JuJu Watkins returns after 588 days: USC star on family, the ACL tear and why 'there is no if' for the Trojans

LOS ANGELES––On a quiet Tuesday on the University of Southern California campus, a figure in a dark hoodie and a pristinely slicked-back top bun crosses South Figueroa Street, walking away from Galen Center.

Judea "JuJu" Watkins, the senior guard for the USC women's basketball team, who is expected to play in her first official game in 588 days on Monday, makes her way from a routine treatment session to her second class of the day. No fanfare, none of the signs one might associate with being, arguably, the best player in all of college basketball.  

A couple hours of later, the 21-year-old Watkins settled into a folding chair in the USC practice gym, scoffing good-naturedly as a CBS Sports producer pointed out the shot clock and scoreboard were set to display the number 12 in her honor. 

Why wouldn't it be? Despite a career temporarily stalled to recover from an ACL surgery, Watkins is already one of the greatest players to grace the USC women's basketball program. 

But the time away from the court has been humbling. The anguish of being healthy enough to play, but not yet cleared to play to her fullest is the last hurdle to clear. The roller coaster, as Watkins describes it, is coming to a halt. On Monday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m., USC will face UNLV to tip off the 2026-27 season in a game that will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. 

In an exclusive interview last week, Watkins told CBS Sports that she was eager to get back on the court with her teammates.

"I'm feeling great, so I'm just excited to be back and ready to get after it," she said.

The wait is almost over. Ahead of her much-anticipated return to the court, we reminisced with Watkins on her career, her expectations for the Women of Troy this season and, most importantly, five key dates in the Book of Watkins.

November 15, 2022: Watkins signs her letter of intent for USC

Coming to USC was meaningful for Watkins. Her family has lived in nearby Watts for over 60 years. Her great-grandfather, Ted Watkins, fled his Mississippi home when he was just 13 years old to avoid a lynch mob. Some thirty years later, he founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC). 

Ted's saying, "Don't move, improve," guided his work to ensure Watts had the proper resources to be a thriving Black community. The family motto has always resonated with Watkins.

"It had been a slogan throughout my whole family," Watkins told CBS Sports. "We've stayed here in Watts. We've been here for so long as a family, and I think for me, it kind of just it resonated with me and where I wanted to spend the next couple years."

Her love of basketball came from playing with her brothers and cousins in the community. Six decades of Watkins in Watts provided her and her siblings with plenty of cousins. Watkins began competitive basketball around the age of 13, the same age her great grandfather was when he made his lifesaving move to California. Over the next four years, Ted's descendant became the top recruit in the country. Stanford, South Carolina, and USC were her top finalists.

"I think USC spoke to me the most, and I kind of followed my heart. And like I said, this full circle moment of 'Don't move, improve,' and me actually doing that," Watkins said. 

Just one year after taking over the reigns at USC, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb had recruited the talent of a generation in Watkins with expectations of returning the Women of Troy to national prominence. 

"Coach wanted to win, and I wanted to win, and that was like where it all kind of started. I think we continue to build our bond and grow one outside of just the basketball thing," Watkins said. "She's just really been a mentor for me as a great person, and, so I think we really aligned on wanting to bring that winning culture back at SC, and I think we both saw this vision of what it could be like." 

November 6, 2023: Regular-season debut vs. Ohio State

Watkins wasted no time rewriting the USC record books, scoring 32 points in the first game of her collegiate career against Ohio State, surpassing Lisa Leslie's 30-point tally from her November 1990 debut. 

"It's one of my favorite games of all time," Watkins said. 

An eager freshman ready for her first taste of the next level, she remembers the giddy curiosities that occupied her mind ahead of her NCAA debut.  "I was just super excited for it, and yeah, I played pretty good," she added.

When TNT Sports reporter Taylor Rooks asked Watkins about surpassing Leslie, Watkins doubled down on her vision for the program. 

"Man. I mean, it's an honor," Watkins said. "Honestly, it's a part of that USC legacy, so I'm glad to be a part of that, and that only goes to show what we can do … don't underestimate USC, we're on the rise."

It also became the first of many games at Galen, her new home not so far away from home. The Gottlieb-Watkins Era got off to a promising start. And it would continue as the 2024 NCAA Tournament approached. 

February 2, 2024: Fifty-one points against Stanford

After the opening-day win over Ohio State, the Trojans entered a February game against No. 4 Stanford with a 15-4 record on the year and ranked No. 15 in the nation. The underdog status didn't faze Watkins, who scored a program-record 51 points that evening to lead USC to a 67-58 upset.

"I think Stanford was ranked pretty high at the time. I don't remember, but we didn't really care because we had kind of gone through this period of losing and knowing that that wasn't really our identity. So I was really fired up going into that game, and yeah, it was definitely one to remember," Watkins said. 

Early into her career, Watkins and her teammates were meeting or surpassing milestones that hadn't been accomplished since the heydays of the program. She helped the Trojans win the 2024 PAC 12 Championship, the second in program history (2014). The team finished 29-6 en route to what would be the first of two consecutive No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. 

In 2024, USC lost to UConn in its first Elite Eight appearance in nearly four decades. 

"Definitely not how I wanted it to end. But I think overall, I was very grateful for like the moment. I mean, we had a lot of seniors, so sad to see them leave. A lot of emotions happening at once, but just gratitude is probably the biggest," Watkins said of her first NCAA Tournament experience. 

February 13, 2025: 71-60 win over UCLA

The Battle of Los Angeles did not start with UCLA's Lauren Betts and Watkins, but the two stars certainly revived it. The pair of Hollywood powerhouses split the regular-season battles in Watkins' freshman season, with USC coming out on top in an epic double-overtime win in the 2024 Pac-12 Semifinals. 

But heading into their first meeting in her sophomore campaign, UCLA was ranked No. 1 in the country and riding a 23-game winning streak. But Watkins helped No. 6 USC slay their rivals 71-60 with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and eight blocks.

"Yes, that was a great game as well. It was here in Galen, so of course, I didn't want to lose. The team decided we're not gonna lose, so we were pretty undeniable," Watkins reflected. 

Especially impactful was the scout on Bruins center Lauren Betts, whom the Trojans held to 18 points on 5 of 18 shooting from the floor. Watkins was especially effective tying Betts up as the second defender. 

The Women of Troy finished the season 16-1 in Big Ten play and 31-4 overall. The Trojans won the conference regular season title, but the Bruins avenged the earlier loss to win the 2025 Big Ten title. Both teams entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, but only the Bruins would reach the Sweet 16 round. 

March 24, 2025: The injury disrupts March Madness

Another year, another round of hosting the NCAA Tournament at Galen Center. The Trojans made quick work of UNC Greensboro 71-25 in the first round. Up next was Mississippi State for the Galen crowd. 

But just five minutes into the second-round game, Watkins crumbled to the ground and clutched her knee. She can still remember the pain and fear she felt on the court.

"I think I was just in disbelief and shock. I mean, I felt that tear, you know. It's definitely a feeling you won't forget," Watkins said. The team went on to win 96-59, but Watkins missed the rest of the tournament and all of the 2025-26 season.

"I think that was my first major injury, so I didn't even know what that felt like," Watkins said. "But just hearing the news, it was very heartbreaking, knowing where we were at in the tournament and our potential for that year. But I think I was able to come to terms with it pretty quick and direct my energy into getting better." 

The injured Watkins collected her second All-American honors, as well as Big Ten Player of the Year, the John Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year awards, and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year. But her biggest battle was just beginning. 

November 2, 2026: Her return to play

Watkins' return to the court began with a mindset shift. 

"I went from (focusing on winning) a national championship– and although that's still at the forefront, I think it went from that being my main goal to just getting back healthy," Watkins said. "What kind of player do I want to be? (What) impact (do) I want to have on my team? I was able to really figure myself out and what I wanted from it, and especially heading into my senior season, the kind of player and person I wanted to be." 

Next up in the Book of Watkins comes Monday afternoon in Nevada. Watkins, who played her first exhibition game under a minutes restriction, is expected to play her first official game in nearly two years. She said they will play her minutes "by ear," and admits that patience is difficult.

"It's pretty annoying, I will say," she said. "But, you know, I have so much trust in the staff here and my PT people that I'm willing to listen to whatever they think is best. But I will say it's been a challenge." 

One thing is clear: Watkins is still ready to compete. One month before our latest sitdown, I asked Watkins to complete the sentence, "USC women's basketball will be successful this season if ___."  After some consideration, Watkins said confidently, "There is no if."

After a sly smile and a promise that the first response was a joke, Watkins determined her team will be successful if they are themselves. Come April, she hopes that togetherness will mean the Women of Troy are one of the Final Four teams in Columbus.

"Tournament time. One of my favorite times of year. So excited to see where we'll end up. We're taking it one day at a time, but you know, hopefully we'll be one of the last teams standing," she said while sitting to the right of the wall where the two Trojan championship banners hang. 

And later that month, will Watkins be gearing up for the WNBA Draft?

"I think I'll know when the time is right," she said. "Like I said, just really locked in on what we're doing here, and my goal is getting to that championship this year, and we'll see what happens after that."