Can USC's JuJu Watkins dunk?
In just one year of Division I basketball, JuJu Watkins has established herself as one of the top players in the women's college basketball circuit. She came to USC after becoming the top recruit in the nation out of Sierra Canyon School, where she earned the National Player of the Year award. Watkins opened her college journey with a 32-point endeavor (11-18 shooting) against Ohio State Buckeyes.
With a handful of similar outings, she averaged 27.1 points and 3.3 assists on 40.1% shooting, producing more than 30 points for the Trojans per game. Defensively, she accumulated 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per outing, proving to be a rare talent who has a complete game.
So, let's look at whether 6-foot-2 JuJu Watkins has enough hops to dunk the basketball.
Can JuJu Watkins dunk?
JuJu Watkins' athleticism is on display in her game, be it step-back 3-pointers or ability to razzle-dazzle or finish in traffic. When it comes to dunking, Watkins has showcased that she can get the ball up there, but the USC guard is yet to throw down the ball in a college game.
During her Sierra Canyon days, Watkins attempted back-to-back dunks during the school's Midnight Madness event. The night features 3-point shootouts, dunk contests and other events to commence the start of the basketball season.
Watkins hit a deep 3-pointer and assisted her teammate for an easy lay before attempting a traditional one-handed dunk. While it wasn't as clean as a regular dunk, the rim rattler hit the backboard and went through the hoop.
Watkins immediately attempted another one, but her effort to mount a controlled two-handed slam was thwarted by the rim.
High school basketball rims are placed 10 feet (3.05m) from the ground, just like other levels. Although JuJu Watkins didn;t finish her dunks, the footage shows that she can leap above the rim, which highlights the 19-year-old's potential to record her first college dunk.
Moreover, there's no record of Watkins' vertical, which could have indicate her ability to dunk the ball. In case Watkins doesn't get a chance to launch her first Division I dunk, fans will get a better idea of her ability when she transitions to the big league as the WNBA measures a player's vertical as part of its athletic testing.