IN PICS: $576,000 NIL-valued JuJu Watkins signs NIL deal with CELSIUS Energy Drink days before season kickoff
USC guard JuJu Watkins has been one of the prominent stars in the women's college basketball scene, and various companies have lined up to get the sophomore player as their endorser.
On Saturday, fitness and energy beverage product CELSIUS unveiled its latest Instagram post that showed three photos of Watkins endorsing the Live Fit product.
The social media post came one week before the No. 3 Trojans start their 2024-25 women's college basketball season against No. 20-ranked Ole Miss on Nov. 4 at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France.
Watkins, whose NIL value stands at about $576,000 (per On3), signed a partnership deal with CELSIUS in January as one of college basketball's top endorsers. Other players who signed with the energy drink brand were Kwame Evans, Jared McCain and Cody Williams.
Before the CELSIUS endorsement, JuJu Watkins is having a busy October, signing deals with House of Victory, Nike and Gatorade.
The unanimous first-team All-American selection and National Freshman of the Year looks to improve on USC's Elite Eight finish with a stronger team in its first year as a new member of the Big Ten.
JuJu Watkins leads new-look USC in Big Ten campaign
An experienced JuJu Watkins is set to take the leadership cudgels for the USC Trojans. They moved on from the heartbreaking Elite Eight setback at the hands of UConn.
Watkins will have returning veteran Rayah Marshall on her side once more, but the Trojans have added two more stars that would boost the team's chances in the Big Ten. They are Kiki Iriafen and Talia Von Oelhoffen.
Iriafen, who averaged 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game last season for Stanford, is set to make things easier for Watkins. She is likely to play the power forward spot for USC.
On the other hand, Talia von Oelhoffen played for Oregon State before transferring to USC. The 5-foot-11 guard is set to combine forces with Watkins in what could be the best backcourt tandems in the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Aside from the USC Big Four, the Trojans have a star-studded recruiting class that includes five-star players Kayleigh Heckel, Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell. The Trojans also had four-star pickups in Vivian Iwuchukwu, Rian Forester and Laura Williams.
The game against Ole Miss is no ordinary basketball clash. It will set the tone for the Trojans' regular-season campaign this season.
The stakes are now higher in the Big Ten as it has perennial powers Ohio State, UCLA, Illinois and Iowa in the mix for the tournament title and an assured bid for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It's now up to JuJu Watkins if she can lift USC to a possible Final Four stint that it missed last season.
Will USC go all the way to the 2025 national championship final? Let us know your views in the comments section.