in to women's basketball, whether it's attending the games in person or watching them on television. Nonetheless, the USC Trojans sophomore star presented her opinion on the expanding fan base.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday, Watkins provided her stance on the growing popularity of women's basketball thanks to the influence Caitlin Clark is having on the sport. She sees a plentiful number of benefits but also sees a few downsides to that newly gained popularity.

"So many new fans being in the sport sometimes can be, not necessarily challenging, but can just kind of give you a headache a bit," Watkins said. "Not a lot of people know what they're talking about sometimes. But it's great for the sport. The fact that people are watching is enough in itself.

"We would like it to be positive, but it's not always going to be like that. So, as long as we continue to raise the numbers and viewership goes up, I think that's all we can ask for."

What's next for JuJu Watkins, USC?

JuJu Watkins has been deserving of the national attention she's received as the star player for the No. 4 USC Trojans (15-1, 5-0 Big Ten).

After 16 games, Watkins is averaging 24.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per contest. She is shooting 44.4%, including 34.3% from beyond the arc.

She has been consistent in scoring 20 or more points as an important player in the Trojans offense, having done so for 14 straight games. In the last five contests, she has put up 25.2 ppg on shooting splits of 42.4% overall and 34.5% from downtown.

USC has dominated its opponents, cruising on an 11-game winning streak. It is blowing them out by 30.7 points, the fifth-best scoring margin in the country. Aside from Watkins, Kiki Iriafen has been the team's second-best scorer with 18.1 ppg while grabbing 8.9 rpg and dishing 2.1 apg.

JuJu Watkins and the No. 4 Trojans will look forward to their matchup with visiting Penn State (9-6, 0-4) at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.