"Seeing what she's accomplished is so motivating": When JuJu Watkins spoke on missing out on potential showdown against Caitlin Clark

USC guard JuJu Watkins missed the opportunity to compete against Caitlin Clark in the NCAA Tournament last season, a highly anticipated matchup that was thwarted when UConn defeated USC in the Elite Eight.

While appearing on "Podcast P with Paul George" in April, host George asked Watkins if she was looking forward to the matchup against Clark that never happened.

"Yeah, that would have been tough," Watkins said (at 10:48). "That would have been so tough just to get that, her last year. But she's amazing, and just seeing what she's accomplished is so motivating."

JuJu Watkins, a freshman at the time, had an outstanding season with the Trojans, scoring 920 points and averaging 27.1 points per game, ranking second in the nation behind Clark (31.6 ppg).

The 6-foot-2 guard led USC to the Pac-12 Tournament title and their first Elite Eight appearance since 1994, where they lost to Paige Bueckers and UConn 80-73. The Huskies then lost to Clark and Iowa in the Final Four.

JuJu Watkins once reflected on pressure of being face of women's basketball after Caitlin Clark's departure

Following the 2023-24 season, Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark declared for the WNBA draft, putting an end to her historic college career.

With Clark no longer in the picture, many speculated that JuJu Watkins, among other stars, would be in contention to be the next face of women's college basketball.

In the same episode of "Podcast P with Paul George," cohost Dallas Rutherford asked Watkins about the pressure and excitement she felt, knowing that she could replace Clark as the face of the women’s game.

"Well, that's a big title (being the face of women's college basketball). I wouldn't say that," Watkins said (at 11:53). "I think that I wouldn't be considered the person I am without my competition. I mean, the competition is everything.

"I guess, like, yeah, that's really what matters — just who you're playing. I think that's also a factor in how great you are, and just seeing who you're able to play against. So I wouldn't say I'm doing it alone. I mean, there's great teams everywhere, so many great players, and I'm just glad that I get to play against them."

JuJu Watkins is proving that she may be up to the task. This season, Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Trojans.

Unfortunately, she suffered an ACL injury against Mississippi State on Monday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She will not be able to continue the tournament, which is a huge blow for the Trojans. They will face Kansas State in the next round on Saturday.