A day after her birthday, USC Trojans celebrate JuJu Watkins' record-breaking moment from last season

USC guard JuJu Watkins turned 20 on Tuesday and the team celebrated the birthday of its star player by sharing the moment she scored a career-high 51 points on the road against Stanford on February 2, 2024.

The Trojans posted the historic night on Instagram on Wednesday. It contained the team's video celebration after the game and in the locker room, as well as chosen photos during the game.

Watkins also grabbed 11 rebounds to lead USC to a 67-58 win over then AP No. 4 Stanford. She broke the program's single-game scoring record held by Cherie Nelson since 1989.

It was the first 50-point game by a freshman since 2010 when Delaware's Elena Delle Donne dropped 54 points in an 88-83 overtime loss to James Madison on Feb. 18, 2010.

Watkins' performance earned her the National Freshman of the Year Award by the USBWA and WBCA and the Consensus First-Team All-American in the 2023-24 season.

She followed that up with another superb showing in the 2024-25 season, averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

The 6-foot-2 guard's overall showing led her to rack up multiple individual awards at the end of the season, including the AP Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, Dawn Staley Award, National College Player of the Year and the Big Ten Player of the Year.

Unfortunately, she sustained an ACL tear on her knee in USC's second-round NCAA Tournament encounter against Mississippi State, forcing her to sit out the remainder of the season.

JuJu Watkins earns second ESPY award

USC guard JuJu Watkins earned her second consecutive ESPY, winning the Best College Athlete award for women's sports.

The award was announced on Wednesday, months after the 6-foot-2 guard became the top collegiate player in the 2024-25 season, leading the Trojans to their second-straight NCAA Tournament.

Watkins bested Olivia Babcock (volleyball), Kate Faasse (soccer) and Gretchen Walsh (swimming) for the award. The Best College Athlete plum came a year after the Sierra Canyon standout was adjudged the Breakthrough Athlete by the ESPYs.

Watkins joined Cooper Flagg as college basketball's big winners for this year's ESPYs. The Duke standout brought home the men's version of the Best College Athlete award.

Among the winners this year are Kentucky standout and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Best Athlete-Men's Sports and Best NBA Player) and Iowa Hawkeyes legend and Indiana Fever playmaker Caitlin Clark (Best WNBA Player).

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Edited by Geoff