JuJu Watkins drops 2 word reaction after breaking USC coach’s 3-point record
JuJu Watkins sank nine 3-pointers against California Baptist Lancers on Tuesday to clinch the USC Trojans's all-time record of most made 3-point shots in a game. The record was previously held by former guard Courtney Jaco, who made seven triples against UCLA Bruins in 2017. A heartwarming interaction sparked when Jaco congratulated Watkins on her X.
The assistant coach also encouraged Watkins to continue to grow women's basketball with her unique path, claiming that the records are meant to be broken.
In response, the USC guard reposted March Madness's coverage of the moment with a brief message.
"My dawg 🤞🏼🤞🏼," Watkins wrote.
The next step for Watkins will be climbing the USC’s all-time 3-point leaderboard.
During Courtney Jaco’s career-high 27-point outing against UCLA, she also claimed the second spot as the Trojans’s all-time 3-point leader. Jaco still owns the second spot with 213 made triples, only behind Ashley Corral’s 292.
Currently out of the conversation, the USC star can enter the top-10 category this season. Tammy Story and Kristin Clark currently hold the 10th spot on the Trojans’s list with 110 made triples.
As a freshman, Watkins made 67 3-pointers. If she maintains a similar trajectory in her sophomore season, the guard will finish the 2024-25 season with the eighth spot on USC's all-time 3-point leaderboard.
JuJu Watkins climbs the NCAA scoring leaderboard
JuJu Watkins opened the season by making only 5 of 28 3-point attempts across the first five games. However, since the Acrisure Holiday Invitational, the guard has made 14 of her 22 long ball attempts.
When asked about the shift in her ability to connect it from 22 feet, the guard claimed it was purely a mental adjustment.
"I think it was a mental adjustment for me,” Watkins said in the postgame interview. "I think, like I said, the goal is to have fun, always. And I shoot my best when I’m not really thinking."
The USC guard posted 40 points, six assists and three blocks while going 12 of 18 from the field and 9 of 11 from beyond the arc. Her 25.5 points per game is currently second in the NCAA circuit behind Seminoles' Ta'Niya Latson's 26.1 ppg.