The Trojans’ JuJu Watkins is back on the court , and better than ever
USC Trojans’ JuJu Watkins (G) is so grateful to back on the court during the summer practices with her teammates, and sharing her thoughts with the media about being able to play again during her press conference. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1 June 29, 2026.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Los Angeles and the Galen Center will be rocking when JuJu Watkins hits the floor; expect standing room only. Just watching her during their press conference, you could see the joy in her at the thought of playing this year.
Despite not playing last season, she showed us what a team leader is supposed to do, be there for her teammates, despite the ups and downs of playing at home or on the road.
“I’m just really blessed to be here, feeling back like myself and being able to practice with the team,” Watkins said Monday. “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve just been working out, grinding every day so that I could be in this position, so to see all of that hard work kind of pay off right now is really fulfilling.”
USC Trojans Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb is all smiles and excited about having JuJu Watkins back and the new players on the team and ready for an exciting year in the Big Ten Conference. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1 June 29, 2026.
The Trojans head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, had nothing but praise for how well she handled her (ACL Injury), and during the summer practices, the hard work she has put in, and the excitement of her teammates having her back on the court.
“She’s stronger, faster, in her best shape ever,” Gottlieb said. “The work that she put in is something that is going to speak volumes.”
USC Trojans from left-to-right: Kennedy Smith (G), Jazzy Davidson (G), and Saniyah Hall (G/F) in the video below, sharing there thoughts about how intense their practices have been this summer. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1 June 29, 2026.
Teammate Kennedy Smith said, “She’s back like she never left.”
The Big Ten was the buzz in women’s basketball, with UCLA winning it all, and with the return of Watkins, Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith, Saniyah Hall, and Ryan Bennett, just to name a few, it’s going to be a dog fight in the conference, and I can’t wait until the season starts and her first game at the Galen Center.