USC: "Young GOAT" "Accolades starting to roll in": College hoops fans gush over JuJu Watkins as USC star wins B1G Player of the Year award

"Young GOAT" "Accolades starting to roll in": College hoops fans gush over JuJu Watkins as USC star wins B1G Player of the Year award

By Lindsey Ware

Modified Mar 04, 2025 21:31 GMT

NCAA Womens Basketball: Michigan St. at Southern California - Source: Imagn

With conference tournaments approaching, conference awards have started to be announced. Star guard JuJu Watkins of No. 2 ranked USC was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. USC women's basketball shared the news with X on Tuesday.

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College hoops fans took to the comments to hype up Watkins. Many referred to the sophomore as the GOAT, a popular acronym meaning greatest of all time.

"Young GOAT in the making."

An X user calls JuJu Watkins a young GOAT

"🐐‼️"

A reply uses emojis to suggest Watkins is the GOAT

"🐐"

Another X user uses the goat emoji to reference Watkins

The claims that she is the goat aren't the only positive feedback Watkins received.

"Accolades starting to roll in for JuJu. Great season, great player. Fight on!"

A fan recognizes Watkins' numerous accolades

"She's iconic."

"YEAH JU👑✌️"

Others highlighted that Watkins' Big Ten Player of the Year award was well deserved.

"So well deserved for the Player of the Year 2025💛❤️✌️"

A fan says Watkins deserves the POTY award

"Well deserved JuJu."

Another X user agrees that the accolade is well deserved

"Well deserved🔥"

A reply calls Watkins' award well deserved

JuJu Watkins' Award-Winning Season at USC

Big Ten Player of the Year is neither Juju Watkins' first nor her most significant award this year. On Monday, USC women's basketball shared on Instagram that she was unanimously named The Athletic's National Player of the Year.

Watkins is no stranger to The Athletic. Last season, she was named their National Freshman of the Year, an honor she also received from the USBWA.

After a dominant freshman season, the guard has continued to grow this year. Her 24.4 points per game are second in NCAA, and her shooting has improved both from the field and beyond the arc. Watkins' 42.9% average from the field is up from 40.1% last season. From the 3-point line, she is shooting 33.9%, compared to 31.9% as a freshman.

With the regular season concluded, USC has secured the Big Ten regular season championship. The Trojans are ranked No. 2 in the Week 18 AP Poll, the program's highest ranking since the 1985-86 season.

USC is expected to be a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, with Watkins playing a crucial role in the team's pursuit of a deep March Madness run. Her Big Ten Player of the Year accolade underscores her readiness for the challenge.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec