JuJu Watkins shows her love to Caitlin Clark's heartfelt post on wrapping up iconic year one at WNBA
USC Trojans star hooper JuJu Watkins was among many celebrities who reacted to Caitlin Clark's latest post. The WNBA Rookie of the Year and former Iowa Hawkeyes star felt "grateful" after capping off her incredible rookie season.
Clark ended her season with the Indiana Fever going down against the Connecticut Sun in the playoffs, which the franchise qualified for the first time since 2016.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Clark reflected on her season with gratitude as she thanked everyone who supported her.
"Year one ✅ — thank you to the many people who have supported me as I’ve been able to live my childhood dream. I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on this past year of my life. See you all in year two 🖤💫," Clark wrote in her caption.
Clark's transition to professional basketball started with being picked first overall in the WNBA 2024 draft. However, not long before, Clark was in college, where she led the Hawkeyes to consecutive NCAA championship games, which ended in a loss to Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks.
Her college tenure saw her make many budding rivalries, including one with JuJu Watkins, who's seen as the next big thing in college basketball. Watkins reacted with a heart gesture emoji, showing her love for Clark.
Other big names like Coco Gauff, Jake Paul, Cameron Brink, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin also reacted to the post, sending their good wishes.
USC's JuJu Watkins touted to take the women's college basketball torch following Caitlin Clark's departure
In the past four seasons, Caitlin Clark left college basketball fans in awe with her incredible performances over the years with the Hawkeyes. Now that she has departed, the onus is on the shoulders of USC's JuJu Watkins to continue the legacy.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb is excited about what lies ahead as the first-team All-American is set to become the new face of the league.
“That’s what she did off the top, with a grace and an authenticity that is very unique,” Gottlieb said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Day.
"Obviously, she’s a very different human being, a very different player than Caitlin Clark. But I think similarly, there’s this thing of the expectations just keep getting bigger and bigger, and they keep delivering.”
JuJu Watkins led the Trojans from the front last season. The program reached the Elite Eight, their best result in three decades. Watkins finished with 27.1 points per game, second only to Caitlin Clark in the nation, while also setting a freshman record with 920 points.
According to AP News, USC administrators have reached out to Iowa on how they handled the stardom of Clark in terms of security, which shows what lies ahead for Watkins.