USC star JuJu Watkins breaks down in tears after WNBA legend Candace Parker surprises her: "Oh my god! Now I'm gonna cry"
USC's JuJu Watkins has made a remarkable impact in college basketball, and she is just starting her sophomore year. She joined the Trojans as the top-ranked player in the Class of 2023 and broke the freshman scoring record with 920 points, leading USC to an Elite Eight appearance.
Watkins initially attended Windward School in Los Angeles before transferring to Sierra Canyon High School, where she developed into the top player in the country. In her final high school season, she averaged 27.3 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
On Monday, NBC Sports uploaded behind-the-scenes footage of episode three of the "On the Rise: JuJu Watkins" series on YouTube, where JuJu Watkins got an emotional surprise visit from WNBA legend Candace Parker.
Parker walked into the training facility holding the Gatorade award, and she handed it to a stunned Watkins, who broke down in tears.
"She's crying. Oh my god, now I'm going to cry," one of Watkins' teammates said.
"The Gatorade Play of the Year, that was one of my biggest goals, and then Candace walks in with the award, and then I'm just like, 'Bro, like what?' I was excited. I was really excited," JuJu said of the experience. "I cannot believe how much good acting was going on that day, 'cause I had no clue."
JuJu Watkins not happy after USC falls to Notre Dame
It was a big night for JuJu Watkins on Saturday, as the No. 6 USC Trojans took on the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a highly anticipated matchup.
Several big celebrities, including Snoop Dogg and Michael B. Jordan, came to support Watkins at the Galen Center. However, the night did not end the way Watkins and the rest of the Trojans had hoped, as they fell 74-61 to Notre Dame.
JuJu Watkins had a decent outing, scoring 24 points and grabbing six rebounds but it was not enough to lead the Trojans to victory. She called for improvement after the game.
"I think this is a learning experience for the whole team," Watkins said. "[There is] so much to learn as far as chemistry and everything. The biggest thing for me is to stay poised and under control the whole game. It wasn’t the prettiest for me ... we just have to learn to take care of the ball better."
Watkins is leading the Trojans in scoring this season, averaging 22.0 points while also contributing 6.2 rebounds per game.