Elite California hooper Jerzy Robinson shares 2-word reaction to UCLA’s Janiah Barker’s impressive performance vs. MSU

No. 3-ranked junior Jerzy Robinson may be one of the best high school basketball stars, but she still holds reverence for those who came before her. One person, in particular, is UCLA star Janiah Barker.

Barker exploded for a big double-double performance for the No. 1-ranked Bruins against No. 22-ranked Michigan State on Sunday, and Robinson reacted to it on her Instagram Stories.

Jerzy Robinson reacts to Janiah Barker's double-double performance vs. Michigan State (Source: Instagram/ jerzyrobinson)

Barker had 18 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals during that Sunday game, which UCLA won 75-69. Timea Gardiner also had 18 points for the Bruins, with UCLA proving that it could still win without its injured leading scorer Lauren Betts. After beating the Spartans, UCLA now has a 24-1 overall record, while Michigan State falls to 19-6 overall.

In a previous interview back in November, Jerzy Robinson was asked who her mentors were, and she named three college basketball stars: Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins and Janiah Barker.

USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins is an alumnus of her current school, Sierra Canyon, while she said she also talks regularly with UConn star Paige Bueckers. She then noted that whenever she and Barker get together, they always have "good talks."

Jerzy Robinson and Sierra Canyon off to a good start for 2025 Open Division playoffs

Group play for the 2025 CIF Southern Section Girls' Basketball Championships Open Division playoffs has begun, with Sierra Canyon seeded fourth. Jerzy Robinson and company began their playoff campaign on Saturday against No. 5 seed Bishop Montgomery and it ended in a 74-38 win for the Trailblazers.

Sierra Canyon will take on No. 8 seed Sage Hill next in the playoffs on Wednesday. However, the biggest challenge for Robinson and her squad will be No. 1 seed Ontario Christian led by No. 1-ranked sophomore Kaleena Smith. This is expected to be a battle of the five-star guards on Saturday.

Should Sierra Canyon not be eliminated during the group stage, it will compete in the knockout rounds before the final game scheduled for Mar. 1, with the winning team getting the CIF Southern Section Girls' Basketball Championships Open Division title. Teams in the other pool include No. 2 seed Etiwanda and No. 3 seed Mater Dei, both very tough teams in a loaded division.