JuJu Watkins Wins 2025 Naismith Women's College Player of the Year Award

USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins was named the winner of the 2025 Naismith Women's College Basketball Player of the Year Award on Wednesday.

Watkins beat out a stacked group of finalists in UConn guard Paige Bueckers, UCLA center Lauren Betts and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo to take the honors.

The 19-year-old Watkins burst onto the scene as a freshman, averaging 27.1 points per game, which put her firmly on the radar as a College Player of the Year candidate entering her sophomore campaign.

Watkins didn't disappoint, as she averaged 23.9 points on 42.6 percent shooting from the field, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, 1.8 blocks and 1.9 three-pointers per game on 32.5 percent shooting from deep.

Her scoring average is the fourth-highest in Division I women's college basketball this season, and tops among all Player of the Year finalists.

With Watkins leading the way, the Trojans posted a 28-3 record through the conference tournaments, earning two wins over Betts' UCLA and one win over Bueckers' UConn along the way.

USC earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament as a result, and it appeared the Trojans were poised to go on a deep run.

While USC did make it to the Elite Eight, it fell to UConn without the help of Watkins, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the second round of the tourney.

The one-sided, 78-64 loss to UConn further illustrated Watkins' importance to the team, as things likely would have been far more competitive with her in the fold.

Although Watkins' season ended under less-than-ideal circumstances, she was recognized for her contributions Wednesday, becoming the first USC player to win the Women's College Player of the Year Award since the legendary Lisa Leslie in 1994.