JuJu Watkins left starstruck seeing celebrities like Kevin Hart during UCLA game: "I'm really just like a kid out there"
JuJu Watkins had the best game of her sophomore season on Thursday against the No. 1 UCLA. The guard scored 38 points, 11 rebounds, five rebounds and a career-high eight blocks, leading No. 6 USC Trojans to a 71-60 win. It became the first loss of the season for Lauren Betts and the Bruins, who entered the game with a 23-0 record.
Issa Rae, Kevin Hart, Sanaa Lathan, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea and other celebrities were among the packed Galen Center crowd. While facing an undefeated team is motivation enough, Watkins said that having the stars in the stands helped her deliver a high-caliber game.
"I mean it's really a dream come true, not to shout out anybody but Sanaa Lathan, OG Monica in the crowd, Issa Rae, Kevin Hart, it was just an amazing crowd and grateful for all the fans," she said in the post-game interview (at 4:18).
"When you have people like that show up, you can't disappoint. So, shout out Monica for that but yeah, I'm really just like a kid out there and just living out my dreams for real."
JuJu Watkins' game against UCLA surprised college hoops fans because the guard had been struggling with her shot in recent games. She entered the game averaging 19.5 points, seven rebounds and 2.5 assists on 30.7% field goal efficiency and 16% 3-point shooting.
Watkins made 12 of 26 shots against the Bruins (46.2%) while making 6 of 9 from the long range.
Kiki Rice praised JuJu Watkins after the game
In the post-game conference, Kiki Rice directed her team to look past the loss and focus on Sunday's game against the No. 22 Michigan State. However, the guard also praised JuJu Watkins' outing, commending her for hitting big-time shots.
"Good players make a lot of good plays and she made a lot of good plays tonight," she said (4:28). "She hit a lot of tough shots and we just got to adjust and be better next time."
Lauren Betts led with 18 points and 13 rebounds while Kiki Rice scored 15 points and six assists. The Bruins will get a chance to redeem themselves when they face JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans for its last game of the season on Mar. 1.