USC Women’s Basketball Star Juju Watkins surpassed one of Caitlin Clark’s biggest milestones on Sunday night and took another step closer to overtaking Clark in College Basketball Record Books.
In a 72-67 loss to UCLA in the big 10 championship game, Watkins set 29 points to officially move past Clark’s field for points scored by a player across their first two seasons.
Clark put 1,662 points in his first two seasons, while Watkins now has 1,684. It puts Watkins right behind Kelsey Mitchell for most of any player in their first two seasons, as Mitchell has the record with 1,762.
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USC Women’s Basketball player Juju Watkins before a recent game on Cal St. Long Beach in Long Beach, California, December 21, 2023. (Wally Scale/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, Watkins has a chance to surpass Mitchell and get even more reason on Clark as she still hasn’t played in this year’s NCAA tournament.
Watkins has a chance to break Clark’s record for most points scored by a basketball player, gentleman or women, in the NCAA story. Clark broke the brand in his historic senior season in 2023-24 with 3,951.
Watkins replaced Clark as the face of Women’s College Basketball after Clark began his WNBA career last year and the teenager admits Breaking Clark’s record is something she keeps in the back of her mind.
“Of course, when I’m up and running, it’s always in the back of mind,” Watkin’s former Pakinomist said Digital in an exclusive interview. “The goal is to continue to produce at this level and make it as effective as I can.”
Watkins could have the advantage of playing more games than Clark did in college as the teenager seems to be chasing the record.
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Southern California -Guard Juju Watkins signs autographs after a NCAA -Kvinde’s basketball match against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Still, Watkins said she only “wants” that she could play like Clark, which is far from the better 3-point shooter.
“I wish I played like her,” Watkins said.
Watkins has had the chance to break Clark’s record in front of a larger audience for women’s basketball than in previous years, in the midst of the wake of Clark’s transcendent influence on the sport during her college career. Last year, NCAA Women’s Championship Game got more viewers than the Lord for the first time in history.
“Attention wasn’t always there, so just to see the eyes on it and people who respect the sport more, and young girls get more into the sport, it’s a dream come true,” Watkins said.
Watkins has embraced the new fans that Clark has brought to the game, even as other prominent women’s basketball characters have condemned new fans of negative comments about players other than Clark.
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Caitlin Clark, Left and Juju Watkins. (IMagn)
“So many new fans who are in the sport may sometimes be, maybe not necessarily challenging, but can just give you a headache a little. Not many people know what they are talking about sometimes. But it’s great for the sport. The fact that people see is enough in themselves,” Watkins said, when they were previously asked by Pakinomist Digital in an exclusive interview about what challenges with the sport’s new attention.
“We want it to be positive, but it will not always be so as long as we continue to raise the number and viewership, I think that’s all we can ask for.”
Watkins said she even wants these fans to cheer for her too. But even if they end up “hate” her, she will still embrace the fact that they are aware. When asked if she wants the sport’s controversial new fans to cheer for her, Watkins replied: “Oh yes. I love supporters and I love haters too.
“I think it’s just part of the game. There are so many pages of it. So it’s the nature of the game and there will always be negative and positive aspects of it.”
As Watkins seems to break Clark’s scoring record, she hopes that many of the new fans of women’s basketball, including those who cause her “headache” and “don’t know what they’re talking about sometimes,” will cheer for her. But Watkins will also embrace these fans and attention if they “hate” her.
“I love supporters and I love haters too.”
