LAS VEGAS – Five hundred and eighty-eight days later, JuJu Watkins showed why this was worth the wait.
Worth the wait for her silky moves.
Worth the wait for her commanding presence.
Worth the wait for all the ways she can make her team seem unbeatable.
Each of those qualities was in abundant supply Monday afternoon in the USC superstar’s first game since she went down in a horrible heap during the 2025 NCAA Tournament, clutching her right knee in anguish.
Twenty months later, she soared in her return.
It took a little more than two minutes for Watkins to announce her presence during the No. 3 Trojans’ 100-68 victory over UNLV at T-Mobile Arena in the Hall of Fame Series.
After taking a pass above the free-throw line and making a couple of pump fakes, Watkins drove toward the baseline.
She went up for a floating jumper, the ball banking off the backboard and bouncing off the rim once, then twice before falling through the net.
Yep, she’s back.
“Imagine not playing a game for 580-something days when you love the game as much as she does,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “The game is just better with her in it and I think she’ll continue to get even just sharper, more comfortable.”
Watkins influenced the game in many other ways besides her 21 points in 25 minutes. She made a steal in the backcourt, zipped a cross-court pass that led to a Sitaya Fagan layup and flipped a ball headed out of bounds back in toward Fagan for another layup.
“Obviously, she’s a very, very uniquely talented weapon out there,” Gottlieb said, “and opens things up for other people as well.”
USC did not make Watkins available for an interview afterward, with a team spokesperson saying she had conducted TV interviews on the court and the Trojans decided to bring other players who performed well to speak with reporters. The USC locker room was closed.
Fittingly, Watkins was the last USC player introduced before the game, in throaty fashion from the P.A. announcer.
“And at guard, a 6-foot-2 senior from Los Angeles, No. 12, JuJu Watkins!” the announcer bellowed as the small crowd roared and Watkins exchanged high-fives with teammates.
Making matters far worse for UNLV, the Trojans (1-0) unveiled a deep and talented lineup featuring far more than just Watkins.
Jazzy Davidson, Saniyah Hall and Fagan also showed why the Trojans are among the favorites to win the national title after falling short in the 2025 Elite Eight after Watkins went down and in the second round in 2026 with her watching from the bench.
Hall (22 points on 7-for-8 shooting) unveiled the most savage play of the game in her collegiate debut, hitting a deep step-back 3-pointer to beat the first-quarter buzzer before slapping hands with courtside USC fans.
Davidson (23 points on 10-for-11 shooting) repeatedly attacked the basket for layups, often finishing through contact, and Fagan (11 points) made 5 of 8 shots in her own college debut after sitting out last season with an injury.
Gottlieb joked that she would have to have a talk with Hall and Davidson about the two shots they combined to miss after the Trojans shot an incredibly efficient 58.8% and forced 24 turnovers by the Rebels (0-1).
This was the first time Davidson played with Watkins, the onetime national freshman of the year joining forces with a former national player of the year.
“Just seeing all the hard work she put in all throughout last season to get healthy and to get better and on top of that just the way she was there for all of us and she was a great mentor to me,” Davidson said, “it was amazing.”
Even with a handful of talented players making their debuts, the highest level of intrigue surrounded how Watkins would look in the return of USC’s most electrifying player and her iconic hair bun.
Even though she struggled with her shooting touch, making 9 of 22 shots while missing all 5 3-pointers, Watkins logged a complete stat line with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block along with all her points.
Watkins added a few more highlights in rapid succession late in the third quarter. She unleashed a Euro step on a layup in which she was fouled, making the free throw to complete the 3-point play.
Gottlieb said Watkins, who did not play in the fourth quarter, remained on a minutes restriction as part of the plan to help her safely round into form from her torn knee ligaments.
“She’s only going to continue to get better,” Gottlieb said. “I think she physically looks great explosive-wise and all that, it’s just finding that rhythm and then I think we’ll see even more shots go down.”
Then, after making another basket, she snagged a steal in the backcourt and drove for a layup.
The only thing that really mattered?
She was back.
