The 2024-25 women’s college basketball season ended on a heartbreaking note for the USC Trojans, as they were eliminated in the Elite Eight by the eventual champion, the UConn Huskies.
However, it was their second-round victory over Mississippi State that really cast a shadow over their season, as All-American guard JuJu Watkins suffered a severe knee injury, holding her right knee in pain.
Further evaluations confirmed an ACL tear for the National Player of the Year, which not only ended her current season but also jeopardized her participation in the 2025-26 season.
Despite the setback of losing Watkins during USC’s Elite Eight run, she garnered multiple accolades to conclude her sophomore year, including the Naismith, Wooden, and Dawn Staley Awards, among others.
On Tuesday, USC announced that JuJu Watkins has been selected as a finalist for another prestigious accolade: the Honda Basketball Award, which recognizes the top women’s college basketball player in the country.
She will be competing against other finalists, including Paige Bueckers from UConn, Hannah Hidalgo from Notre Dame, and Madison Booker from Texas.
“JuJu Watkins is in the running for another esteemed honor!” USC Women’s Basketball shared on X. “She has been named a finalist for the Honda Basketball Award!”
Up for another prestigious honor.
JuJu Watkins has been named a Honda Basketball Award finalist! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/aarn1kpbqt
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 8, 2025
Past recipients of the Honda Basketball Award include Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (twice), UConn’s Breanna Stewart (three times), Tennessee’s Candace Parker (also twice), and Delta State’s Lucy Harris, who was the inaugural winner during the 1976-77 season.
Before her injury, Watkins had guided USC to a remarkable 29-3 record and secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.8 steals, demonstrating her exceptional versatility on the court.
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