"Was putting everyone else's happiness over mine": JuJu Watkins' new teammate opens up on transfer portal move from archrivals UCLA
Londynn Jones decided to swap teams in LA this offseason, from UCLA to USC, to play alongside JuJu Watkins. She had a challenging junior year with the Bruins, averaging 8.5 points and 1.8 assists per game.
Jones was a key player of Cori Close's UCLA, which made the Final Four last season, but decided to enter the transfer portal after the campaign ended. The Bruins lost five players to the portal, including Janiah Barker, who landed at Tennessee.
On Saturday, Jones was interviewed by Dominique Darius, a former USC guard and host of the "Beyond The Jersey" podcast. Jones discussd her decision to leave UCLA, her expectations with the Trojans and her basketball journey.
"I think the three years that I played at UCLA, I had a role — and every year, it was a different role," Jones said (28:47). "And it can be hard sometimes to accept your role and execute it. But I think I did a really good job of accepting and executing my role each year.
"At that point, I felt like I was taking one for the team. Like, I'm a team player — whatever we need, I'm going to do and that’s just what it is. I felt like I was putting everyone else's happiness over mine, and I think that was just my final decision."
Jones pointed to her lack of happiness as the primary reason why she left the Bruins, despite their strong run to the Final Four.
JuJu Watkins and Londynn Jones could be one of the most explosive backcourts in the nation
JuJu Watkins has already proven herself as one of the best players in the country. She averaged 23.9 points and 6.8 rebounds last season with USC. Adding Londynn Jones to the mix gives the Trojans another playmaker who can also create her own shot.
Jones is familiar with the Trojans, having faced the them three times last season. This includes a performance with 13 points and three assists, which helped UCLA defeat them in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game.
Addionally, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb also landed Georgia Tech transfer Kara Dunn, Auburn's Yakiya Milton and Washington State's Dayana Mendes.
Watkins, who will be a junior next season, will have more help around her, and the Trojans could be poised to make another deep NCAA Tournament run. They were eliminated in the Elite Eight last season by UConn.