JuJu Watkins Is Making Rest Part of Her Game

Her game has always been elite… and her dad always has notes.

Fitness Aug 19, 2026 0 1 Add to Reading List

JuJu Watkins Is Making Rest Part of Her Game

In just two seasons at USC, JuJu Watkins became one of the biggest stars in women’s college basketball and helped put the Trojans back at the center of the national conversation. As a freshman, the Los Angeles native led USC to its first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years. A year later, she averaged 23.9 points per game, helped her team earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and was named AP College Basketball Player of the Year. The attention followed off the stat sheet, too. The Los Angeles Times dubbed Watkins “your favorite basketball player’s favorite basketball player,” and LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Candace Parker, Issa Rae, and Kehlani have all been spotted courtside while she plays.

Then, in March 2025, Watkins’s right knee buckled as she drove to the basket during USC’s second-round NCAA tournament game against Mississippi State. She tore her ACL, ending her tournament run and keeping her on the bench for the entire next season.

For a college athlete whose career has moved at warp speed, the injury forced an unfamiliar shift: slowing down. Watkins, a self-described perfectionist, has had to learn when to push and when to pull back. As she works her way back to full heath, we caught up with Watkins about her stronger-than-ever mindset, and what’s keeping her in the game, right now.

You’ve said patience has been one of the biggest things coming back from an injury has taught you. What does that actually look like on days when you want to go all out?

“It’s a constant process. I’m a perfectionist. I love what I do, so it’s definitely a learning curve for me. I’m still learning that to this day.

The season is so long, and we’re still kind of far out from it. [Editor’s note: The 2026-27 season kicks off on Nov 2.] I’m trying to be really intentional when I train, knowing there’s so much time to go and not burning my body out before then.”

Elite athletes are conditioned to push through discomfort. Your collaboration with Google’s Pixel Watch 5 includes a strength training experience designed to track reps and rest. How do you use it — alongside other cues — to know when it’s time to dial it up and when it’s time to recover?

“That data [from the watch] is so important, especially coming off of an injury. It’s definitely helped me know when to push and when not to push because it’s really important that you don’t do too much too early. "

Your dad was one of your earliest coaches and trainers. As your career has gotten bigger, how has that relationship changed?

“He's still a strong force in my career and for my life as well. He always preaches the fundamentals.

No matter how good you get, no matter how far you get, you always go back to the basics. So that's what he always stresses, especially with my shot. He's helped me a lot with it, because that's something that always needs help.”

I’d love to hear a little bit about the Good JuJu Foundation, which provides sports and character-building workshops to underserved youth. What do you hope a young girl who comes through the program takes away from the experience?

"We’re still kind of early in our mission, and I’m still figuring out exactly how I want to help the next generation. My focus has been girls from my community who are under-resourced and looking to make their way in sports.

Helping however I can — through camps, being there, giving advice, mentorship — is really important to me. I just had my first annual camp, and it was a dream come true. I got to see so many young girls from the community have fun."

What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving those girls?

“The biggest thing I always say is: Have fun. It can get really serious really fast, especially now with NIL [Editor’s note: That’s name, image, and likeness deals, a relatively recent change that allows college athletes to earn money through endorsements and brand partnerships.] and all these different aspects of the game. But at the end of the day, it’s a sport.

If you get to the point where you really want to go far and get more serious about it, discipline is the biggest thing.”

You’ve said you’re saving a lot of the money you’re earning now. With so many opportunities coming at you so young, how do you decide what’s worth spending on now versus what you want to protect for future JuJu?

“My dad and my financial advisor help with a lot of that. I’m not that much of a spender, so it’s been kind of easy to put money aside and invest it here and there. I have a really strong team that helps me”

Your style gets plenty of attention off the court, too. Do you have a formula for an outfit that feels most like you?

“No, I don’t. It varies depending on how I feel. When I’m working out, it’s definitely based on comfort. And if I go out, it’s just how I’m feeling. The silhouette is really big for me.”