USC star JuJu Watkins has agreed to a multiyear contract extension with Nike, which according to ESPN's Shams Charania, will give her "one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women's basketball."
Watkins has been with the brand since signing a deal as a high school senior in October of 2022. There was a lot of hype around her when she committed to play for Lindsay Gottlieb's Trojans, and she definitely surpassed the expectations her freshman year. During the 2023-24 campaign, USC reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 with Watkins being a huge part of it.
The California native averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She was second in the country in scoring to only former Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer before being drafted by the WNBA's Indiana Fever.
In the process, Watkins left her own mark in the history books by becoming the freshman the all-time leading scorer in Division I women's basketball history with a total of 920 points. The previous record was 898 set by San Diego State's Tina Hutchinson during the 1983-84 season.
Expectations remain high as she enters her sophomore campaign. The Trojans, a former Pac-12 team, are starting their Big Ten era as the top team in both the coaches and media preseason polls. Watkins was the conference's preseason Player of the Year, as well as the Associated Press' preseason POY.
USC will tip off the season overseas against Ole Miss on Nov. 4 in Paris.